I have forgotten the campaigns
of Auserlitz and of Waterloo.
in Italy, in Prussia and in Spain,
in Pontoise and in Landerneau1 !
Never in your life
can you forget her,
the first girl
you held in your arms,
the first new girl
you called "tu"2
(my heart, do you remember her?)
How dear she was to us....
Whether she was a decent girl,
or a worthless girl,
whether she was a virgin
or she had plenty experience,
you remember her,
and you'll remember her,
the first girl
that you held in your arms.
My memories of Susie
have flown off pretty fast,
and I memory is unreliablle
about Julie, Rosette, and Lison !
Never in your life
will you forget her,
the first girl
that you helf in your arms,
It was wonderful
(my heart, do you remember?)
and I swapped my virtue
for a primrose3.
Whether it was very stylish
like the upper classes
or just in the street
like poor people or dogs
you remember her
you'll remember her,
the first girl
that you held in your arms.
You, who gave me the baptism
of love and of the seventh heaven,
me, I keep you and me, I love you,
my last present from Father Christmas4.
Never in your life
will you forget her,
the first girl
that you held in your arms,
it's all very well to try looking ready,
when she took of her clothes
(my heart do you remember it?)
I was thoroughly shaken up...
Plenty more, no doubt,
have come along since then,
yes, but, of all
those I have known,
she is the last
that I will forget,
the very first girl
that I took into my arms.
1. As far as I know there were no serious military campaigns in Pontoise (a suburb of Paris) and nothing in Lanerneau except maybe something in the 9th century AD when the vikings attacked much of Britanny. Perhaps Brassens was making the point that military history should be regarded as less worth remembering than first loves.2. the use of "tu" instead of "vous" recognises a very close friendship3. "spring flower" or "primrose" used as a symbol of the love which replaces virginity4. Once one ceases to be a virgin one is too old to believe any more in Father Christmas