Antoine Rouge est un vagabond
Sans fonction ni patron
Il veille sur les nuits
D'une ancienne banlieue rouge
Antoine Rouge dort le jour
Mais chaque nuit l'insomnie
Vient le tirer du lit, l'appelant au devoir
Sa mission : veiller sur la cité dortoir
Toi qui veille sans répit
Sitôt la ville endormie
Parti pour la ronde de nuit
Des traînards en détresse
Des contrôle au faciès
Les tensions incongrues
Rien n'échappe à sa vue
Antoine Rouge a tout vu
Il a tout entendu
Le scooter renversé
Le sang sur la chaussée
Toi seul sait d'où vient ce cri
Qui vient déchirer la nuit
Qui résonne à l'infini
La victime a 22 ans
Il n'est pas tout à fait blanc
Ça n'est pas un accident
C'est certain pour ses parents
Comment a-t-il pu tomber ?
Antoine Rouge peut témoigner
C'est le seul témoin des faits
Mais il craint pour sa cité
Des émeutes vont éclater
Il préfère rester discret…
La police rodait pourtant par là
Dans le quartier, on suspecte un égarement, une maladresse comme parfois
Il pourrait avoir été pourchassé
On a pu le renverser…
Toi seul sait d'où vient ce cri
Qui vient déchirer la nuit
Qui résonne à l'infini
Antoine Rouge est recherché
On veut le faire témoigner
Mais il craint pour sa cité
Il préfère rester caché
Comment se faire oublier ?
La Justice a tout prévu
Antoine Rouge a disparu
C'est certain les policiers
N'ont rien vu rien entendu
L'affaire est déjà classée
Antoine Rouge est démuni
Il ne sort plus de chez lui
Fini les rondes de nuit
Antoine Rouge
Antoine Rouge is a vagabond
Without function nor boss
He watches over the nights
Of an old red suburb
Antoine Rouge sleeps by day
But every night the insomnia
Just pulls him out of bed, calling him on duty
His mission: watching over the dormitory town
You who keep watching unswerving
As soon as the town is asleep
Gone for the night patrol
Laggards in distress
Racial profilings
Incongruous tensions
Nothing escapes from his sight
Antoine Rouge saw everything
He heard everything
The overturned scooter
Blood on the pavement
Only you know where this cry comes from
That comes to tear up the night
That resonates endlessly
The victim is 22 years old
He is not quite White
It’s not an accident
It’s certain for his parents
How could he have fallen ?
Antoine Rouge can testify
He’s the only witness to the facts
But he fears for his town
Riots will break out
He prefers remaining discreet…
The police was roaming around though
In the neighborhood, one suspects a distraction, a clumsiness as sometimes
He might have been chased
He may have been overthrown…
Only you know where this cry comes from
That comes to tear up the night
That resonates endlessly
Antoine Rouge is wanted
One wants him to testify
But he fears for his city
He prefers staying hidden
How to make him forgotten?
Justice has planned everything
Antoine Rouge has disappeared
For sure, policemen
Saw nothing, heard nothing
The case is already closed
Antoine Rouge is helpless
He no longer leaves home
No more night patrols
This is the second in a series of weekly album reviews published by Andrew Dubber. If you haven’t already caught it, please check out his introductory post. The world appears to be littered with bearded young men with acoustic guitars and notebooks full of verse, access to old pianos, and mournful string players. Few have … Continue reading Album of the Week: Fire on the Vine → Bandcamp Album of the Day Nov 6, 2011
The former Summer Twin steps into her own on a sophisticated solo record full of classic pop sounds and starry-eyed optimism. Bandcamp New & Notable Jun 23, 2022