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!