Easy French Literature

OH ! HÉ ! HEIN ! BON !
 
Listen to the song by Nino Ferrer while reading the text.
Please click on words you don't understand.
 
NINO FERRER
(1934 – 1998)
 
music ... drums ...  
 
OH ! HÉ ! HEIN ! BON !  
QU'EST-CE QUE J'AI FAIT  
DE MES CLÉS,  
MES LUNETTES ET MES PAPIERS,  
MON VESTON, MON LORGNON,  
MON ÉTUI D'ACCORDÉON,  
OUI JE SAIS,  
JE PERDS TOUT,  
MAIS CE QUE JE VEUX PAS,  
C'EST QU'ON SE MOQUE DE MOI !  
OH ! HÉ ! HEIN ! BON !  
 
OÙ EST-CE QUE J'AI MIS  
MES OUTILS,  
MA PIPE ET MON PARAPLUIE,  
MA BELLE-SŒUR, MON TAMBOUR,  
ET MA TANTE DE SAINT-FLOUR,  
OUI JE SAIS,  
JE PERDS TOUT,  
MAIS CE QUE JE VEUX PAS,  
C'EST QU'ON SE MOQUE DE MOI !  
OH ! HÉ ! HEIN ! BON !  
 
OÙ EST MON BÂTON, MON BOUTON,  
MON TONTON, MON SAUCISSON  
MON COUSIN CÉLESTIN  
QUI ÉTAIT ACADÉMICIEN  
OUI JE SAIS,  
JE PERDS TOUT,  
MAIS CE QUE JE VEUX PAS,  
C'EST QU'ON SE MOQUE DE MOI !  
 
MMMMMMMM ... MUSIC ...  
 
M-OUI ...  
SI ON VEUT ...  
MMM-BOFF ...  
M-OUAIS ...  
À LA RIGUEUR ...  
 
OH ! HÉ !....COUGH …COUGH …  
OÙ SONT MES GOUTTES, MES PASTILLES  
MON SIROP, MA CAMOMILLE,  
MA POTION, MON CACHET,  
MES PIQÛRES ET MON BONNET  
OUI JE SAIS,  
JE PERDS TOUT,  
MAIS CE QUE JE VEUX PAS,  
C'EST QU'ON SE MOQUE DE MOI !  
OH ! HÉ ! HEIN ! BON !  
 
QU'EST-CE QUE J'AI FAIT  
DES PAROLES  
DE CETTE SATANÉE CHANSON,  
JE LES AI OUBLIEES  
ELLES DOIVENT ÊTRE À LA MAISON,  
OUI JE SAIS,  
JE PERDS TOUT,  
MAIS CE QUE JE VEUX PAS,  
C'EST QU'ON SE MOQUE DE MOI !  
OH ! HÉ ! HEIN ! BON !  
 
LA LA LA LA LA LA LA  
LA LA LA LA LA LA  
LA LA LA....  
 
M-BOFF !!!  
 
* * * / / / * * *
 
 
Mot Annotation
OH ! HÉ ! HEIN ! BON !
OH ! HÉ ! HEIN ! BON !

OH ! = to catch the attention of your listener

In French, when you want to catch the attention of someone, let's say in the street, you say OH !

HÉ ! = to show him (her) that he (she) is doing something wrong

In French, to stop quickly somebody who is doing something wrong, you say HÉ !

HEIN ! = to acknowledge that recognition

In French, HEIN ! , in that case, also means ' you understand what I mean '.

BON ! = conclusion, we understand each other…

In French, you say BON ! once the conflict is over, when the problem is solved.

Here, with these exclamations, Nino Ferrer wants to stop people making fun of him forgetting everything everywhere.

OH ! = Hey, you!; HÉ ! = What are you doing !?! HEIN ! = That's better ! BON ! = Okeydokey !

