Auprès de ma Blonde
Encyclopedia
"Auprès de ma blonde" or "Le Prisonnier de Hollande" ("The Prisoner of Holland") is a popular chanson
dating to the 17th century. It appeared during or soon after the Franco-Dutch War
, during the reign of Louis XIV
, when French sailors and soldiers were commonly imprisoned in the Netherlands.
The song's quick pace and lively melody made it well-suited to military marches, and it is still commonly played at parades. For the same reasons, it gained widespread popularity as a drinking song
and nursery rhyme
.
Chanson
A chanson is in general any lyric-driven French song, usually polyphonic and secular. A singer specialising in chansons is known as a "chanteur" or "chanteuse" ; a collection of chansons, especially from the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, is also known as a chansonnier.-Chanson de geste:The...
dating to the 17th century. It appeared during or soon after the Franco-Dutch War
Franco-Dutch War
The Franco-Dutch War, often called simply the Dutch War was a war fought by France, Sweden, the Bishopric of Münster, the Archbishopric of Cologne and England against the United Netherlands, which were later joined by the Austrian Habsburg lands, Brandenburg and Spain to form a quadruple alliance...
, during the reign of Louis XIV
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
, when French sailors and soldiers were commonly imprisoned in the Netherlands.
The song's quick pace and lively melody made it well-suited to military marches, and it is still commonly played at parades. For the same reasons, it gained widespread popularity as a drinking song
Drinking song
A drinking song is a song sung while drinking alcohol. Most drinking songs are folk songs, and may be varied from person to person and region to region, in both the lyrics and in the music...
and nursery rhyme
Nursery rhyme
The term nursery rhyme is used for "traditional" poems for young children in Britain and many other countries, but usage only dates from the 19th century and in North America the older ‘Mother Goose Rhymes’ is still often used.-Lullabies:...
.
Appearances
- Film: It is heard during the parade scenes at the end of The Day of the JackalThe Day of the Jackal (film)The Day of the Jackal is a 1973 Anglo-French film, set in August 1963 and based on the novel of the same name by Frederick Forsyth. Directed by Fred Zinnemann, it stars Edward Fox as the assassin known only as "the Jackal" who is hired to assassinate Charles de Gaulle.- Synopsis :The film opens...
. An English version of the song entitled I love only one girl ("the one I've got my arms around") was sung by Elvis PresleyElvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
in the 1967 film Double Trouble. - Television: The song appeared in two episodes of Star Trek: The Next GenerationStar Trek: The Next GenerationStar Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
, "FamilyFamily (TNG episode)"Family" is the second episode of the fourth season of Star Trek: The Next Generation. This episode takes place several weeks after the Borg attack on Earth shown in the episode "The Best of Both Worlds", and is sometimes considered to be a third part to the "Best of Both Worlds" story arc,...
", and '"Final MissionFinal Mission (TNG episode)"Final Mission" is an episode of the science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation.-Plot:Word has come that Wesley Crusher has been admitted into Starfleet Academy and will need to head to Earth to begin studies...
". It also appeared in the British TV movie Sharpe's RevengeSharpe (TV series)Sharpe is a British series of television dramas starring Sean Bean about Richard Sharpe, a fictional British soldier in the Napoleonic Wars. Sharpe is the hero of a number of novels by Bernard Cornwell; most, though not all, of the episodes are based on the books...
being sung by General Calvet's men to Richard SharpeRichard SharpeRichard Sharpe may refer to:*Richard Sharpe *Richard Sharpe *Richard Sharpe , Professor of Diplomatic at the University of Oxford*Richard Sharpe , English football player...
and Lucille. The song appears as background music in a Marseille cafe in Alfred Hitchcock Presents, episode No. 3.22 of 2 March 1958 "The Return of the Hero". - Books: Auprès de ma blonde is the title of a 1972 detective novel by Nicolas Freeling featuring Commissaris Van der Valk, and his wife Arlette of Amsterdam.
- In Dorothy Sayers' novel Busman's HoneymoonBusman's HoneymoonBusman's Honeymoon is a 1937 novel by Dorothy L. Sayers, her eleventh featuring Lord Peter Wimsey. It is the fourth and last novel to feature Harriet Vane.-Plot introduction:...
, Lord Peter WimseyLord Peter WimseyLord Peter Death Bredon Wimsey is a bon vivant amateur sleuth in a series of detective novels and short stories by Dorothy L. Sayers, in which he solves mysteries; usually, but not always, murders...
and his newly-wedded wife Harriet sing the song to express their love for each other. - In Roger ZelaznyRoger ZelaznyRoger Joseph Zelazny was an American writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels, best known for his The Chronicles of Amber series...
's book Nine Princes in AmberNine Princes in AmberNine Princes in Amber is a new wave fantasy novel and the first in the Chronicles of Amber series by Roger Zelazny. It was first published in 1970. The book has also spawned a computer game of the same name...
, CorwinCorwin (The Chronicles of Amber)Corwin, a Prince of Amber, is the main character in the first five books of Roger Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber. He is the second son of Oberon and Faiella, and the father of Merlin...
claims to have been the one who composed the tune to "Auprès de ma blonde".
- In The Secret Life of Walter MittyThe Secret Life of Walter Mitty"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" is a short story by James Thurber. The most famous of Thurber's stories, it first appeared in The New Yorker on March 18, 1939, and was first collected in his book My World and Welcome to It...
, he hums the tune in a war-time scenario.