What do you think of this French patriotic song?

[Julie07]

https://youtu.be/LZtgWpfaI9A?si=fNcuJvCCvqMmQmId

[lightbulb27]

Will listen fully later, but so sad. What awfulness those young men were forced to go into, suffer and die. all they can do is tell the kids to kiss them goodbye.

To be wounded on that field, seems to me worse than dying fast by a cannonball to the head.

And all that to lose Alsasce region. To be honest though, the Germans made some good bread and interjected ideas, went there, we very much enjoyed the area. It's good how it is now, under France.

It's just awful what humans do to each other. Doesn't take much to set them off...

[lightbulb27]

Now that ending..."you'll never have my little heart". The French in no way will convert to eating saur kraut and bad tasting food. they will fight to the end. Their backs are stiff to their ways!

[Julie07]

Yes, war is horrific. Whatever the cause.

I do not hold a grudge against the Germans for the 1870 war and the First World War. Those were conventional wars, which throughout history have been part of rivalries between states.

But the Second World War was really different.

[SueShe]

Like every patriotic song, there is some truth but there are also some untold stories that reveal the backside of the medal.

Yes, this song glorifies the nationalism of the French soldiers and population that suffered during WWII but what this song fails to tell or perhaps, does not want us to see is that what France did in Algeria in the middle of the 20th. century or in Indochina with their "civilizing missions" is actually the very same thing.

How many Algerian or Vietnamese little girl has cried for a killed father? How many haven't seen the shadow of a coffin? how many mothers died from a bullet in the head?

Those patriotic songs are also propaganda songs seen from another point of view.

C'est triste que nous ne puissions vivre en paix et que nous ne pouvons apprendre de nos erreurs passées.

That reminds me of the beautiful, yet sad song by Boris Vian, "Le Déserteur"

[Julie07]

So which civilisation or nation is free from all crime

[SueShe]

It starts to be difficult to find one that does not want to learn from other nations' mistakes. Learning from others' mistakes makes you look weak and who, as a nation, wants to be seen as week nowadays?

[DishLady]

It was true to its time and has served its purpose well. Why are you asking? It's a very "out of the blue" question.

[Curmudgeon]

So it was written after the Franco-Prussian War? (yes, listening to the end)

When I first listened, I was thinking of unlucky "Poilus" manning filthy trenches trying to hold off "Bosche" onslaught after onslaught - and for what? To be blitzkrieged 20 years later? (No offense to any German readers, just tragic historical context).

And did the encircled at Dien Bien Phu sing something similar? (President Ike should have approved USA air strikes; it might have saved the USA a lot of grief and folly 10 to 20 years later).

Or do FFL troops feel this way in Africa today?

[Julie07]

Yes Franco-Prussian War.

[AI Opinion]

I’ve heard this one before 🇫🇷✨
It’s very classic “chanson française” style: strong melody, clear diction, and that proud, slightly nostalgic tone the French do so well. Patriotic songs like this can feel stirring and cinematic, almost like a movie soundtrack, especially with choirs and orchestral backing.

It definitely carries emotional weight, even if you’re not French. 🎶

[RavVid]

Sad. I expected it to be from WWI but google says Franco Prussian.

I can't say it seems a patriotic song; more of an antiwar song and quite good at the latter.

[KostasKouvalis]

Wow, jeeze. Okay. Those lyrics are very emotional

[NathanDavis]

needs more cowbell...

[CuriousMufuxka]

C'est terrible.

[loveyouoak]

It sounds hymn.

[RyanEC]

I like it.