Le Reel Du Fossé

Your great-great-grandpa cleared the land
Your great-grandpa plowed the fields
And then your grandpa made it profitable
Then your dad sold it, to become a civil servant

And you, my little guy, don’t know what you’re gonna do
In your little three and a half, way too damn cold in winter
You get these urges to become a homeowner
And you dream at night of having your own little piece of land.

Your great-great-grandma had fourteen kids
Your great-grandma had almost as many
And then your grandma had three, that was enough
And your mom didn’t want you, you were an accident

And you, my little girl, you change partners all the time
When you mess up, you just get an abortion
But some mornings, you wake up crying
When you dream at night of a big table surrounded by kids

Your great-great-grandpa lived through tough times
Your great-grandpa picked up pennies
And then your grandpa, miracle, became a millionaire
Your dad inherited it all and put it in his retirement funds

And you, little youth, owe your ass to the ministry
No way to get a loan from a bank
To calm your urges to hold up the cashier
You read books about voluntary simplicity

Your great-great-grandparents knew how to celebrate
Your great-grandparents partied hard at the gatherings
And your grandparents knew the yé-yé era
Your parents were into disco, that’s where they met

And you, my friend, what are you doing tonight?
Turn off your TV, don’t just sit around
Luckily in life, some things refuse to change
Put on your best clothes because we’re going dancing tonight.