Paroles et traduction Yves Montand - Battling Joe - Live

Battling Joe - Live

Dans un village noir de charbon
Dans les ch′min? es et les corons
Tout p' tit il battait ses copains
Il? tait fier de ses deux poings
Presqu′ autant qu' son p? re le mineur
Qui disait: "? a f' ra un boxeur "
Le jour de son premier combat
Fallait un nom, l′ en avait pas
Comme la mode? tait? l′ anglais
Il s' appela " Battling Joe "
Battling Joe
C′? tait un peu d? mesur?
Pour un gosse aux? paules? troites
Mais qui avait une m? chante droite
Battling Joe
Il gagna son premier combat
Et le soir m? me avec papa
Il prenait le train pour Paris
O? un boxeur? a vaut son prix
Battling Joe
Il croyait bien en f'sant c′ truc-l?? tre plus libre mais voil?
Qui dit boxeur dit manager
Le sien avait une poigne de fer
C'? tait un gars tr? s r? gulier
Qui pour justifier la moiti?
Des bourses de tous ses combats
Lui fit mener une vie d′ for? at
" On n' est pas l? pour rigoler "
Qu' il disait? Battling Joe
Battling Joe
Devint un boxeur redout?
Battling faisait des gross′ recettes
Battling devint une gross′ vedette
Battling Joe
Les dames disaient tout pr? s du ring
" Il est d? licieux ce Battling "
Et elles admiraient son moral
Sans penser qu' les coups? a fait mal
Battling Joe
Battling devint un grand champion
Jusqu′ au triste soir o? un gnon
Lui embrouilla soudain les yeux
L' manager dit: " C′est pas s? rieux!
Tu d' viens feignant, fait ton m? tier
Boxe rime pas avec piti?..."
La foule eut p′ t'? tr' tort ce soir-l?
De siffler la fin du combat
Malgr? les lampes et leurs? clairs
Battling Joe... h? Joe... ne voyait plus clair
Battling Joe
C′ est un nom mait′ nant oubli?
Une triste silhouette qui penche
Appuy? e sur une canne blanche
Battling Joe
A tout perdu en un seul soir
Ses yeux son titre et son espoir
Mais il sait comme consolation
Son manager a d' autres champions
Battling Joe

Battling Joe - Live

In a coal-black village
In the paths and the mining quarters
He was beating up his buddies since he was little
He was so proud of his two fists
Almost as much as his father the miner
Who said, "He'll be a boxer."
On the day of his first fight
He needed a name, he didn't have one
As English was the trend
He called himself "Battling Joe."
Battling Joe
He was a bit too small
For a kid with narrow shoulders
But who had a wicked right hand
Battling Joe
He won his first fight
And that evening with his father
He took the train to Paris
Where a boxer is worth his weight in gold
Battling Joe
He thought he could be more free by doing this but alas
Who says boxer says manager
His had an iron fist
He was a very regular guy
Who to justify getting half
Of the purses from all his fights
Made him live like an athlete
"We're not here to have fun,"
He would say to Battling Joe
Battling Joe
He became a feared boxer
Battling made great money
Battling became a huge star
Battling Joe
The ladies would say right next to the ring
"He's delicious, this Battling"
And they admired his spirit
Without thinking that the blows hurt
Battling Joe
Battling became a great champion
Until the sad evening when a punch
Suddenly blurred his vision
The manager said, "That's not serious!"
You're getting lazy, do your job
Boxing doesn't rhyme with pity..."
The crowd was perhaps wrong that night
To boo the end of the fight
In spite of the lights and their flashes
Battling Joe...hey Joe...couldn't see clearly anymore
Battling Joe
It's a name forgotten now
A sad figure who is leaning
Supported by a white cane
Battling Joe
He lost everything in one night
His eyes, his title, and his hope
But he knows as a consolation
His manager has other champions
Battling Joe