Le Fanion de la Légion
Encyclopedia
'Le Fanion de la Légion' (The Flag of the Legion), is a French
song created in 1936 by Marie Dubas
, with lyrics from Raymond Asso
and music from Marguerite Monnot
, and which was later taken up
by Edith Piaf
and became identified with her.
" - both being songs related to the French Foreign Legion
and written by Raymond Asso, himself an ex-legionnaire (and who was Piaf's lover in the late 1930s).
However, in "Mon légionnaire" the Legion is seen from the outside - through the eyes of a woman who briefly meets one legionnaire and afterwards longs for him, and who has only a vague idea of the Legion's function and the places to which it is posted ("In some sunny country..."). In the present song, the Legion as such takes center stage.
The song tells the story of a small Legion outpost ("fortin" - "little fortress"), isolated in the Sahara
("The immense Bled"). Its garrison of thirty "gars" ("guys" or boys) comes under attack by a horde of "Salopards" ("Dirty Ones" or "Bastards") - evidently a derogatory term for Saharan tribespeople which Asso may have picked up while on actual service with the Legion. No background is given for the attack and the reasons of the "Salopards" in launching it.
The isolated Legionnaires defend their outpost most heroically, suffering staggering losses and terrible privations of hunger and thirst. By the time a column of reinforcements is finally profiled on the horizon, only three of them have survived the fierce battle: "Hungry, thirsty, half-naked, but covered with Glory." Throughout, "Le beau fanion de la légion" ("The beautiful flag of the Legion") continues to fly from the mast (no mention of the French Tricolour
).
The theme is familiar from other fictional depictions of colonial war
s (such as the film Zulu
, based on the actual Battle of Rorke's Drift), as well as from Western
s. Though the song is set in the Sahara, Asso was likely influenced by the Battle of Camarón
(1867), during the failed French attempt to prop up the regime of the Emperor Maximilian
in Mexico
- a major founding myth
familiar to anyone who served in the Legion. At Camerone, as in Asso's song, there were only three survivors (though there, their lives were spared through their opponents' generosity).
Sung to the accompaniment of martial music of drums and trumpets, "The Flag of the Legion" can be said to glorify war in general and colonial war in particular. Though duly considered a part of the Piaf Canon and continually included in newly-printed collections of her songs, it never achieved the popularity of "Mon légionnaire".
Ironically, the Foreign Legion itself did not conspicuously take up the song (as Asso may have hoped). Rather, the Legionnaires adopted as their own a different Edit Piaf song - "Non, je ne regrette rien
" (I regret nothing) - whose words in themselves have nothing to do with the Legion but came to express their defiance when accused of atrocities and involvement in a failed coup d'etat
during the Algerian War (see May 1958 crisis
and Algiers putsch
).
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
song created in 1936 by Marie Dubas
Marie Dubas
Marie Dubas was a music-hall singer, diseuse and comedienne.Born in Paris, France, Marie Dubas began her career as a stage actress but became famous as a singer. Using the great Yvette Guilbert as her model, Dubas started singing in the small cabarets of Montmartre mixing comedy into her routine...
, with lyrics from Raymond Asso
Raymond Asso
Raymond Asso was a French lyricist.Born in Nice, France, his parents separation saw him leave for Morocco at the age of 15. After his arrival he tried numerous professions, including: shepherd, factory worker, chauffeur and nightclub manager. Between 1916 and 1919 he worked as a Spahi, a type of...
and music from Marguerite Monnot
Marguerite Monnot
Marguerite Monnot was a French songwriter and composer best known for having written many of the songs performed by Édith Piaf and for the music in the stage musical Irma La Douce....
, and which was later taken up
by Edith Piaf
Édith Piaf
Édith Piaf , born Édith Giovanna Gassion, was a French singer and cultural icon who became widely regarded as France's greatest popular singer. Her singing reflected her life, with her specialty being ballads...
and became identified with her.
The song
In all the above, the song's career is similar to that of the more famous "Mon légionnaireMon légionnaire
Mon légionnaire is a French song created in 1936 by Marie Dubas, with lyrics by Raymond Asso and music by Marguerite Monnot. Marie Dubas toured the United States with this song in 1939....
" - both being songs related to the French Foreign Legion
French Foreign Legion
The French Foreign Legion is a unique military service wing of the French Army established in 1831. The foreign legion was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces...
and written by Raymond Asso, himself an ex-legionnaire (and who was Piaf's lover in the late 1930s).
However, in "Mon légionnaire" the Legion is seen from the outside - through the eyes of a woman who briefly meets one legionnaire and afterwards longs for him, and who has only a vague idea of the Legion's function and the places to which it is posted ("In some sunny country..."). In the present song, the Legion as such takes center stage.
