L'histoire de Hollis Brown [English translation]

Hollis Brown lived in a shack far from the town

Hollis Brown lived in a shack far from the town

With his wife,

five children, under a roof of bad tiles

The life is so hard,

there are no longer the words to say

The life is so hard,

there are no longer the words to say

Your kids are so hungry

it’s made them lose their smiles

The rats eat your flour,

they’ve poisoned the well

The rats have eaten your flour

and poisoned the well

Even the sky means you can’t count on it

You ask the Lord all the same,

send me some help

You ask the Lord all the same,

send me some help

But no one is listening,

and no one comes running

It whistles between the boards,

it’s as cold as outdoors

It whistles between the boards,

it’s as cold as outdoors

Clutching at your sleeves,

none of the children sleep

You wife curses you and the rain pierces the roof

You wife curses you and the rain pierces the roof

your eyes fix on the rifle hanging on the wall

In the wild lands all about,

you hear a dog howl

In the wild lands all about,

you hear a dog howl

Your eyes fix on the rifle

that you hold in your hand

Seven gunshots rang out

and then it was silent

Seven gunshots rang out

and then it was silent

In the paper the following day

seven births are announced

• Artist:Francis Cabrel
• Album:Vise le Ciel