Jacques Brel - The Town Fell Asleep

Original Title: "La Ville s'endormait" Year: 1977

The town was falling asleep
And I'm forgetting its name
On the river upstream
A corner of sky was burning
The town was falling asleep
And I'm forgetting its name
And the night, little by little,
And the time stopped,
And my muddy horse,
And my tired body.
And the night, blue to blue,
And the water from a fountain
And a few shouts of hate
Poured by a few old men
on women older than them
whose body is dozing off.

The town was falling asleep
And I'm forgetting its name
On the river upstream
A corner of sky was burning
The town fell asleep
And I'm forgetting its name
And my horse who is drinking
And me looking at it
And my thirst making sure
That it's not noticed
And the fountain sings
And tireness stucks
Its knife in my back
And I play the one
Who is his own ruler
I'm expected somewhere
Like one waits for the King
But noone is waiting for me
I know since already
That you die from chance
By quickening your pace

The town was falling asleep
And I'm forgetting its name
On the river upstream
A corner of sky was burning
The town was falling asleep
And I'm forgetting its name
It's true that sometimes around the evening
The birds look like waves
And waves like birds
And men like laughs
And laughs like sobs
It's true that often
The sea disenchants itself
I mean by this
That it sings other songs
That those sung by the sea
In children's books
But women always
Only look alike to women
And among them the idiots
Only look alike to idiots
And I'm not quite sure
Unlike one is singing
That they are the future of men

The town was falling asleep
And I'm forgetting its name
On the river upstream
A corner of sky was burning
The town was falling asleep
And I'm forgetting its name
And you passed
Unknown young lady
Within an inch of being naked
Under the dansing linen