Pont Mirabeau

[Narraback]

I've noticed that the original poem by Appollinaire fits the melody exactly. For my money, this would've sounded better in French. Anyone know why Finer translated it? Comments, please.

[meowhouse]

Les Pogues ne parlent pas français? Des accents terribles? L'age jeune torque???

I had to get that last one in but it's a joke.

Seriously I don't know. Wider audience, maybe? It would have sounded good in French, as a song.

[Narraback]

Thanks, meowhouse;

Wider audience! That's the first time I've heard that in relation to the Pogues. Ah but then, we are talking about the post-MacGowan Pogues. See, I was thinking how this would have sounded with Shane sloshing his way through it in French. It would have been really good in that god-awful bad way that only he can accomplish.

[DzM]

From http://www.poguetry.com/pm.htm

Pont Mirabeau is a bridge in Paris ("pont" is the French word for "bridge") built between 1894 and 1897. This song continues Jem's interest in these structures (also see his "Misty Morning, Albert Bridge").

The lyrics for this one are based on the poem of the same name by French poet, essayist, and art critic Guillaume Appolinaire (1880-1918) that was published in his collection entitled "Alcools" (1913; english translation in 1964). Appolinaire was a central figure in the early twentieth century Parisian avant-garde. Although he served in the French army during the First World War, his life was cut short not by the war but by the great influenza outbreak of 1918. Jem used his father's translation for the lyric: "Among the things my father left me was a translation of Appolinaire's poem, Pont Mirabeau and a note saying that he'd love to hear it set to music. I adapted his translation to make it work as a lyric and wrote the tune in the romantic surroundings of a cheap Redcar hotel."

[Narraback]

Thanks very much, DzM. This settles it for me.

[Low D]

I've noticed that the original poem by Appollinaire fits the melody exactly. For my money, this would've sounded better in French.

I think it shoulda been recorded in "Franglais", that mysterious language spoken by Canadian Anglos who learned an almost-useless amount of french in school, with no accent at all.

Mind you, it served me well when i was in Europe - you speak a little Franglais, and people know you're not an American!

[Sandyfromvancouver]

From http://www.poguetry.com/pm.htm

. . . . Jem used his father's translation for the lyric: "Among the things my father left me was a translation of Appolinaire's poem, Pont Mirabeau and a note saying that he'd love to hear it set to music. I adapted his translation to make it work as a lyric and wrote the tune in the romantic surroundings of a cheap Redcar hotel."

Lovely thing to do.