Story Behind The Song
The main idea come from being pissed at fellow Americans for knee-jerk anti-French nonsense during the early post 9-11 days of "freedom fries" replacing "french fries". So it's making fun of Americans for not knowing French, written by an American who doesn't know French. The long accordion intro is an attempt to place us in 1920's France as a start.
Song Description
Song starts with a French accordion instrumental introduction where you practically hear a mime or see a loaf of French bread sticking out of a shopping bag. Then it goes into the main song that's bouncy and a toe-tapper. The first half of the lyrics are French (ugly American French) and then into English - all of which make fun of American's weird reaction towards the French, especially in post-9/11 "freedom fries" era
Song Length |
5:57 |
Genre |
World - European, Pop - Alternative |
Tempo |
Medium Slow (91 - 110) |
Lead Vocal |
Male Vocal |
Mood |
Pleasant, Amiable |
Subject |
World, Liberal, Progressive |
Similar Artists |
Randy Newman, Elvis Costello |
Language |
English |
Era |
1920 - 1929 |
| |
Lyrics
Rappelez-vous avant
Avez commence une guerre
Votre sentiment (etait) Allez ? l'enfer
Vous nous devez - au moins: desole
Vous ne parlez francais
Sophistique, il vous rend fou
Le bruit de cette langue, je joue avec vous
Ne parlerez jamais - excepte l'anglais
Vous ne parlez francais
Changez notre nom en liberte
Mais mangerez des frites
Asseyez la et manger
Devenez tres gros tout-de-suite
Sophisticated, the sound of this tongue
I know you hate it; I'm just poking fun
But you should widen, your horizons
Vous Ne Parlez Francais
You can change our name to freedom
But you'll still be eating fries
You can sit right there and eat them
While you're getting Super-sized
You're not hearing a word that I say
Your profiteering, it gets in the way
Your FBI's starting a franchise
Vous Ne Parlez Francais
While you stay there in your echo chamber
You're only aware of what's on the air
It's all misleading, what you're not reading
Vous Ne Parlez Francais