It’s a song that resembles us. “The Deserter”, a pro-civil anthem

“Le Déserteur”, written by Boris Vian during the Indochina War in 1954, became a major reference for pacifism around the world ten years later, after the American trio Peter, Paul and Mary recorded it in French.

In partnership with the exhibition It’s a song that resembles us – Worldwide hits of French-language popular music At the Cité internationale de la langue française in Villers-Cotterêts, these chronicles look in detail at each of the stories presented there.

“Mr. President, I am writing you a letter that you may read if you have time..” If you are French, you belong to a country whose military history was largely forged by conscripts. Men called up to serve in the army without being volunteers. During the French Revolution and the Empire, during the two world wars, during the Algerian War. And yet, it is quite possible that you discovered this song at school. And perhaps even in this version, the one recorded by its author Boris Vian. ​​And it is not the least paradox of the cultural and political history of France to be both the country of an army made up of its people and the country of Deserterthe most famous anti-militarist song in the contemporary world.

Very discreet at the time, between 1957 and 1962, The deserter in Swedish by Ulla Sjöblom, in Italian by Luigi Tenco on a cassette recorded at home and never released during his lifetime, in German by Dieter Süverkrüp. It is not known exactly how many languages ​​exist The deserter. Because, unlike normal commercial songs, many of these translations have not attracted a contract and official authorization. Often, they are adapted The deserter in the militant momentum, in the urgency, often even in clandestinity, the danger facing the power in place. Moreover, the fight against censorship asserts itself from the birth of this song. Compare what Boris Vian writes and the text of the first recording of his song.

In this episode of This song reminds me of usyou hear excerpts from:

Boris Vian, The deserter, 1955

Ulla Sjöblom, I’m starting to get to the end of the road1956

Luigi Tenco, Lord of the Earth, 1962

Dieter Süverkrüp, The Deserter, 1962

Boris Vian, The deserter, 1955

Mouloudji, The deserter, 1954

Peter, Paul and Mary, The deserter, 1964

Daria Nelson, The deserter (in Russian), 2022

You can also extend this column with the book This song reminds me of us published by Heritage Publishing.

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