La vie n'est pas facile, pour une gamine de seize ans

qui n'a plus de famille, et encor' moins d'argent,

Elle coup' et coud toute la semaine à l'atelier des mouchoirs,

mais le dimanche elle est reine de la danse au bal du soir. 

Tourne vire, virevolte, la belle d'un pied léger,

tourne vire, virevolte, c'est venu le temps d'aimer. 

Elle a jolie frimousse, et le coeur innocent,

des rêves qui la poussent vers un prince charmant,

et c'est en mai qu'il lui arrive, l'invite pour un pas de deux 

D'une valse il l'enivre et les voilà amoureux. 

Ils se sont mariés, ont brûlé la belle saison

la guerre est déclarée, il doit par-tir au front!

A la gare ils se quittent en agitant leur mou-choir,

"Je reviendrai bien vit' et je t'écrirai chaque soir" 

Sur le chemin des Dames, le voilà soudain foudroyé,

elle n'a pas assez de larmes pour son malheur noyer,

mais pour la vie jolie grisette tu ne peux t'enfermer, 

dimanche à la guinguette tu retourneras danser.

English translation :

Twirl 

Life is not easy for a girl of sixteen

Who’s got no family and no money

She cuts and sews all week long in the handkerchief factory

But on Sundays she is the queen of the ball

Spin, turn, twirl, the light-footed beauty

Spin, turn, twirl, the time has come to love

She has a cute little face, and a pure heart

Dreaming of her prince charming

And in May he arrives, invites her to a pas de deux

With a waltz he steals her heart, and they are lovers

They got married, lived life to the full, 

war is declared, he must leave for the front

at the station they say their goodbyes waving the handkerchiefs

“I’ll be back soon, and I’ll write every night

On the Chemin des Dames, he is suddenly struck

She has not enough tears to drown her sadness,

But don’t lock yourself away pretty girl

Next Sunday you will be back dancing at the guinguette.

La vie n'est pas facile, pour une gamine de seize ans

qui n'a plus de famille, et encor' moins d'argent,

Elle coup' et coud toute la semaine à l'atelier des mouchoirs,

mais le dimanche elle est reine de la danse au bal du soir. 

Tourne vire, virevolte, la belle d'un pied léger,

tourne vire, virevolte, c'est venu le temps d'aimer. 

Elle a jolie frimousse, et le coeur innocent,

des rêves qui la poussent vers un prince charmant,

et c'est en mai qu'il lui arrive, l'invite pour un pas de deux 

D'une valse il l'enivre et les voilà amoureux. 

Ils se sont mariés, ont brûlé la belle saison

la guerre est déclarée, il doit par-tir au front!

A la gare ils se quittent en agitant leur mou-choir,

"Je reviendrai bien vit' et je t'écrirai chaque soir" 

Sur le chemin des Dames, le voilà soudain foudroyé,

elle n'a pas assez de larmes pour son malheur noyer,

mais pour la vie jolie grisette tu ne peux t'enfermer, 

dimanche à la guinguette tu retourneras danser.

English translation :

Twirl 

Life is not easy for a girl of sixteen

Who’s got no family and no money

She cuts and sews all week long in the handkerchief factory

But on Sundays she is the queen of the ball

Spin, turn, twirl, the light-footed beauty

Spin, turn, twirl, the time has come to love

She has a cute little face, and a pure heart

Dreaming of her prince charming

And in May he arrives, invites her to a pas de deux

With a waltz he steals her heart, and they are lovers

They got married, lived life to the full, 

war is declared, he must leave for the front

at the station they say their goodbyes waving the handkerchiefs

“I’ll be back soon, and I’ll write every night

On the Chemin des Dames, he is suddenly struck

She has not enough tears to drown her sadness,

But don’t lock yourself away pretty girl

Next Sunday you will be back dancing at the guinguette.

Were  you caught  in regression

In the past lives that you lived

That made you cut your wings down

That made you wrapped in silk 

Was it the sun  or the beaches

That made you wanna run

A little light inside your veins 

That made you come undone

I swear this is the last time

I let you touch my skin

Yeah this is the last time

Say you never coming back 

I'm lying in your bedsheets

Airplanes in the sky

I swear this is the last time

Cross my heart and hope to die

Were you thinking 'bout tomorrow, 

In the moment that you seek 

Cause you're driven by your own thirst

And the longing makes you weak

Soon the fragments of your lover

Is a picture that you paint

And you're hooked on all the colors

But you don't feel anything

Were  you caught  in regression

In the past lives that you lived

That made you cut your wings down

That made you wrapped in silk 

Was it the sun  or the beaches

That made you wanna run

A little light inside your veins 

That made you come undone

I swear this is the last time

I let you touch my skin

Yeah this is the last time

Say you never coming back 

I'm lying in your bedsheets

Airplanes in the sky

I swear this is the last time

Cross my heart and hope to die

Were you thinking 'bout tomorrow, 

In the moment that you seek 

Cause you're driven by your own thirst

And the longing makes you weak

Soon the fragments of your lover

Is a picture that you paint

And you're hooked on all the colors

But you don't feel anything

Were  you caught  in regression

In the past lives that you lived

That made you cut your wings down

That made you wrapped in silk 

Was it the sun  or the beaches

That made you wanna run

A little light inside your veins 

That made you come undone

I swear this is the last time

I let you touch my skin

Yeah this is the last time

Say you never coming back 

I'm lying in your bedsheets

Airplanes in the sky

I swear this is the last time

Cross my heart and hope to die

Were you thinking 'bout tomorrow, 

In the moment that you seek 

Cause you're driven by your own thirst

And the longing makes you weak

Soon the fragments of your lover

Is a picture that you paint

And you're hooked on all the colors

But you don't feel anything

Were  you caught  in regression

In the past lives that you lived

That made you cut your wings down

That made you wrapped in silk 

Was it the sun  or the beaches

That made you wanna run

A little light inside your veins 

That made you come undone

I swear this is the last time

I let you touch my skin

Yeah this is the last time

Say you never coming back 

I'm lying in your bedsheets

Airplanes in the sky

I swear this is the last time

Cross my heart and hope to die

Were you thinking 'bout tomorrow, 

In the moment that you seek 

Cause you're driven by your own thirst

And the longing makes you weak

Soon the fragments of your lover

Is a picture that you paint

And you're hooked on all the colors

But you don't feel anything