This is Westminster Academy’s first year ever teaching French! We are covering it in 7th grade, 8th grade, and a 10th-12th grade elective course. The past week we have been covering the French alphabet, and as an aid for pronunciation, the students have been learning to sing the famous French song Champs-Èlysées by Joe Dassin. You can listen to the song in this YouTube clip:

Here are the lyrics:

Je me baladais sur l’avenue le coeur ouvert à l’inconnu
J’avais envie de dire bonjour à n’importe qui
N’importe qui et ce fut toi, je t’ai dit n’importe quoi
Il suffisait de te parler, pour t’apprivoiser

(Chorus)
Aux Champs-Elysées, aux Champs-Elysées
Au soleil, sous la pluie, à midi ou à minuit
Il y a tout ce que vous voulez aux Champs-Elysées

Tu m’as dit “J’ai rendez-vous dans un sous-sol avec des fous
Qui vivent la guitare à la main, du soir au matin”
Alors je t’ai accompagnée, on a chanté, on a dansé
Et l’on n’a même pas pensé à s’embrasser

Chorus

Hier soir deux inconnus et ce matin sur l’avenue
Deux amoureux tout étourdis par la longue nuit
Et de l’Étoile à la Concorde, un orchestre à mille cordes
Tous les oiseaux du point du jour chantent l’amour

And here is the English translation:

I was walking on the avenue, my heart open to the unknown, I wanted to say hello to whomever
Whomever, and it was you, I said to you whatever
It was enough to speak to you to tame you

(Chorus)
On the Champs-Elysees, on the Champs-Elysee
In the sun, in the rain, at noon or at midnight
There’s everything you want on the Champs-Elysees

You said to me, “I have a meeting in a basement with madmen
Who live guitar in hand from dusk to dawn.”
So I accompanied you, we sang, we danced
And we didn’t even think of kissing each other

Chorus

Last night two strangers and this morning on the avenue
Two lovers completely astonished by the long night
And from l’Etoile to the Concorde, an orchestra of a thousand strings, all the morning birds sing of love

Chorus