J'aime Bien Mes Dindons

Album: La Mascotte (1880)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Edmond Audran (1840-1901) was a church organist in the French city of Marseilles who also wrote comic operas. In 1880 he penned a popular comic operetta with a central figure, Bettina. She was a country girl who looked after her master's turkeys and her extraordinary good fortune could not be due to mere chance but must have been caused by some supernatural agent. Looking for an appropriate figure and name for the opera, Audran picked the Provencal slang word 'La Mascotte.' used by gamblers to mean talisman or charm.
  • La Mascotte premiered on December 29, 1880 and was so popular that it was translated into English as The Mascot, introducing into the English language a word for any animal, person, or object that brings good luck. (Source of above two The Encyclopedia of Trivia)
  • This Act 1 duet between Bettina and the shepherd Pippo is the most popular tune in the opera. During the song the two farmhands start flirting with each other. Pippo tells Bettina he loves her even better than his sheep. She replies "J'aime bien mes dindons" ("I love my turkeys much"), but adds she loves him more than her beloved turkeys.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

The Girl in That Song

The Girl in That SongFact or Fiction

Billie Jean, Delilah, Sara, Laura and Sharona - do you know who the girls in the songs really are?

00s Music Quiz 1

00s Music Quiz 1Music Quiz

Do you know the girl singer on Eminem's "Stan"? If so, this quiz is for you.

Barry Dean ("Pontoon," "Diamond Rings And Old Barstools")

Barry Dean ("Pontoon," "Diamond Rings And Old Barstools")Songwriter Interviews

A top country songwriter, Barry talks about writing hits for Little Big Town, Tim McGraw and Jason Aldean.

Michael Bolton

Michael BoltonSongwriter Interviews

Into the vaults for this talk with Bolton from the '80s when he was a focused on writing songs for other artists.

How The Beatles Crafted Killer Choruses

How The Beatles Crafted Killer ChorusesSong Writing

The author of Help! 100 Songwriting, Recording And Career Tips Used By The Beatles, explains how the group crafted their choruses so effectively.

Tim Butler of The Psychedelic Furs

Tim Butler of The Psychedelic FursSongwriter Interviews

Tim and his brother Richard are the Furs' foundation; Tim explains how they write and tells the story of "Pretty In Pink."