Jacques Brel - The song of Jacky

Original title: "La chanson de Jacky"
Year: 1965

Even if one day, in Knokke-Le-Zoute
I become, like I dread,
Singer, for declining women
Even if I sing to them "Mi Corazon"
With the bandoneoning voice
Of an Argentinian from Carcassonne

Even if people call me Antonio
That I burn my last fires
In exchange of a few gifts
Madam, I do what I can

Even if I get drunk on mead
To better be able to talk about virility
To grannies decorated
Like christmas trees

I know that in my drunkenography
Every night for pink elephants
I will sing my morose song
The one of the time when my name was Jacky

To be one hour, just one hour
To be one hour, one hour sometimes,
To be one hour, just during one hour
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful and idiot at the same time

Even if one day in Macau
I become joint governor
Circled with languid women

Even if tired to be a singer
I became blackmailer²
And that it'd be the other ones who sing

Even if people call me the beautiful Serge
That I sell boats filled with opium
Whisky from Clermont-Ferrand
True gays and fake virgins
That I have a bank at each finger
And a finger in each country
That each country would be mine

I still know that every night
Alone at the back of my opium den
For a public made of old Chinese people
I will sing my own song
The one of the time when my name was Jacky

To be one hour, just one hour
To be one hour, one hour sometimes,
To be one hour, just during one hour
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful and idiot at the same time

Even if one day in Paradise
I become, like I'd be surprised of it,
Singer for women with white wings
Even if I sing them Alleluhia
While regretting the time of down there
Where it's not sunday everyday

Even if I am called God the Father
The one who is in the phone book
Between Dieulefit³ and God bless you

Even if I let my beard grow
Even if still too much a sucker
I kill my heart and the pure spirit
wanting to console men

I know still that every night
I will hear in my Paradise
The angels, the Saints and Lucifer
sing to me the song of former times
The one of the time when my name was Jacky

To be one hour, just one hour
To be one hour, one hour sometimes,
To be one hour, just during one hour
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful and idiot at the same time

² Master singer in french
³ Could be translated to Goddidit

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