Le jour de gloire

THE THEME SONG OF THE DAY

Happy Bastille Day to all of our French friends. For my money, France has the best, totally kick-ass national anthem with the most brilliant music in the entire world. Have any of you English speakers ever read a translation of the lyrics? It's blood in the streets, gore, violence and triumph! I just love it!

Aux armes citoyens
Formez vos bataillons
Marchons, marchons
Qu'un sang impur
Abreuve nos sillons!

To arms citizens,
Form your battalions
March, march
Let impure blood
Water our furrows!

In these pictures, Le Roi Louis et La Reine Marie Antoinette parade through the streets of St. Louis' Soulard neighborhood, hounded by the mob, only to meet their inevitable fate. Then, naturellement, everybody went out for a few more drinks. Vive la Republique! I really love France.

TOMORROW: Scenes from an execution.
WHAT I'M LISTENING TO: La Marseilles, as orchestrated and arranged by Hector Berlioz, one of my favorite mad geniuses. That's what you hear above.