Info
“Sur le Pont d’Avignon” is a French song about the Pont d’Avignon (officially Pont St. Bénézet, it is a famous medieval bridge in the town of Avignon, in southern France) that dates back to the 15th century. (source)
Lyrics - French
(Folk song from France)
Refrain
Sur le pont d’Avignon, on y danse, on y danse,
Sur le pont d’Avignon, on y danse tout en rond.
1. Les messieurs font comme ça
Et puis encore comme ça.
Refrain
2. Les dames font comme ça
Et puis encore comme ça.
Refrain
3. Les musiciens font comme ça
Et puis encore comme ça.
Refrain
4. Les soldats font comme ça
Et puis encore comme ça.
Refrain
Add any profession and act it out.
English Translation - On the bridge of Avignon
Refrain
On the bridge of Avignon the people dance
On the bridge of Avignon the people dance in a circle.
1. The gentlemen go like this
And again like that.
Refrain
2. The ladies go like this
And again like that.
Refrain
3. The musicians go like this
And again like that.
Refrain
4. The soldiers go like this
And again like that.
Refrain
Dance
1st time: Ms. 1-8 = Students skip around the circle to the left.
Verse 1 (gentlemen) Ms. 9-10 = All turn to partners, bow, and remove imaginary hats.
Ms. 11-12 = All turn to the person behind them and bow again, tipping their imaginary hats.
2nd time: Repeat Ms. 1-8
Verse 2 (ladies) Ms. 9-10 = All turn to partners, bow, and remove imaginary hats.
Ms. 9-10 = All turn to partners and curtsy. (Boys pretend to pull on their coat tails as they curtsy.)
Ms. 11-12 = All turn to the person behind them and curtsy again.
3rd time: Ms. 1-8 = same as above
Verse 3 (musicians) Ms. 9-10 = All turn to partners, imitate playing an instrument.
Ms. 11-12 = Same motions to the person behind them,
4th time: Ms. 1-8 = same as above
Verse 4 (soldiers) Ms. 9-10 = All turn to partners, march in place and salute.
Ms. 11-12 = Same motions to the person behind them,
At the end, repeat the first 8 measures with the same movement as above.
See also
- Country: France
- Subject: jobs
- Activity: folk dance
- Form: ABA
- Harmony: chords I V
- Meter: 4
- Rhythm:
- Scale: hexatonic
- Tones: s,t,drmfs
- Sources: Folk-dances from Old Homelands: A Third Volume of Folk-dances and Singing Games, Elizabeth Burchenal, 1922
/ Songs That Children Sing, Eleanor Chroman, Oak Publications, 1970
YouTube
- PDF of song with chords
- MIDI file
- Listen to the melody
