Reply To: Music
Anthems For and Against the French Revolution
1. Ça Ira — It’ll be Fine (1790)
Words: Ladré (street singer); Music: Bécourt
This French revolutionary song takes its name from Benjamin Franklin’s former time in France to drum up support for the American revolution. No matter how badly things went, the wily Franklin assured the French that, in the long run, “ça ira— it’ll be fine!”
There are many versions of Ça Ira. Here is a sans-culotte version from the film Royal Affairs in Versailles (1954).
No-one matches the singing of Edith Piaf for seemingly effortless vibrato and effusive sincerity.
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Ah, ça ira, ça ira, ça ira
Ah! It’ll be fine! It’ll be fine! It’ll be fine!
—String up the aristocrats by the lamp-post!
Ah! It’ll be fine! It’ll be fine! It’ll be fine!
—Lynch the aristocrats!
For 300 years they’ve promised us bread.
—For 300 years they partied and kept whores!
For 300 years they’ve crushed us.
—We’ve had enough of their lies and promises!
We aren’t going to starve!
CHORUS — Ah, ça ira, ça ira, ça ira
For 300 years they’ve made war
—To the sound of fife and drum
While we do their dying in misery.
—This ain’t gonna last forever.
For 300 years they took our men away
—And treated us like beasts of burden.
This ain’t gonna last forever!
CHORUS — Ah, ça ira, ça ira, ça ira
Gentlemen, punishment awaits you!
—The people now assert themselves.
You’ve taken your last pay, gentlemen.
—It’s now over, gentlemen kings!
You can’t depend on us anymore.
—From now on we’ll make the Laws!
CHORUS — Ah, ça ira, ça ira, ça ira
2. Le Réveil du Peuple — The People’s Awakening (1795)
Lyrics: Jean-Marie Souriguières; Music: Pierre Gaveaux
Le Réveil du Peuple is an anti-Marseillaise song written during the [Thermidor] reaction to the Reign of Terror—roughly from the king’s guillotining in 1793 to Robespierre’s guillotining in 1794.
Its message of never forget la Terreur rallied street gangs of “gilded youth” who meted out rough justice to remnant supporters of the revolution.
The Le Réveil du Peuple starts at timestamp 2:20.
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The Alarm of the People
French people, nation of brothers,
—Shudder in horror,
At the revolutionaries unfurling their banners
—Of Carnage and Terror.
French people, know that you are their victims
—Victims of assassins and brigands,
Whose savage breath stinks,
—The land you live in!
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Let the revolutionaries perish.
—Those devouring cutthroats,
Who harbour within their hearts
—Love of crime and tyranny!
And you ghosts of all they innocently murdered,
—May you now rest in peace.
For the day of vengeance is at hand,
—And it turns your executioners pale.
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Sovereign people, what are you waiting for?
—Make haste…
Feed the revolutionaries to the monsters of the Ténare
—Who devour every last drinker of human blood.
Wage war against those who make revolution!
—Hound them to the death;
If you share the same horror as impels me
—The revolutionaries will never escape us alive.
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Reactionary representatives of our just nation.
—You are our humane legislators,
Before whose august countenances
—Our revolutionary murderers tremble.
Follow your legislative path to glory,
—Your names will be honoured by all humanity,
Inscribed forever in the Temple of Remembrance,
—Deep inside the bosom of Immortality.
The video includes portraits of major French revolutionaries as well as illustrations of Robespierre’s execution. Engels admired revolutionary Georges Danton, who regretted being guillotined before Robespierre got his comeuppance: “executioner, show the people my head. It is well worth seeing.”
France was instrumental in revolutionary Washington defeating the English, but Washington repaid France by siding with England in its battle with revolutionary France.
