Who are the song runners?

The Tour de France starts today, a good opportunity to remember how our popular culture celebrates professional cyclists.

We are France and, since the Tour de France begins today, we can say that only in France could a song like this be born. You’re not doing well, who tells the runners: “You have to take some tonic / To go back up the tide / Or do my little friend / Belote championships”. Well it’s an official song of the 1947 Tour de France, the first post-war tour.

It will be said that it is a testimony to the insolent, titi, ironic, scathing spirit that we have always seen on the Tour de France. Moreover, there is a bit of this spirit in a song that is still sung in some families, to children who are learning to ride a bike – and therefore metaphorically aiming for the Tour de France – here in Fredo Gardoni’s version in 1934.

In the first episode of These songs that make the news This weekend you will hear excerpts from:

Raymond Girerd, You’re not doing well1947

Fredo Gardoni, Go ahead Théophile1934

The Etienne Sisters, Take the Tour de France1950

The Chuppah, We go around the Tour1938

Monty, Ah, here they are!1936

Fred Adison, The Knights of the Road1939

Jean Navarre, The Song of the Tour de France1951

Kraftwerk, Tour de France2003

Fredo Gardoni, Go ahead Théophile1934

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And you can also find the podcast on this link Behind our voices, with the writing and composition secrets of eight major artists of the French scene, Laurent Voulzy, Julien Clerc, Bénabar, Dominique A, Carla Bruni, Emily Loizeau, Juliette and Gaëtan Roussel.