1918 - Champagne - Ardenne
Tir de fantassins à la
mitrailleuse Hotchkiss
contre un avion allemand
Paris, Musée de l'Armée
First World War : 1914 - 1918
Ma Mitrailleuse (My Machine Gun)
The song "Ma Mitrailleuse" was written in 1915 by Théodore Botrel, and its tune was borrowed from "Ma petite Tonkinoise", created nine years earlier by Vincent Scotto.
It was meant for the gunners of the First World War, which had broken out without a care in the world since one year, and which had been forecasted to be "fresh and joyful". The military tactic that was used in XIX century wars had completely been outstripped by the technical progress made in the area of weaponry over the years. The automatic machine gun, invented in 1884, could spit out 600 projectiles in one minute. It was a defensive weapon whose fire-power had not yet been tested on troops attacking in a line. Thus, some inconsistent military leaders, who were behind in a conflict, rashly charged companies of infantrymen against enemy machine guns shielded by barbed screens, plunging the unfortunate footsoldiers in a blood bath as they were inexorably mowed down one after the other in hopeless attacks.
While the tribute paid by the author to such an instrument of death might appear bizarre, it must not be forgotten that these lyrics were written in 1915, at a time when millions of men were engaged in this rather terribly destructive war. The lead combatant exposed to extreme danger, had a very special state of mind: to him, the weapon, with which he formed a true couple, became his “woman”.
Singing this song, with its self-scorn lyrics, using the light tune of "Ma petite Tonkinoise", was like a séance of exorcism which, in a fleeting moment, enabled the soldier to transcend fear, the daily misery in which he strove to survive, and death which permanently lurked around the corner.
The high quality recording presented here is 3 minutes 30 seconds long.
PC
À la guerre, on n'peut guère
Trouver où placer son coeur
Et vivre ainsi sans p'tite femme
Quand l'aut' semaine, j'eus la veine
D'être nommé mitrailleur
Ma mitrailleuse, ô bonheur
Devint pour moi l'âme soeur.
- Refrain -
Quand elle chante à sa manière
Taratata, taratata, taratatère
Ah que son refrain m'enchante,
C'est comme un zoiseau qui chante
Je l'appell' "la Glorieuse"
Ma p'tit' Mimi, ma p'tit' Mimi, ma mitrailleuse
Rosalie m' fait les doux yeux
Mais c'est ell' que j'aim' le mieux.
Plein d'adresse, je la graisse
Je l'astique et la polis
De sa culasse jolie
À sa p'tit' gueu-gueule chérie
Puis habile, j'la défile
Et tendrement je luis dis
"Jusqu'au bout, restons unis
Pour le salut du pays.»
Quand les Boches nous approchent,
Nous commençons le concert.
Après un bon démarrage,
Nous précipitons le fauchage
Comme des mouches, je vous couche
Tous les soldats du Kaiser
Le nez dans nos fils de fer,
Ou les quatre fers en l'air.
Mais tout passe, et tout lasse
Mêm' la guerre et l'un d'ces jours
Ou bien l'une de ces années
Elle sera terminée.
Alors vite, l'on se quitte
Glorieuse ô mes amours
Nous devrons à notre tour,
Nous séparer pour toujours.
- Dernier refrain - Après un' salve dernière,
Taratata, taratata, taratatère
En te voyant rendormie
Je te dirai : "Chère amie
Fais dodo ma Glorieuse
Ma p'tit' Mimi, ma p'tit' Mimi, ma mitrailleuse
Et tes pleurs mouilleront mes yeux,
En te faisant mes adieux."