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Legionnaires of 2e REI doing PC in downtown Nîmes

Rapace

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Sing with me...
“– Ho Chi Minh is a son-of-a-bitch!
– Got the blueballs, crabs and the seven-year-itch!” 😄
 
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Looks great but sounds very American... or do they sing These type of Songs in the Legion?
 

Rapace

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Looks great but sounds very American... (...)
Agree. Not really the “French Army tradition” (Legion or not). Don't really understand either the objective of such show... Certainly not improving physical condition. If “our man in Nîmes” (aka Le Petit Caporal) has some information... Please pass it on. :)
 

Le petit caporal

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The Cpt Jack started in the 1st company circa 86/ 87... Was an ex RM English lad from Bradford who taught us. Th Quelle numéro you hear has always been sung for as long as I can remember and it is Portugese. .uno dos tres. .zerba. . (Zerba means tree go figure).
The 3rd song you hear on the vid new to me.
I live very close to the Boulevard Victor-Hugo
Boulevard = canon ball and fort/building fire line / fire angle

Nîmes town center is called the Triangle
Bld. Victor Hugo, Bld. Amiral Courbet, Bld. Gambetta. This streets form the triangle.

Victor Hugo holds the most intresting sights. The Arènes de Nîmes (Roman era), the Maison Carrée (literally square house), a temple also from the Roman era. The new Maison Carrée is a modern building designed by architect Sir Norman Foster, it is a library and media center, all in glass. Sir Norman also designed the bridge of Millau over the river Tarn, not far from the 13e DBLE base. And then we have the Esplanade Charles de Gaulle, fountains, statues and some times armed forces parade.
It leads to Avenue Feuchers and the train station

Hey, hey Cpt Jack
Meet me down by the railway track
With my képi in my hand
Am gonna be a Legion man
Hey hey Cpt Jack
Meet me down the railway track
With my FAMAS in my hand
Am gonna be a killing man, a Legion man.

Whisky, beer and women get mentioned too and added to the chorus.
 
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Agree. Not really the “French Army tradition” (Legion or not). Don't really understand either the objective of such show... Certainly not improving physical condition. If “our man in Nîmes” (aka Le Petit Caporal) has some information... Please pass it on. :)
Well... Maybe for Recruiting out there in the Public eye. Gets all the young dudes all fired up…:)
 
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Heard a slightly more ‘modern’ version of this and was sung faster. This i think is the Old School Version. Very haunting melodies.

 

Le petit caporal

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It has just been showed (2e REI in Nîmes) on CNEWS (channel 15 on the TNT). On the CNEWS on-line site, scroll down and you will see a vid of the Legion in Iraq.

We need a thread started on Legion songs... And why not with the translation.
 

Le petit caporal

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All our songs are slow tempo adapted to our marching pace
Some songs, like the Boudin are sung static (for the Boudin, always at attention)
We have also bivouac songs, sung around the camp fire. ..Monica springs to mind....should of added, usually with a bottle of Kronenbourg (paid by the caisse section. ..that's another story)
 
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All our songs are slow tempo adapted to our marching pace
Some songs, like the Boudin are sung static (for the Boudin, always at attention)
We have also bivouac songs, sung around the camp fire. ..Monica springs to mind....should of added, usually with a bottle of Kronenbourg (paid by the caisse section. ..that's another story)
I like the Songs...well as i speak German i could sing this… sorry another Cavalry song. :) I like the Traditions of the Legion.
 

Joseph Cosgrove

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I like the Songs...well as i speak German i could sing this… sorry another Cavalry song. :) I like the Traditions of the Legion.
I'm not sure (Petit Caporal, please confirm) but I think that this was translated into French and is now sung in French.
Sexpert, a lot of the songs were sung in German because of the big German influence after WW2.


Known as Anne-Marie of the 2nd

And then there is Anne-Marie of the 3rd Reich (nickname of 3e REI)
 
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I'm not sure (Petit Caporal, please confirm) but I think that this was translated into French and now sung in French.
Sexpert, a lot of the songs were sung in German because of the big German influence after WW2 (...)
Yes, my wife's grandfather was in Stalingrad and he had a friend who visited him who was in the Legion. I never met him or my wife's grandfather but my father in law spoke about him when we drunk together.. .LOL He came always in uniform. I met my wife's grandmother though.
 
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I met a lot of old School Guys in Germany. not just Legion. I had a guy next door who was in the U-Boats...nice man.
 

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Yes, my wife's grandfather was in Stalingrad and he had a friend who visited him who was in the Legion. I never met him or my wife's grandfather but my father in law spoke about him when we drunk together.. .LOL He came always in uniform. I met my wife's grandmother though.
A different time, recently managed to find my great uncles war grave in Belarus, 2nd Falschirmjäger Division.
 

Rapace

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Well... Maybe for Recruiting out there in the Public eye. Gets all the young dudes all fired up…:)
Yes, maybe. On the other hand the Legion, throughout its history, has always managed to incorporate elements of foreign military traditions and adapt them its own way, the best known example being the songs brought by the post-WW2 German recruits, translated to French and sung at the Legion pace.
 
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Yes, maybe. On the other hand the Legion, throughout its history, has always managed to incorporate elements of foreign military traditions and adapt them its own way, the best known example being the songs brought by the post-WW2 German recruits, translated to French and sung at the Legion pace.
Yes they did/do. I am sure they will learn Russian songs as there is so many in their ranks now..!
 
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