Listen to the song by Nino Ferrer while reading the text.
Please click on words you don't understand.
NINO FERRER
see Wikipedia
(1934 – 1998)
music ... drums ...
OH ! HÉ ! HEIN ! BON ! OH ! HÉ ! HEIN ! BON !

OH ! = to catch the attention of your listener

In French, when you want to catch the attention of someone, let's say in the street, you say OH !

HÉ ! = to show him (her) that he (she) is doing something wrong

In French, to stop quickly somebody who is doing something wrong, you say HÉ !

HEIN ! = to acknowledge that recognition

In French, HEIN ! , in that case, also means ' you understand what I mean '.

BON ! = conclusion, we understand each other…

In French, you say BON ! once the conflict is over, when the problem is solved.

Here, with these exclamations, Nino Ferrer wants to stop people making fun of him forgetting everything everywhere.

OH ! = Hey, you!; HÉ ! = What are you doing !?! HEIN ! = That's better ! BON ! = Okeydokey !

QU'EST-CE QUE J'AI FAIT What did I do
DE MES CLÉS, with my keys
MES LUNETTES ET MES PAPIERS, my glasses and my papers
MON VESTON, MON LORGNON, my jacket, my glasses ( 'lorgnon' is an old word for ' glasses')
MON ÉTUI D'ACCORDÉON, my accordeon case
OUI JE SAIS, yes, I know
JE PERDS TOUT, I am losing everything
MAIS CE QUE JE VEUX PAS, but what I don't want
C'EST QU'ON SE MOQUE DE MOI ! is that people make fun of me
OH ! HÉ ! HEIN ! BON ! OH! HÉ! HEIN! BON !

OH ! = to catch the attention of your listener

In French, when you want to catch the attention of someone, let's say in the street, you say OH !

HÉ ! = to show him (her) that he (she) is doing something wrong

In French, to stop quickly somebody who is doing something wrong, you say HÉ !

HEIN ! = to acknowledge that recognition

In French, HEIN ! , in that case, also means ' you understand what I mean '.

BON ! = conclusion, we understand each other…

In French, you say BON ! once the conflict is over, when the problem is solved.

Here, with these exclamations, Nino Ferrer wants to stop people making fun of him forgetting everything everywhere.

OH ! = Hey, you!; HÉ ! = What are you doing !?! HEIN ! = That's better ! BON ! = Okeydokey !

OÙ EST-CE QUE J'AI MIS where did I put
MES OUTILS, my tools
MA PIPE ET MON PARAPLUIE, my pipe and my umbrella
MA BELLE-SŒUR, MON TAMBOUR, my sister in law, my drum
ET MA TANTE DE SAINT-FLOUR, and my ant from St-Flour

St-Flour is a city in France. Its name rhymes with ' tambour '.

OUI JE SAIS, yes, I know
JE PERDS TOUT, I am losing everything
MAIS CE QUE JE VEUX PAS, but what I don't want
C'EST QU'ON SE MOQUE DE MOI ! is that people make fun of me
OH ! HÉ ! HEIN ! BON ! OH ! HÉ ! HEIN ! BON !

OH ! = to catch the attention of your listener

In French, when you want to catch the attention of someone, let's say in the street, you say OH !

HÉ ! = to show him (her) that he (she) is doing something wrong

In French, to stop quickly somebody who is doing something wrong, you say HÉ !

HEIN ! = to acknowledge that recognition

In French, HEIN ! , in that case, also means ' you understand what I mean '.

BON ! = conclusion, we understand each other…

In French, you say BON ! once the conflict is over, when the problem is solved.

Here, with these exclamations, Nino Ferrer wants to stop people making fun of him forgetting everything everywhere.

OH ! = Hey, you!; HÉ ! = What are you doing !?! HEIN ! = That's better ! BON ! = Okeydokey !

