Over the weekend, a group of British infantry veterans gathered in a pub to honor the men who fell in battle before them.
November 11th is known as Veteran’s Day by Americans but it also coincides with Armistice Day in France and Remembrance Day (name was changed from Armistice in 2006) in Britain.
Unlike Veteran’s Day, Remembrance Day honors those who died fighting for Britain -similar to Memorial Day in the United States.
During the celebration, one of the veterans climbed on top of a table, stripped down naked, and led his fellow veterans in singing “Alouette.”
While many know it today has a Rugby drinking song, its roots are rumored to date back to WWII when British soldiers learned it from children singing it in France. It is also rumored to date back to French fur trappers in Canada who used the song to keep cadence while paddling their canoes.
Alouette, gentille Alouette
Lark, nice lark
Alouette, je te plumerai
Lark, I shall pluck you
Je te plumerai la tête…
I shall pluck your head…
The version sung by rugby teams, French-Canadian beer drinkers and soldiers is much different. In the version these infantrymen are singing, when they sing “Alouetta,” they are referring to one of the many french prostitutes who likely had encounters with British soldiers during one of the great wars.
The lyrics -some of which are too graphic to include- are very far from being aligned with new “politically correct” military culture adopted by the U.S. military, but good luck telling that to these veterans across the pond.
Alouette
Chorus: (Start with chorus first and then insert it between each verse)
Alouette, gentille, Alouette. Alouette, gentille plumerai.
Leader: Does she have the scraggly hair?
Group: Yes, she has the scraggly hair.
Leader: Scraggly hair.
Group: Scraggly hair.
Leader: Alouette. Group: Alouette.
(Chorus)
Leader: Does she have the furrowed brow?
Group: Yes, she has the furrowed brow.
Leader: Furrowed brow.
Group: Furrowed brow.
Leader: Scraggly hair.
Group: Scraggly hair.
Leader: Alouette.
Group: Alouette.
(Chorus)
Two glass eyes?
Broken nose?
Two capped teeth?
Double chin?
Saggy tits?
Pot belly?
Clammy thighs?
Furry thing?
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