The Legendary Brigitte Fontaine

Yesterday was a special day. Some would consider it to have been the first day of my old age.

What better way to usher in my twilight decades than to pay tribute to Brigitte Fontaine. She is virtually unknown in the English-speaking world, and not even particularly well known in the French-speaking world. This is a great tragedy. She's a true artist. Minga would love and want to be her.

I want to share a little Brigitte with you: 'Prohibition', a song written by her hubby, Areski, and that you'll find the clip for here.

The lyrics are basically impossible to translate, but here's my attempt:

The card that proved my many years

Reduced the bastards all to tears

Each one of them of a haughty sod

Regaling at my kick-ass bod

[CHORUS:]

This old girl says suck her cock

So little time left on her clock

So cute with her dragonfly

She'll be forgot and then she'll die

Just move along, you creepy twat

The buffet-wagon's where it's at

I'll go and smoke a fag or two

All nice and quiet in the loo

There's prohibition everywhere

There's trash and fags and pockets bare

They're boozing up now on TV

And ageing there for all to see

There's prohibition everywhere

You wonder why they even care

Though they talk, write and fornicate

No jizz for you, you're sixty, mate

[CHORUS]

If you're infirmed, you gotta go

Unless of course you've got the dough

You'll just be tossed into a ditch

Compassion's only for the rich

Guess what they've got in stall for me

A home in perpetuity

Never to see the light of day

If ever I should lose my way

Let me tell you what I've planned

How I will find my promised land

It's sex and drugs and rock and roll

There's nothing better for the soul

This old girl says suck her cock

No law, no faith, no fluffy flock

Her dragonfly awaits a kiss

Her cause of death will be her bliss.

Je suis vieille, et je vous... embrasse...