OÙ EST MON BÂTON, MON BOUTON, where is my stick, my button
MON TONTON, MON SAUCISSON my uncle ( 'tonton' is familiar for 'uncle'), my sausage
MON COUSIN CÉLESTIN my cousin Célestin
QUI ÉTAIT ACADÉMICIEN who was an academician (probably an allusion to the famous ' Académie française ')
OUI JE SAIS, yes, I know
JE PERDS TOUT, I am losing everything
MAIS CE QUE JE VEUX PAS, but what I don't want
C'EST QU'ON SE MOQUE DE MOI ! is that people make fun of me
MMMMMMMM ... MUSIC ...
M-OUI ... yes...
SI ON VEUT ... If you want...
MMM-BOFF ... expletive, usually meaning ' I don't care, Whatever '!
M-OUAIS ... yes

OUI is often pronounced OUAIS, with sometimes an addition of a M-, when you want to mean that you are doubting something.

À LA RIGUEUR ... at the most...
OH ! HÉ !....COUGH …COUGH … OH ! HÉ ! HEIN ! BON ! interrupted by a cough...Nino Ferrer is going to sing about his health and the medicine he takes.
OÙ SONT MES GOUTTES, MES PASTILLES where are my drops, my pastilles ( small pill)
MON SIROP, MA CAMOMILLE, my syrup, my camomile
MA POTION, MON CACHET, my potion, my cachet (big pill)
MES PIQÛRES ET MON BONNET my injections, my cap
OUI JE SAIS, yes, I know
JE PERDS TOUT, I am losing everything
MAIS CE QUE JE VEUX PAS, but what I don't want
C'EST QU'ON SE MOQUE DE MOI ! is that people make fun of me
OH ! HÉ ! HEIN ! BON ! OH ! HÉ ! HEIN ! BON !

OH ! = to catch the attention of your listener

In French, when you want to catch the attention of someone, let's say in the street, you say OH !

HÉ ! = to show him (her) that he (she) is doing something wrong

In French, to stop quickly somebody who is doing something wrong, you say HÉ !

HEIN ! = to acknowledge that recognition

In French, HEIN ! , in that case, also means ' you understand what I mean '.

BON ! = conclusion, we understand each other…

In French, you say BON ! once the conflict is over, when the problem is solved.

Here, with these exclamations, Nino Ferrer wants to stop people making fun of him forgetting everything everywhere.

OH ! = Hey, you!; HÉ ! = What are you doing !?! HEIN ! = That's better ! BON ! = Okeydokey !

QU'EST-CE QUE J'AI FAIT what did I do
DES PAROLES with the lyrics
DE CETTE SATANÉE CHANSON, of this damned song
JE LES AI OUBLIEES I have forgotten them
ELLES DOIVENT ÊTRE À LA MAISON, they must be at home
OUI JE SAIS, yes, I know
JE PERDS TOUT, I am losing everything
MAIS CE QUE JE VEUX PAS, but what I don't want
C'EST QU'ON SE MOQUE DE MOI ! is that people make fun of me
OH ! HÉ ! HEIN ! BON ! OH ! HÉ ! HEIN ! BON !

OH ! = to catch the attention of your listener

In French, when you want to catch the attention of someone, let's say in the street, you say OH !

HÉ ! = to show him (her) that he (she) is doing something wrong

In French, to stop quickly somebody who is doing something wrong, you say HÉ !

HEIN ! = to acknowledge that recognition

In French, HEIN ! , in that case, also means ' you understand what I mean '.

BON ! = conclusion, we understand each other…

In French, you say BON ! once the conflict is over, when the problem is solved.

Here, with these exclamations, Nino Ferrer wants to stop people making fun of him forgetting everything everywhere.

OH ! = Hey, you!; HÉ ! = What are you doing !?! HEIN ! = That's better ! BON ! = Okeydokey !

LA LA LA LA LA LA LA
LA LA LA LA LA LA
LA LA LA....
M-BOFF !!! expletive, usually meaning ' I don't care, Whatever '!
* * * / / / * * *