The above image is from Celestino Piatti's cover of "Deutschstunde" ("German Lesson") by Siegfried Lenz. It is one of my favourite depictions of a bicyclist.
Enjoy Yves Montand:
The Bicycle
If you leave early in the morning
If you go on these roads
By bicycle
We were a bunch of good friends
There were Fernand and Firmin
There were Francis and Sébastian
And then there was Paulette
We were all in love with her
We were all growing wings
On our bicycle
On these small dirt roads
We often went through hell
To not make our feet touch the ground
In front of Paulette
One has to say that she really put her heart into it
She was the daughter of the postman
On a bicycle
And ever since she turned eight
She followed him around
On all the ways in the neighbourhood
By bicycle
When we came close to the river
We threw into the braken
Our bikes
Then we rolled around in the fields
Making a changing bouquet come to life
Of grasshoppers, butterflies and
Tree frogs
When the sun at the horizon
Began to cast our shapes
Over the shrubs
We returned exhausted and content
Yet the heart a bit vague
Because we never had a moment all alone
With Paulette
To take her hand all furtively
To forget a few of the friends
The bicycle
We tell ourselves we shall leave that for tomorrow
I will dare to, I will dare to tomorrow
When we will be on the roads
By bicycle
La Bicyclette
Quand on partait de bon matin
Quand on partait sur les chemins
A bicyclette
Nous étions quelques bons copains
Y avait Fernand y avait Firmin
Y avait Francis et Sébastien
Et puis Paulette
On était tous amoureux d'elle
On se sentait pousser des ailes
A bicyclette
Sur les petits chemins de terre
On a souvent vécu l'enfer
Pour ne pas mettre pied à terre
Devant Paulette
Faut dire qu'elle y mettait du cœur
C'était la fille du facteur
A bicyclette
Et depuis qu'elle avait huit ans
Elle avait fait en le suivant
Tous les chemins environnants
A bicyclette
Quand on approchait la rivière
On déposait dans les fougères
Nos bicyclettes
Puis on se roulait dans les champs
Faisant naître un bouquet changeant
De sauterelles, de papillons
Et de rainettes
Quand le soleil à l'horizon
Profilait sur tous les buissons
Nos silhouettes
On revenait fourbus contents
Le cœur un peu vague pourtant
De n'être pas seul un instant
Avec Paulette
Prendre furtivement sa main
Oublier un peu les copains
La bicyclette
On se disait c'est pour demain
J'oserai, j'oserai demain
Quand on ira sur les chemins
A bicyclette
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