Vanessa Paradis "Joe le taxi" lyrics

Joe le taxi

Joe le taxiY va pas partoutY marche pas au sodaSon saxo jauneConnaît toutes les rues par coeurTous les p'tits barsTous les coins noirsEt la SeineEt ses ponts qui brillentDans sa caiseLa musique à JoeC'est la rumbaLe vieux rock au mambo

Joe le taxiC'est sa vieLe rhum au mamboEmbouteillageIl est comme çaRhum et mamboJoe, Joe, Joe…

Dans sa caise [cha-cha-cha]La musique à Joe résonne [cha-cha-cha]C'est la rumba [cha-cha-cha]Le vieux rock au mambo bidon [cha-cha-cha]Vas-y Joe [cha-cha-cha]Vas-y Joe [cha-cha-cha]Vas-y fonce [cha-cha-cha]Dans la nuit vers l'Amazone [cha-cha-cha]Joe le taxiEt Xavier CugatJoe le taxiEt Yma SumacJoe, Joe, Joe…

Joe le taxiC'est sa vieLe rhum au mamboEmbouteillageJoe le taxiEt les MariachisJoe le taxi [cha-cha-cha]Et le cha-cha-chi [cha-cha-cha]Joe le taxi [cha-cha-cha]Et le cha-cha-chi [cha-cha-cha]Vas-y Joe [cha-cha-cha]Vas-y fonce [cha-cha-cha]Dans la nuit vers l'Amazone [cha-cha-cha]Joe le taxi [cha-cha-cha]Et le cha-cha-chi [cha-cha-cha]Joe le taxi…

Joe the Taxi

Joe the taxi*Doesn't go everywhereDoesn't go by the soda (popstand, I believe)His yellow saxKnows all the roads by heartAll the little barsAll the black cornersAnd the SeineAnd its bridges that shimmerIn his box (caisse)The music for JoeIs the rhumbaFrom old rock to mambo

Joe the taxiThat's his lifeFrom rum to mamboTraffic jam**He's like thatRum and mamboJoe, Joe, Joe...

In his box [cha-cha-cha]The music of Joe sounds [cha-cha-cha]It's the rhumba [cha-cha-cha]From old rock to fake mambo [cha-cha-cha]Come on, Joe [cha-cha-cha]Come on, Joe [cha-cha-cha]Come on, darkness***In the night, toward the Amazon [cha-cha-cha]Joe the taxiAnd Xavier CugatJoe the taxiAnd Yma Sumac****Joe, Joe, Joe...

Joe the taxiThat's his lifeFrom rum to mamboTraffic jamJoe the taxiAnd the mariachisJoe the taxi [cha-cha-cha]And the cha-cha-chi [cha-cha-cha]Joe the taxi [cha-cha-cha]And the cha-cha-chi [cha-cha-cha]Come on, Joe [cha-cha-cha]Come on, darkness [cha-cha-cha]In the night, toward the Amazon [cha-cha-cha]Joe the taxi [cha-cha-cha]And the cha-cha-chi [cha-cha-cha]Joe the taxi...

_____________________________*"Taxi" here most likely means a cab driver.

**literally means "bottling"; here, it is a play on words because of the mentioning of rum.

***"Fonce" means "dark", but "fonceur" means "go-getter", or a "go-ahead type". "Fonce might have a double-entendre where it stands for both of these.

****Xavier Cugat and Yma Sumac are key figures in the spread of Latin American music.