http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEiCSd3 I dedicate this song to

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“Oney” sung by Johnny Cash
(YouTube, 2014)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEiCSd30Izk
I dedicate this song to the workin' man,
man for every man that puts in
Eight or ten hard hours a day of work and toil and sweat
Always got somebody lookin' down his neck
Tryin' to get more out of ‘im than he really ought to have to put in
After twenty-nine
nine long years of workin'
In this shop with Oney standin' over me
Today when that old whistle blows
I'll check in all my gear and I'll retire
The superintendent just dropped by and said
They'd planned my little get together
Then he said I'd never made it
If old Oney hadn't held me to the fire
I've seen him in my dreams at night
And woke up in the mornin' feelin' tired
And old Oney don't
n't remember, when I came here
How he tried to get me fired
With his folded hands behind him
Every mornin' Oney waited at the gate
Where he'd rant and rave like I committed murder
Clockin' in five minutes late
But today they'll gather 'round me
Like I've seen 'em do when any man retires
Then old Oney's gonna tell me
From now on I'm free to do what I desire
He'll present me with that little old gold watch
They give a man at times like this
But there's one thing he's not countin' on
Today's the day I give old Oney his
I've been workin', buildin' muscles
Oney's just been standin' 'round a gettin' soft
And today about four-thirty
I'll make up for every good night's sleep I've lost
When I'm gone I'll be remembered
As the workin' man that put his point across
With a right hand full of knuckles
'Cause today I show old Oney, who's the boss?
Hmm, what time is it?
Four-thirty ?
Hey, Oney, Oney, ha, ha, ha!
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Vocabulary
NB: often in spoken English the final “g” on some words is dropped and is replaced by an apostrophe to
show that the letter was dropped. For example, the workin’ man = the working man.
There are many examples of that in this song. ‘em = them
1. that puts in .. work
2. toil and sweat
3. lookin' down his neck
4. Tryin' to get more out of ‘im (= him)
13.how he tried to get me fired
qui donne = travaille
labeur et transpiration
qui le surveille de près
essayant de le faire travailler davantage, en tirer plus
de lui
de ce qu’il était réellement censé faire / travailler
usine, atelier / me surveillant
lorsque cette vieille sirène retentit (pour signaler
la fin de la journée de travail)
je rendrai mon équipement et je prendrai ma retraite
vient de passer
rassemblement = petit pot de départ
que je n’aurais jamais réussi
ne m’avait pas tenu (les pieds) au feu = mis la
pression
de me faire virer
14.with his folded hands behind him
15.every mornin' Oney waited at the gate
16.where he'd rant and rave
les bras croisés derrière le dos
à la barrière / à l’entrée de l’usine
tempêter
17.like I committed murder
18.clockin' in five minutes late
comme si j’avais commis un meurtre
pointant avec 5 minutes de retard
19.but today they'll gather 'round me
20.like I've seen 'em do when any man retires
21.then old Oney's gonna tell me
22.from now on I'm free to do what I desire
se réuniront autour de moi
quand n’importe qui part en retraite
gonna = going to tell me = va me dire
à partir de maintenant, dorénavant
23.they give a man at times like this
24.but there's one thing he's not countin' on
25.today's the day I give old Oney his(due)
à des occasions comme ceci
dont il ne s’attend pas
je donne à Oney ce dont il mérite, ce que lui est dû
5. than he really ought to have to put in
6. in this shop with Oney standin' over me
7. when that old whistle blows
8. I'll check in all my gear and I'll retire
9. the superintendent just dropped by and said
10.they'd planned my little get-together
11.then he said I'd never made it
12.if old Oney hadn't held me to the fire
26.I've been workin', buildin' muscles
je me musclais
27.Oney's just been standin' 'round and gettin' soft Oney ne faisait que rester les bras croisés et devenait
mou (s’affaiblissait)
28.I'll make up for every good night's sleep I've lost
je rattraperai toutes les bonnes nuits de sommeil que
j’ai perdues
29.as the workin' man that put his point across
comme le travailleur qui exprime son point de vue
30.with a right hand full of knuckles
littéralement: avec une main droite pleines de
jointures de doigts = avec mon poing droit
31.'Cause today I show old Oney who's the boss! (because) je montrerai aux vieux Oney qui est le
patron!
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Oney sung by Johnny Cash
(YouTube, 2014)
Exercise: fill in the blanks with the correct words
I dedicate this song to the workin' man, for every man that p__________ i_______
(donne / travaille)
Eight or ten hard hours a day of work and t________ and _s__________
(labeur)
(transpiration)
Always got somebody l___________d________his n__________
(le surveillant de près / ‘regardant son cou’)
Tryin' to g_________more o_______ ‘im than he really ought to have to put in
(le faire travailler davantage, en tirer plus de lui)
After twenty-nine long years of workin'
In this shop with Oney standin' over me
Today when that old w___________ b_________
(sirène retentit)
I'll c___________ all my g_________ and I'll retire
(rendrai)
(équipement)
The superintendent just d__________ b_______ and said
(passer)
They'd planned my little g_______- t____________
(rassemblement = pot)
Then he said I'd never m_______i_____
(je n’aurais jamais réussi)
If old Oney hadn't held me to the fire
I've seen him in my dreams at night
And woke up in the mornin' feelin' tired
And old Oney don't remember, when I came here
How he tried to g_____ me f_______
(de me faire virer)
With his f__________ hands behind him
(croisés)
Every mornin' Oney waited at the g_________
(la barrière / l’entrée de l’usine)
Where he'd r_________ and r__________ l________ I committed murder
(tempêtait)
C__________ in five minutes late
(pointant)
(comme si)
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But today they'll g___________ 'round me
(se réuniront)
Like I've seen 'em do when any man retires
Then old Oney's gonna tell me
F_______n_______ o______ I'm free to do what I desire
(dorénavant)
He'll present me with that little old gold watch
They give a man at times like this
But there's one thing he's not countin' on
Today's the day I give old Oney his
I've been workin', buildin' muscles
Oney's just been standin' 'round and g________ s________
(devenir mou)
And today about four-thirty
I'll m_________ u_______ for every good night's sleep I've lost
(rattraperai)
When I'm gone I'll be remembered
As the workin' man that put his p________ a_________
(a exprimé son point de vue)
With a right hand full of knuckles
'Cause today I show old Oney, who's the boss!
Hmm, what time is it?
Four-thirty
Hey, Oney, Oney, ha, ha, ha!