Tom Tom Club – L'elephant lyrics

[transcription by Stephane Osstyn
corrections, notes and English translation by Tina Weymouth and amended by anonymous user]

L'éléphant et l'hippopotame
(Se) Sont déguisés en hommes.
(Ils) Ont marché au beau village,
Marché, marché, marché, marché.

Sur le chemin, (ils) ont rencontré
Des enfants des hommes,
Et des femmes qui courraient
Courraient, courraient, courraient, courraient.

Tout en courrant, les femmes pleuraient
Pleuraient des grosses larmes
Grosses gouttes, grosses larmes
Tombaient, tombaient, tombaient, tombaient.

L'éléphant et l'hippopotame
Voulaient savoir ce qu'elles avaient
Voulaient savoir la raison qu'elles
Pleuraient, pleuraient, pleuraient, pleuraient.

Un enfant, tout terrifié,
S'est arrêté pour leur parler.
Sa bouche ouvrait, mais il est resté
Muet, muet, muet, muet.

*Enlevez vos costumes bêtes,
Leur chantaient les oiseaux.
**Gobe-mouches pipits, chouettes et hiboux
Chantaient, chantaient, chantaient, chantaient:

C'est la guerre, la guerre des hommes.
Ils se sont disputés.
Tout autour, ils veulent tuer,
Tuer, tuer, tuer, tuer.

Tuer, tuer, tuer, tuer.
Tuer, tuer, tuer, tuer.
Tuer, tuer, tuer, tuer.
Tuer, tuer, tuer, tuer.

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*Bêtes is plural for bête, which means beast, animal,
or dumb creature. It also means silly, stupid, dumb,
or idiotic. Since the animals are dressed as men,
this is a play on words.

**In ornithology, gobe-mouches pipits are fly-catching
tit-larks, or pipits, a species of bird. In botany,
un gobe-mouches is defined as a fly-trap. Gobe-mouches
also translates into simpleton, fool, gull, dupe, sap
or, in slang, as sucker. This is another play on words.

**************************************************
THE ELEPHANT (translation into English)

The elephant and the hippopotamus
Disguised themselves as men.
They walked to the beautiful village,
Walked, walked, walked, walked

On the path, they met
The children of men
And women, who were running,
Running, running, running, running

As they ran, the women were crying,
Crying fat tears.
Large drops, big fat tears, were
Falling, falling, falling, falling

The elephant and the hippopotamus
Wanted to know what was the matter,
Wanted to know the reason they were
Crying, crying, crying, crying.

A terrified child
Stopped to speak with them.
His mouth opened, but he remained
Mute, mute, mute, mute.

*"Beasts, Take off your costumes", OR "Take off your stupid costumes",
Sang to them the birds.
**Pipits, screech owls, and owls were
Singing, singing, singing, singing:

"It is war, the war of men.
They have quarreled among themselves.
All around, they want to kill,
Kill, kill, kill, kill"

Kill, kill, kill, kill
Kill, kill, kill, kill
Kill, kill, kill, kill
Kill, kill, kill, kill