Albert [English translation]

Nobody knew anything about him,

he lived alone and without friends.

The boredom that must have marred his life

showed on his face.

(Albert, Albert)

From 9AM to 6PM

he roamed the sidewalks,

taxing, according to his duty,

the prohibitory1 parkings.

(Albert, Albert)

He was Albert, the ticket man.

He thought his life was beautiful,

forgetting that in the sky,

blue butterflies2 have wings.

(Albert, Albert)

They said he was harsh and stern,

yet his soul was noble and proud.

Only the Ministry car drivers

could escape his law.

(Albert, Albert)

across the whole city everyone knew

his figure and his counterfoil book.

When they saw him, drivers said

"Here comes Albert, the one who never forgives"

(Albert, Albert)

He was Albert, the ticket man.

He thought his life was beautiful,

forgetting that in the sky,

blue butterflies have wings.

(Albert, Albert)

But one day, as he was off duty,

even though he drank nothing but water,

one Pastis3 too many

and he was run over by a bike.

(Albert, Albert)

On his grave they wrote

among flower buds:

"Don't mind the gossip,

he really wasn't a prize...4"

He was Albert, the ticket man.

He thought his life was beautiful,

forgetting that in the sky,

blue butterflies have wings.

- a prize what?

(he was Albert, the ticket man)

- Are you out of your mind? Now really...5

(he thought his life was beautiful)

- No, really , it's a song

- Song or not, who cares?

(forgetting that in the sky)

- Sing along if you like

(blue butterflies have wings)

- Never mind, no way we can say that, ok?

- Oh come on

- How come we can't say that?

- Oh my oh my oh my!

I don't even have a car

Me, I have a bike

- A bike is all I have, ok?

1. "prohibitoire" doesn't exist in French, they made it up for the rhyme I guess2. "papillon" is a slang term for a parking ticket. French ones include a blue carbon paper for the duplicata, hence the "blue butterflies"3. a very popular strong aniseed-flavoured drink from the South of France, favoured by alcoholics for its high alcohol content (51°)4. the complete sentence is obviously "le roi des cons"

(the king of assholes, i.e. a prize jerk)5. At the time the song was written, using strong language in the medias was still seriously frowned upon :)