Happy 4th of July! I promised my buddy Grady Hendrix that I would honor him by taking a day off pour ne rien faire, in the hopes that some of it would rub off on him psychically, as right now he’s deep in the nonstop no-rest-for-the-wicked trenches of this year’s New York Asian Film Festival, which he throws his heart and soul into running every year. (Well, ne rien faire for me meant biking about 8K uphill in the heat to the nearby village of Noilhan, where they were having a town-wide garage sale. Maybe I’ll write about that some other time.)
Today is that day, and in celebration, I present this wholly off-the-cuff translation of Thomas Fersen’s “Je n’ai que deux pieds,” an amiable paean to utter slackerdom. Those who read French may consult the much wittier original lyrics.
People tell me I’m a lazybones
Don’t mind no one’s business but my own
That’s to say, not a lot
Can’t mind business I don’t got
(chorus)
Pardon me, Madame
Only got two hands
I don’t give a damn
I am what I am
I’ve got dishes piled in the sink
And my dirty laundry’s got a stink
Unwashed hair, scruffy beard
But who cares if I look weird
(chorus)
Outside, there’s construction on the street
Like to watch construction on the street
People say, Move it, son,
Gangway, buddy; gotta run
(chorus)
Girlfriend’s screaming that I’m late again
Then she asks me where the hell I’ve been
Isn’t this just like you
You were supposed to help me move
Leave a Reply