Richard Gotainer is a contemporary French singer. His songs are known for their humor and originality; many of them are filled with clever plays on words. “Rupture de Stock” is from Gotainer’s 1992 album “D’Amour et d’Orage”. “Rupture de Stock” is a departure from the bulk of Gotainer’s work, a lyric ballad and beautiful commentary on our pollution of our water and by extension on our devastation of our planet. In the song clean water is in “rupture de stock” (“out of stock”) because we have destroyed all trace of it. This song feels particularly timely given BP’s April 20th Oil Spill.
“Rupture de Stock”
Comment vous dites ? De l’eau de source ?
Et pourquoi pas une baleine bleue
Un éléphant, un bébé ours ?
Sans plaisanter, restons sérieux.
De l’eau de source, moi j’en ai vu
Une fois, dans une vieille bouteille.
Je connais quelqu’un qui en a bu
C’est, paraît-il, une merveille.
{Refrain:}
On en a eu, y en a eu plein
De l’eau
On en a eu, à une époque
Mais là, rupture de stock.
Walou ! Tintin !
On n’en a plus en magasin
De l’eau. . .
Je connais l’homme qui a vu l’homme
Qui s’est baigné dans une rivière
Dans une eau claire, fallait voir comme
Plus claire encore que la lumière.
J’ vous parle de ça, y a un paquet.
Les petits ruisseaux étaient courants.
Chacun avait son robinet.
Les enfants jouaient dans les étangs.
{au Refrain}
Tout ça est un peu dépassé.
Même le poisson n’est plus en vogue.
Le vieux produit était usé.
On l’a sorti des catalogues.
Comment vous dites ? Il va pleuvoir ?
Mais l’eau de pluie, faut pas la boire.
L’année dernière, quand il a plu,
J’ai eu des trous dans l’ pardessus.
{au Refrain}
“Rupture de Stock” (English)
What’s that you say?
Fresh water?
And why not a blue whale
An elephant, a baby bear?
Quit fooling around, let’s be serious.
Fresh water, I saw some
Once in an old bottle.
I know someone who drank some.
It is, it would seem, truly marvelous.
{Refrain:}
We had some, there was plenty
Of water. . .
We had some, at one time
But now, it’s out of stock.
Walou! Tintin!
There isn’t any more in the stores.
Water. . .
I know the man who saw the man
Who went swimming in a river.
In clear water, you had to see how clear
Even more clear than light.
There is a lot to say about all of that.
Little streams were everywhere.
Everyone had his faucet.
Children played in ponds.
{Refrain}
All of that is over now.
Even fish is out of style.
The old product was worn out.
It was taken out of the catalogs.
What’s that you are saying? It’s going to rain?
But the rainwater, you can’t drink it.
Last year when it rained
I got holes in my raincoat.
{Refrain}