Saturday 5 April 2014

A French Homophone Song: La-Fa-Mi

POST #32
Parody-Lyrics, a homophone song; see also the previous post on this blog.
Solfège system: the 5th French note is named "sol"
Original Song: "Do-Re-Mi", Rodgers and Hammerstein 1959, performed by Julie Andrews and the cast of "The Sound of Music".
Parody Composed: Giorgio Coniglio, March 2014.

KEYWORDS: multicultural, showtune

For the original song: "The lyrics teach the solfège syllables by linking them with English homophones." Wikipedia.

You can view the lyrics and commentary (without images or chords)  displayed on a parody-lyrics website at "AmIRight.com Post"Jeux-De-Mots"


Inspiration for the French version...........
Reuters, Feb 3, 2014:  "France's Socialist government dropped plans to update family law this year after huge weekend protests by conservatives against gay-friendly reforms they say harm traditional families."

LA-FA-MI (A FRENCH HOMOPHONE SONG)

(Words in brackets represent approximate English sound-equivalents: do NOT sing these !)

         C                   G           C                 
Let's start with the nuclear family
                     G               C        
A very good point-de départ;
F                             C  
Rabbits begin with Ma, Pa, bre'er,
     F                                  C        G       C 
In French we're including mère, père, frère

C        G       C
Mère, père, frère x2
      F                     C    G    C        
An accent grave is needed there.
C        G       C
Mère, père, frère x2.
French is rich in homophones


Mère, père, frère, soeur, chat, tante .... 

(Spoken) Let's make it easy for yeux!


C   
Mère (mare) - a Mom whose "nay" means "no"
G7
Père (pair) - for 2 adopting Dads
C
Frère (fray-er) - a nearly worn out Bro
F
Soeur (sewer) - big Sis with mouth that's bad
C                        C7                    F
Chat (shah) - a middle-Eastern cat
D7                                                      G
Tante (taunt) - a grown-up who's a tease
E7                                                       Am    
Bébé (bay-bay) - Brest is where he's at

Partie (par-tee) /part of our familles (fa-mee).
Language development in France

 F                              Dm                          G7 C      
    Mère, Père, Frère, Soeur, Chat, Tante, Famille!

C         F              C              G       
If you know the sounds to say,
C                 F                  C    G     C 
Try Meaux, Versailles, or Marseille
(Maria repeats these lines while the Children parade and sing the next verse)   




       C
Fardeau (far-DO) - a burden, pain unearned
      G7
Doré (do-RE) - means draped with golden rays
     C   
Remis (re-MI) - remailed, it was returned 
     Fb
Sofa (so-FA) - where they eat canapés
     C                       C7                        F
Lasso (la-SO) - a noose to catch taureaux (toe-roe)
     D7                                         G
Zola (zo-LA) - a writer, like Hugo
      E7                                      Am  
Sortie (sor-TI)- an outing or tirade
               F          G7             C         
Pram for baby's jaunts - landau (lan-DO)


F                                Dm                          G7 C      
      Mère, Père, Frère, Soeur, Chat, Tante, Famille! 




C
Sol (sole) - the fifth note in the scale
G7
Sol (sole) - for soil from Land of Oc
C   
Seau (so)- bright bucket, or a pale
F
Sceau (so)- means 'seal' and so does 'phoque'
C                           C7                    F
Saut (so) - from pan to fire, a leap
D7                                                 G
Sault (so) - most Anglos say it 'Soo'
E7                                                    Am
Sole (sole)- swims lonesome in the deep
               F           G7                      C                   
Weeping willow - it's saule (sole), too.

F                         Dm                         G7    C      
   Sol, Sol, Seau, Sceau, Saut, Sault, Sole, Saule! 









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