L’Indépendantriste, by Robert Charlebois

Notes and translations by Matthew and Pascale Shaftel

Sound Clip

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Supporting Materials

Robert Charlebois, singer, actor, and beer brewer, changed French-Canadian musical style in the 1960s and 70s, moving away from the more traditional styles of Leclerc and Vigneault, and developing a more Americanized “rock” voice. The clever poetics and strong political rhetoric of his Québecois predecessors is readily apparent in his music, however, as can be seen in L’Indépendantriste. In this song, the independence movement of Québec is acted out figuratively in the story of a couple who must separate. Although written in the 1990s, the song evokes an earlier period, through a clearly 1970s rock style and a distinct backward-looking lyric. Our materials tie this song to the rocky independence movement of the 1960s, 70s, and 80s from French President Charles de Gaulle’s famous speech, proclaiming “Vivre le Québec libre” in Montréal, to the creation of the Front de Liberation du Québec and its ensuing terrorist activities. We include clips from Pierre Falardeau’s haunting film, Octobre, which dramatizes the 1970 kidnapping and murder of Pierre Laporte, and end with René Lévesque’s first call for a sovereignist referendum in 1980.

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L’indépendantriste (1992)[1] by Robert Charlebois [2]

The Sad Sovreignist Woman

Elle enfile un bustier fleurdelisé[3] Pour afficher son autonomie[4] Il repasse son t-shirt unifolié[5] En bougonnant après les colonies Elle trinque au bon roi François Premier[6] Il tète son scotch from the old country Elle dit que tout ça, c'est de sa faute à lui Il ronfle tout seul dans son lit «queen» la nuit.[7] (Refrain:) Faut qu'on s'sépare, y faut qu'on splitte C'est toi qui pars ou moi j'te quitte Prends l'Pacifique, j'garde l'Atlantique Together and indépendantriste Faut qu'on s'sépare, y faut qu'on splitte C'est toi qui pars ou moi j'te quitte Sois pacifique, j'reste authentique[8] Forever indépendantriste En chambre bleue[9] quand elle démaquille Sa constitution frêle de vieille fille[10] C'est la première à revenir en arrière[11] Une dernière fois pour que demain soit hier[12] Ils se sont aimés... well, souverainement![13] Mais maintenant, les enfants sont grands Et la maison où ils étaient heureux Est à vendre sur la terre de nos aïeux (Refrain) Elle l'a aimé, son bel Ottawa Des Rockies en passant par Moose Jaw[14] Je me souviens: ne croyez pas qu'elle pleure[15] D'un océan à l'autre, des larmes de bonheur

She slips on a camisole with the fleur-de-lis flag. To signal her autonomy. He irons his t-shirt with the single-leaf flag While grumbling about colonies. She clinks glasses to the good king François the first, He sips his scotch from the old country. She says that all this, it is his fault. He snores all alone at night in his “queen” bed. (Refrain:) We must separate, we must split up, Either you go away or me, I leave you Take the Pacific, I keep the Atlantic Together and indépendantriste We must separate, we must split up, Either you go away or me, I leave you Be peaceful, I remain authentic/genuine Forever indépendantriste In the blue room, when she removes her makeup Her frail old maid’s constitution It is the first to return to the past One last time so that tomorrow is yesterday They loved each other... well, supremely! But now, the children are grown And the house where they were happy Is for sale on the ground of our forefathers. (Refrain) She liked it, his beautiful Ottawa, From the Rockies, passing by Moose Jaw Je me souviens: do not believe that she cries From one ocean to another, tears of happiness.

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[1] The title of the song, L’indépendantriste, combines three elements: indépendantiste (someone who believes that Québec should be independent from the remainder of Canada) and the feminine version of the adjective triste (sad woman). The combination of the three translates something like: the Sad Sovreignist Woman. The song assigns the roles of Québec and English-speaking Canada to a woman and a man (respectively) in a rocky relationship.

[2] Robert Charlebois est né à Montréal en 1944. Il est un auteur-compositeur, musicien, chanteur, acteur, et producteur de bière salué par la francophonie toute entière. Il est considéré comme une figure essentielle de la chanson québécoise. Charlebois est probablement la première veritable «pop star» du Québec. Son premier album, enregistré en 1965, marque le début d'une longue et brillante carrière qui se poursuit encore aujourd'hui en Europe et au Québec. Depuis plus de 40 ans, avec des

milliers de spectacles à son actif et plus de vingt albums publiés, Robert Charlebois a reçu de nombreux

hommages au Québec et en Europe.

[3] Fleurdelisé means, “marked with the flag of Québec.”

[4] Since, technically, the flag of Canada belongs to Québec, too, the flag of Québec typically is a sign of the Québec nationalist movement.

[5] Unifolié means, “marked with the single-leaf flag” (the flag of Canada). The fact that he “irons” it out, suggests that he is attempting to replay a role that he/Canada has played for some time. Charlebois is also playing on traditional gender roles in this song, assigning the male role to, what is perceived as, the male—well ironed—bureaucrats in Toronto, as juxtaposed with the more scantily dressed, emotional (triste) woman who represents Québec.

[6] The one-time king of France.

[7] A reference to the Queen of England. Note that the “Canadian” sleeps quietly at night, apparently, at least according to Charlebois, not troubled by Québec’s concerns.

[8] Note the play on words with “Pacifique” (as in the ocean) and “pacifique” (as in peaceful).

[9] The “Blue Room” is the primary room in the Québec Parliament building. It is decorated all in blue. This is where the “makeup-less” deals get made.

[10] This is another double meaning. Constitution refers both to the (in Charlebois’ words, “flimsy”) Canadian constitution, which has never been ratified by the province of Québec, and also to the woman in the song’s frail constitution (health/ condition). In French, a vieille fille (old maid) is a woman who has remained unmarried longer than is typical. This is a reference to Québec, who, at least in part, remains “unwedded” to the rest of Canada.

[11] La première is both “the first” and the “prime minister.”

[12] Refers to the wish of sovereignists to return Québec to its colonial francophonic roots.

[13] Souverainement means both “supremely” and “with sovereign power.”

[14] Moose Jaw is a town in Saskatchewan that sits in the fertile territory above Montana. Charlebois is describing the territory once colonized by the French. This is why her (Québec’s) tears are not of joy when she revisits these places.

[15] Je me souviens (I remember) has been the motto of Québec since 1939.

Links to Supporting Materials

1- Extraits de « Les grands textes indépendantistes »

2- Lettre du président Roosevelt (May 1942)

3- La crise d’octobre (French and English)

4- Manifeste du FLQ

5- Lettre de Pierre Laporte à Robert Bourassa

6- 5 questions et réponses du parti québécois pour la souveraineté du Québec

7- Clips des archives de Radio-Canada.

- un discours de René Lévesque (1980)

- le discours du président Charles De Gaulle  à Montréal en juillet 1967

8- Vidéo clips du film Octobre de Pierre Falardeau

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