La chanson de Craonne

When after eight days, the rest is done,
We’ll head back to the trenches,
Our place is so damn crucial
That without us, they’re in trouble.
But it’s all over, we’ve had enough,
Nobody wants to march,
And with heavy hearts, like in a sob,
We say goodbye to the civilians.
Even without drums, even without trumpets,
We’re heading up there with our heads down.

{Chorus:}
Goodbye to life, goodbye to love,
Goodbye to all the women.
It’s all over, it’s for good,
From this damn war.
It’s at Craonne, on the plateau,
That we must leave our skin
For we are all condemned,
We are the sacrificed!

Eight days in the trenches, eight days of pain,
Yet we still have hope
That tonight the relief will come
That we’re waiting for without rest.
Suddenly, in the night and in the silence,
We see someone approaching,
It’s an officer from the infantry,
Who comes to take our place.
Gently in the shadows, under the falling rain,
The little soldiers go to find their graves.

{Chorus}
It’s sad to see on the grand boulevards
All those fat cats having their fun;
If for them life is rosy,
For us it’s not the same thing.
Instead of hiding, all these freeloaders,
Would be better off in the trenches
To defend their goods, 'cause we have nothing,
We, the poor bastards.
All the comrades are buried here,
To defend the wealth of those gentlemen.

{Chorus}
Those with the cash, they’ll come back,
'Cause it’s for them we’re dying.
But it’s over, 'cause the grunts
Are all going on strike.
It’ll be your turn, you fat cats,
To head up to the plateau,
'Cause if you want the war,
You better pay with your skin!