"Touche and Go" Questions

[LooneyLover81]

Hi Gang,

This is in regards to the 1957 Pepe Le Pew cartoon "Touche and Go". I have a question about the corrupted French lyrics to "I've Been Working on the Railroad" as sung by someone who we don't know. It occurs just after the cartoon title appears.

These may be the French lyrics (correct me if I'm wrong):

J'avais travaille au chemin de fer, toute la longue journee de phase,
J'avais travaille au chemin de fer, pour passer juste le temps loin,
N'entendez-vous pas sifflez-vous le soufflement,
Elevation vers le haut tellement tot le matin
Est-ce vous n'entendez-vous pas le capitaine, "Dinah de cri, soufflez votre klaxon!"?

[Bartman]

OK - what is your question??

[Lauri Doublevie]

I think his question might be if the French in the song is accurate or if it's, like in so many Pepe Le Pew cartoons (excluding that Arthur Davis one where he doesn't talk), just French mixed in with English.

I do know some French (I taught myself in and out of class) and do know that all of the words are real French words, but I don't know if the English translation of that makes any sense.

What I can tell you is that I think the past imperfect (which is "avais", which means, "have been") is incorrectly used. I am a whiz at French grammar, but since I haven't taken a French class since my last year of high school, I can't tell you whether it's right or wrong.

And the last line is, "Dinah, blow-vous di horn". I know that last line is in Franglais.