Debout les gars – Bilingual Lyrics French/English

• By: Hugues Aufray

Lyrics & Translation

Discover "Debout les gars," a vibrant 1964 French folk-rock song by Hugues Aufray. This track, with its themes of unity and perseverance, offers a glimpse into the cultural optimism of the era and is perfect for anyone looking to connect with French music that inspires collective action and a positive outlook.

[English]

This mountain that you see

We'll get through it, my friend

A bulldozer and two hundred hands

And the road will be cleared

Get up guys, wake up

We need to put in some effort

Get up guys, wake up

We're going to the ends of the earth

We must not back down

In front of the tons of rock

We're going to celebrate July fourteenth

With blasts of dynamite

Get up guys, wake up

We need to put in some effort

Get up guys, wake up

We're going to the ends of the earth

Just one more meter, two, and three

In 1983

Your children will be proud of you

The road will be beautiful

Get up guys, wake up

We need to put in some effort

Get up guys, wake up

We're going to the ends of the earth

Sometimes, in the evening

We get a little taste of gloom

But it's just a bit of fog

That the sun will tear apart

Get up guys, wake up

We need to put in some effort

Get up guys, wake up

We're going to the ends of the earth

People thought we were crazy

But we will get through anywhere

And we will be at the meeting point

Of those who are waiting for us

Get up guys, wake up

We need to put in some effort

Get up guys, wake up

We're going to the ends of the earth

And when everything is finished

We will have to part ways

But we will never, ever forget

What we did together

Get up guys, wake up

We need to put in some effort

Get up guys, wake up

We're going to the ends of the earth

Get up guys, wake up

We need to put in some effort

Get up guys, wake up

We're going to the ends of the earth

...

[French]

Cette montagne que tu vois

On en viendra à bout, mon gars

Un bulldozer et deux cent bras

Et passera la route

Debout les gars, réveillez-vous

Il va falloir en mettre un coup

Debout les gars, réveillez-vous

On va au bout du monde

Il ne faut pas se dégonfler

Devant les tonnes de rocher

On va faire un quatorze juillet

À coups de dynamite

Debout les gars, réveillez-vous

Il va falloir en mettre un coup

Debout les gars, réveillez-vous

On va au bout du monde

Encore un mètre et deux et trois

En 1983

Tes enfants seront fiers de toi

La route sera belle

Debout les gars, réveillez-vous

Il va falloir en mettre un coup

Debout les gars, réveillez-vous

On va au bout du monde

Il nous arrive, parfois, le soir

Comme un petit goût de cafard

Mais ce n'est qu'un peu de brouillard

Que le soleil déchire

Debout les gars, réveillez-vous

Il va falloir en mettre un coup

Debout les gars, réveillez-vous

On va au bout du monde

Les gens nous prenaient pour des fous

Mais nous, on passera partout

Et nous seront au rendez-vous

De ceux qui nous attendent

Debout les gars, réveillez-vous

Il va falloir en mettre un coup

Debout les gars, réveillez-vous

On va au bout du monde

Et quand tout sera terminé

Il faudra bien se séparer

Mais on oubliera jamais, jamais

Ce qu'on a fait ensemble

Debout les gars, réveillez-vous

Il va falloir en mettre un coup

Debout les gars, réveillez-vous

On va au bout du monde

Debout les gars, réveillez-vous

Il va falloir en mettre un coup

Debout les gars, réveillez-vous

On va au bout du monde

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
montagne /mɔ̃.taɲ/ A1	noun - mountain
gars /ɡaʁ/ A1	noun - guy
route /ʁut/ A1	noun - road
dynamite /dynamit/ B1	noun - dynamite
enfants /ɑ̃.fɑ̃/ A1	noun - children
fiers /fjɛʁ/ B1	adjective - proud
brouillard /bʁu.jaʁ/ B2	noun - fog
soleil /sɔ.lɛj/ A1	noun - sun
monde /mɔ̃d/ A1	noun - world
terminé /tɛʁ.mi.ne/ B1	verb - to finish
séparer /se.pa.ʁe/ B1	verb - to separate
oubli /u.bli/ B2	noun - forgetting
ensemble /ɑ̃.sɑ̃.bl/ A2	adverb - together
passer /pa.se/ A2	verb - to pass
fou /fu/ A2	adjective - crazy

Key Grammar Structures

• Debout les gars, réveillez-vous

  ➔ Imperative mood

  ➔ The phrase "réveillez-vous" is in the imperative mood, used to give commands or requests.

• Il va falloir en mettre un coup

  ➔ Future construction with 'aller'

  ➔ The phrase "Il va falloir" indicates a future necessity or obligation.

• On va au bout du monde

  ➔ Use of 'on' as an indefinite subject

  ➔ The pronoun "on" is used to refer to people in general, similar to 'we' or 'one'.

• Il ne faut pas se dégonfler

  ➔ Negative construction with 'ne... pas'

  ➔ The phrase "Il ne faut pas" expresses a prohibition or advice against doing something.

• Les gens nous prenaient pour des fous

  ➔ Imperfect tense for past actions

  ➔ The verb "prenaient" is in the imperfect tense, indicating a past action that was ongoing or habitual.

• Mais nous, on passera partout

  ➔ Simple future tense

  ➔ The verb "passera" is in the simple future tense, indicating an action that will happen.

• Il faudra bien se séparer

  ➔ Future necessity with 'falloir'

  ➔ The phrase "Il faudra" indicates a future necessity or obligation.

• Mais on oubliera jamais, jamais

  ➔ Use of 'jamais' for emphasis

  ➔ The repetition of "jamais" emphasizes the certainty of never forgetting.