LA COMPLAINTE DE MACKIE
(Mack The Knife)
(Paroles: Berthold Brecht, Fr: Boris Vian / Musique: Kurt Weill, 1956)

Catherine Sauvage
Boris Vian
Autres interprètes: Florelle, Mouloudji, Colette Renard, Pia Colombo, Georges Ulmer.


Les dents longues, redoutables
Le requin tue sans merci
Le surin au fond d'la poche
Sans reproche, c'est Mackie

Sur les bords de la Tamise
Le sang coule dans la nuit
On périt les poches vides
Poches pleines, quelqu'un fuit

Gens de bien ou hommes riches
Disparaissent au grand jour
Sur leurs traces, quelqu'un passe
Qui ramène le butin

Jenny Trowler agonise
Un couteau entre les seins
Sur les rives dans l'eau grise
M'sieur Mackie s'en lave les mains

Et la veuve d'âge tendre
Que l'on viole dans son lit
Que l'on vole sans attendre
Le gentleman, c'est Mackie

Le feu gronde dans la ville
Le feu brille, la mort vient
On s'étonne, on questionne
Oui mais Mackie ne sait rien

Le sang coule des mâchoires
Au repas du grand requin
Mains gantées et nappe blanche
M'sieur Mackie croque son prochain...


(Contributed by Jean-Marie Del Fabbro)


*****


MACK THE KNIFE
Written in 1928 as "Moritat" or "Theme From the Threepenny Opera" aka 
"The Beggar's Opera" and introduced in that production by Weill's wife, Lotte Lenya
(Original words : Berthold Brecht / Music : Kurt Weill /
English words added by Marc Blitzstein)
Bobby Darin


Oh, the shark, babe, has such teeth, dear
And it shows them pearly white
Just a jackknife has old MacHeath, babe
And he keeps it, ah, out of sight
Ya know when that shark bites with his teeth, babe
Scarlet billows start to spread
Fancy gloves, oh, wears old MacHeath, babe
So there’s never, never a trace of red

Now on the sidewalk, huh, huh, whoo sunny morning, un huh
Lies a body just oozin' life, eek
And someone’s sneakin' ‘round the corner
Could that someone be Mack the Knife?

There's a tugboat, huh, huh, down by the river dontcha know
Where a cement bag’s just a'drooppin' on down
Oh, that cement is just, it's there for the weight, dear
Five'll get ya ten old Macky’s back in town
Now d'ja hear ‘bout Louie Miller? He disappeared, babe
After drawin' out all his hard-earned cash
And now MacHeath spends just like a sailor
Could it be our boy's done somethin' rash?

Now Jenny Diver, ho, ho, yeah, Sukey Tawdry
Ooh, Miss Lotte Lenya and old Lucy Brown
Oh, the line forms on the right, babe
Now that Macky’s back in town

I said Jenny Diver, whoa, Sukey Tawdry
Look out to Miss Lotte Lenya and old Lucy Brown
Yes, that line forms on the right, babe
Now that Macky’s back in town
Look out, old Macky's back!!