IL M'A VUE NUE (1927 - French) Lyrics Max Eddy – Rip / Music Fred Pearly - Pierre Chagnon Un soir, je faisais une pleine eau. Pour tout maillot, j'avais la peau, Nul ne pouvait me voir Que le ciel noir. La lune soudain vint s'exhiber, J'allais lui dire: "Ta bouche, Phoebé!" Quand j'entendis près d' moi Un cri d'émoi. Y avait un homme sur un rocher, Pas assez haut. L'homme a fait "Ah!" et moi, Dans l'eau, Moi, j'ai fait "Oh!" Refrain Il m'a vue nue, Toute nue, Sans cache-truc ni soutien-machins, J'en ai rougi jusqu'aux vaccins. Il m'a vue nue, Toute nue, Je me suis, par respect humain, Voilé la face de mes deux mains. Mais je crois bien Que par ce geste irréfléchi J'ai négligé d' voiler quelques petits chichis. Il m'a vue nue, Toute nue, Plus que nue. Pendant qu'il descendait d' ce rocher, Moi, je me suis mise à nager. J'atterris rapid'ment, J' prends mes vêt'ments. Mais, comme un gibier à poil, voilà Qu'il me poursuivit, oh ! Là ! Là ! J' cours pour le dépister Sans m'arrêter, Et je pensais : Il va me rejoindre bientôt, Pourvu qu'il ne perce pas mon incognito. Refrain Il m'a vue nue, Toute nue, Il était parti comme un dard, Mais je n'ai pas eu de retard Il m'a vue nue, Toute nue. Je suis une jeun' fille, c'est net, Un peu dans l' genre de Miss Helyett. Car je me dis, depuis cette fatale nuit, Je n' peux pas épouser un autre homme que lui Il m'a vue nue, Tell'ment nue, Super-nue.

HE SAW ME NAKED One evening I had a bath in the sea, As a swimsuit I only had my skin, No one could see me But the black sky. The moon suddenly came to show itself, I was going to tell her, "Shut up, Phoebe!" When I heard near me A cry of emotion. There was a man on a rock, Not high enough. The man said "Ah!" and I, In the water, Said "Oh!" Chorus He saw me naked, All naked, Without hiding-thingy(1) or supporting-thingamabob(2), I blushed up to my vaccine marks*. He saw me naked, All naked, I, out of human respect, Covered my face with my two hands. But I believe That by this thoughtless gesture I neglected to cover up a few little quibbles. He saw me naked, All naked, More than naked. While he was coming down from this rock, I started swimming. I landed quickly, I took my clothes. But, like a furred game(3), there you go, He pursued me, oh! dear! I ran without stopping To disorient him, And I was thinking: "He'll catch up with me soon, Let's hope that he doesn't penetrate my incognito." Chorus He saw me naked, All naked, He had dashed off like a stinger/spear(4), But I wasn't late(5) He saw me naked, All naked. I am a young girl, that’s clear, A bit like Miss Helyett(6). Because I've been telling myself, since that fatal night, I can't marry another man but him He saw me naked, So naked, Super-naked.

(1) = euphemism for "cache-sexe": G string
(2) = euphemism for "soutien-gorge" : bra (lit. "bosom support")
* The smallpox vaccine shot was usually done on the high part of the thigh or the arm.
(3) "à poil" (pun): furred but also slang for "naked"
(4) "dard" (pun): stinger, spear and also one of the many slang words for penis, so you can imagine what this "dash off" refers to.
(5) (pun) Lit. "I had no delay/lateness" usually refers to a woman's period.
(6) Miss Helyett is an opérette that depicts the complications ensuing when the excessively puritanical heroine believes herself duty-bound to marry an unknown man who, in rescuing her from a serious fall in the Pyrenees, has been unable to avoid seeing the exposed lower half of her body. -Wiki

(7) Alternate version sung by Mistinguett: no 2nd verse. 2nd chorus as…
Il m'a vue nue, (He saw me naked)
Toute nue, (All naked)
J' veux oublier c' qui s'est passé (I want to forget what happened)
D'autant plus qu'il n'y a rien d' cassé. (All the more as there's nothing broken)
Et je me dis, depuis cette fatale nuit, (And I've been telling myself, since that fatal night)
Je n' peux pas épouser un autre homme que lui (I can't marry another man but him)
Il m'a vue nue, (He saw me naked)
Tell'ment nue,   (So naked)
Super-nue. (Super-naked.)

Recording by Emma Liébel
Recording by Mistinguett.
Recording by Pia Colombo

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