Alouette is a very famous French children's song from Canada. Many people think it's about gently plucking the feathers from a lark (a type of bird). Even though it's in French, it's well-known around the world, much like the song "Frère Jacques". Soldiers from the United States and other Allied countries learned "Alouette" when they served in France during World War I. They brought the song home, sharing it with their families for generations.
How the Song Works
This song is special because everyone can join in! It's a "cumulative song". This means each new part of the song adds to what came before. It's a bit like "The Twelve Days of Christmas" where you keep adding new gifts to the list. In "Alouette," listeners often repeat lines, making it fun and interactive.
Song Lyrics
Here are the original French words for "Alouette" and what they mean in English.
| French |
English translation |
- Refrain
- Alouette, gentille alouette,
Alouette, je te plumerai.
1.
- Je te plumerai la tête. ×2
- Et la tête! ×2
Alouette! ×2
A-a-a-ah
- Refrain
2.
- Je te plumerai le bec. ×2
- Et le bec! ×2
Et la tête! ×2
Alouette! ×2
A-a-a-ah
- Refrain
3.
- Je te plumerai les yeux. ×2
- Et les yeux! ×2
Et le bec! ×2
Et la tête! ×2
Alouette! ×2
A-a-a-ah
- Refrain
4.
- Je te plumerai le cou. ×2
- Et le cou! ×2
Et les yeux! ×2
Et le bec! ×2
Et la tête! ×2
Alouette! ×2
A-a-a-ah
- Refrain
5.
- Je te plumerai les ailes. ×2
- Et les ailes! ×2
Et le cou! ×2
Et les yeux! ×2
Et le bec! ×2
Et la tête! ×2
Alouette! ×2
A-a-a-ah
- Refrain
6.
- Je te plumerai les pattes. ×2
- Et les pattes! ×2
Et les ailes! ×2
Et le cou! ×2
Et les yeux! ×2
Et le bec! ×2
Et la tête! ×2
Alouette! ×2
A-a-a-ah
- Refrain
7.
- Je te plumerai la queue. ×2
- Et la queue! ×2
Et les pattes! ×2
Et les ailes! ×2
Et le cou! ×2
Et les yeux! ×2
Et le bec! ×2
Et la tête! ×2
Alouette! ×2
A-a-a-ah
- Refrain
8.
- Je te plumerai le dos. ×2
- Et le dos! ×2
Et la queue! ×2
Et les pattes! ×2
Et les ailes! ×2
Et le cou! ×2
Et les yeux! ×2
Et le bec! ×2
Et la tête! ×2
Alouette! ×2
A-a-a-ah
- Refrain
|
- Refrain
- Lark, nice lark,
Lark, I will pluck you.
1.
- I will pluck your head. ×2
- And your head! ×2
Lark! ×2
O-o-o-oh
- Refrain
2.
- I will pluck your beak. ×2
- And your beak! ×2
And your head! ×2
Lark! ×2
O-o-o-oh
- Refrain
3.
- I will pluck your eyes. ×2
- And your eyes! ×2
And your beak! ×2
And your head! ×2
Lark! ×2
O-o-o-oh
- Refrain
4.
- I will pluck your neck. ×2
- And your neck! ×2
And your eyes! ×2
And your beak! ×2
And your head! ×2
Lark! ×2
O-o-o-oh
- Refrain
5.
- I will pluck your wings. ×2
- And your wings! ×2
And your neck! ×2
And your eyes! ×2
And your beak! ×2
And your head! ×2
Lark! ×2
O-o-o-oh
- Refrain
6.
- I will pluck your legs. ×2
- And your legs! ×2
And your wings! ×2
And your neck! ×2
And your eyes! ×2
And your beak! ×2
And your head! ×2
Lark! ×2
O-o-o-oh
- Refrain
7.
- I will pluck your tail. ×2
- And your tail! ×2
And your legs! ×2
And your wings! ×2
And your neck! ×2
And your eyes! ×2
And your beak! ×2
And your head! ×2
Lark! ×2
O-o-o-oh
- Refrain
8.
- I will pluck your back. ×2
- And your back! ×2
And your tail! ×2
And your legs! ×2
And your wings! ×2
And your neck! ×2
And your eyes! ×2
And your beak! ×2
And your head! ×2
Lark! ×2
O-o-o-oh
- Refrain
|
Other Versions and Uses
The tune of "Alouette" has been used in many other ways:
- An English song called "If You Love Me" uses the same melody.
- The English composer Benjamin Britten used the tune in his orchestral piece Canadian Carnival in 1939.
- The chorus tune was adapted for the children's song "Down by the Station".
- French-Canadian nuns in the United States used the song to help teach French. They changed the bird parts to human body parts to make it a language lesson.
- An instrumental jazz version was recorded in 1962 by Pete and Conte Candoli on their album There Is Nothing Like a Dame.
- The song's tune was also used for a musical lesson about being a ghost, called Ghost Lesson, sung by Casper on the record Casper - A Trip Through Ghostland.
- The melody for the singing parts of the popular children's song "Little Bunny Foo Foo" comes from "Alouette".
See also
In Spanish: Alouette (canción) para niños