The song tells the story of a small Legion outpost ("fortin" - "little fortress"), isolated in the Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
("The immense Bled"). Its garrison of thirty "gars" ("guys" or boys) comes under attack by a horde of "Salopards" ("Dirty Ones" or "Bastards") - evidently a derogatory term for Saharan tribespeople which Asso may have picked up while on actual service with the Legion. No background is given for the attack and the reasons of the "Salopards" in launching it.
The isolated Legionnaires defend their outpost most heroically, suffering staggering losses and terrible privations of hunger and thirst. By the time a column of reinforcements is finally profiled on the horizon, only three of them have survived the fierce battle: "Hungry, thirsty, half-naked, but covered with Glory." Throughout, "Le beau fanion de la légion" ("The beautiful flag of the Legion") continues to fly from the mast (no mention of the French Tricolour
Flag of France
The national flag of France is a tricolour featuring three vertical bands coloured royal blue , white, and red...
).
The theme is familiar from other fictional depictions of colonial war
Colonial war
Colonial war is a blanket term relating to the various conflicts that arose as the result of overseas territories being settled by foreignpowers creating a colony...
s (such as the film Zulu
Zulu (film)
Zulu is a 1964 historical war film depicting the Battle of Rorke's Drift between the British Army and the Zulus in January 1879, during the Anglo-Zulu War....
, based on the actual Battle of Rorke's Drift), as well as from Western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
s. Though the song is set in the Sahara, Asso was likely influenced by the Battle of Camarón
Battle of Camarón
The Battle of Camarón, which occurred 30 April 1863 between the French Foreign Legion and the Mexican army, is regarded by the Legion as a defining moment in its history...
(1867), during the failed French attempt to prop up the regime of the Emperor Maximilian
Maximilian I of Mexico
Maximilian I was the only monarch of the Second Mexican Empire.After a distinguished career in the Austrian Navy, he was proclaimed Emperor of Mexico on April 10, 1864, with the backing of Napoleon III of France and a group of Mexican monarchists who sought to revive the Mexican monarchy...
in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
- a major founding myth
Founding myth
A national myth is an inspiring narrative or anecdote about a nation's past. Such myths often serve as an important national symbol and affirm a set of national values. A national myth may sometimes take the form of a national epic...
familiar to anyone who served in the Legion. At Camerone, as in Asso's song, there were only three survivors (though there, their lives were spared through their opponents' generosity).
Sung to the accompaniment of martial music of drums and trumpets, "The Flag of the Legion" can be said to glorify war in general and colonial war in particular. Though duly considered a part of the Piaf Canon and continually included in newly-printed collections of her songs, it never achieved the popularity of "Mon légionnaire".
Ironically, the Foreign Legion itself did not conspicuously take up the song (as Asso may have hoped). Rather, the Legionnaires adopted as their own a different Edit Piaf song - "Non, je ne regrette rien
Non, je ne regrette rien
"Non, je ne regrette rien" , meaning "No, I'm not sorry for anything", is a French song composed by Charles Dumont, with lyrics by Michel Vaucaire. It was written in 1956, and is best known through its 1960 recording by Édith Piaf....
" (I regret nothing) - whose words in themselves have nothing to do with the Legion but came to express their defiance when accused of atrocities and involvement in a failed coup d'etat
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
during the Algerian War (see May 1958 crisis
May 1958 crisis
The May 1958 crisis was a political crisis in France during the turmoil of the Algerian War of Independence which led to the return of Charles de Gaulle to political responsibilities after a ten year absence...
and Algiers putsch
Algiers putsch
The Algiers putsch , also known as the Generals' putsch , was a failed coup d'état to overthrow French President Charles De Gaulle and establish an anti-communist military junta...
).
See also
- French Foreign Legion in popular cultureFrench Foreign Legion in popular cultureBeyond its reputation of the French Foreign Legion as an elite unit often embroiled in serious fighting, its recruitment practices have also led to a romantic view of it being a place for a wronged man to leave behind his old life to start a new one, yet also being full of scoundrels and men...
- Colonial warColonial warColonial war is a blanket term relating to the various conflicts that arose as the result of overseas territories being settled by foreignpowers creating a colony...
- Jacques BrelJacques BrelJacques Brel was a Belgian singer-songwriter who composed and performed literate, thoughtful, and theatrical songs that generated a large, devoted following in France initially, and later throughout the world. He was widely considered a master of the modern chanson...
's song Zangra (also inspired by Dino BuzzatiDino BuzzatiDino Buzzati-Traverso was an Italian novelist, short story writer, painter and poet, as well as a journalist for Corriere della Sera. His worldwide fame is mostly due to his novel Il deserto dei Tartari, translated into English as The Tartar Steppe.-Life:Buzzati was born at San Pellegrino,...
's The Tartar SteppeThe Tartar SteppeThe Tartar Steppe is a novel by Italian author Dino Buzzati, published in 1940.The novel tells the story of a young officer, Giovanni Drogo, and his life spent guarding the Bastiani Fortress, an old, unmaintained border fortress. The plot of the novel is Drogo's lifelong wait for a great war in...
)