Sympathique (Je ne veux pas travailler) - Pink Martini ft. China Forbes | 2021

Pink Martini is on tour in 2023! Tickets are on sale now at: From Pink Martini’s rainy September 2021 concert at Edgefield, near the band’s hometown of Portland, Oregon, this live performance features one of the band’s most popular songs, “Sympathique (Je ne veux pas travailler).“ The hit title track from Pink Martini’s debut album, “Sympathique“ is the song (nominated for best song of the year at France’s Victoires de la Musique, the French equivalent to the Grammys) that launched the band’s career in Europe. An original written by bandleader Thomas Lauderdale and lead singer China Forbes, the song is the band’s most recognized tune worldwide, and is *not*, as many think, a cover of an Edith Piaf song! The song’s alternate French title, “Je ne veux pas travailler“, translates in English to “I don’t want to work“; the song was a mantra for French workers’ rights movements when it was first heard in France in the late 1990s. The lyrics were inspired by the poem “Hotel“ by Guillaume Apollinaire. Song credits and lyrics: “Sympathique (Je ne veux pas travailler)“ Music and lyrics by China Forbes and Thomas M. Lauderdale Published by Wow and Dazzle Music (BMI) and Thomas M. Lauderdale Music (ASCAP) Ma chambre à la forme d’une cage Le soleil passe son bras par le fenêtre Les chasseurs à ma porte Comme les petits soldats Qui veulent me prendre Je ne veux pas travailler Je ne veux pas déjeuner Je veux seulement oublier Et puis je fume Déjà j’ai connu le parfum de l’amour Un million de roses N’embaumeraient pas autant Maintenant une seule fleur Dans mes entourages Me rend malade Je ne suis pas fier de ça Vie qui veut me tuer C’est magnifique Être sympathique Mais je ne le connais jamais Sympathique English Translation My room is a cage The sun streams through the window The bellhops are at my door Like little soldiers Who want to take me away I don’t want to work I don’t want to lunch I want only to forget And then I smoke Long ago I knew the smell of love A million roses Couldn’t smell as sweet Now a single flower In my way Makes me sick I am not proud of this Life that wants to kill me It’s lovely To be agreeable and nice and lovely But I have never known this LINEUP: Thomas M. Lauderdale, piano and bandleader China Forbes, lead vocals Phil Baker, upright bass Dan Faehnle, guitar Nicholas Crosa, violin Thomas Barber, trumpet Robert Taylor, trombone Andrew Borger, drums Brian Davis, percussion Miguel Bernal, percussion Timothy Nishimoto, percussion FIND PINK MARTINI ONLINE: Patreon Fan Club: Instagram: Facebook: Twitter: Spotify: Apple Music: SoundCloud: bandcamp: Website: Shop Pink Martini: © 2023 Heinz Records #PinkMartini #ChinaForbes #Sympathique #ThomasLauderdale #PhilBaker #DanFaehnle #NicholasCrosa #GavinBondy #RobertTaylor #AndrewBorger #MiguelBernal #BrianDavis #ReinhardtMelz #TimothyNishimoto #piano #vocals #singer #uprightbass #bass #guitar #violin #trumpet #trombone #drums #percussion #vocals #vocalist #backupvocals #mic #jazz #bigband #classical #jazzmusic #classicalmusic #PinkMartiniLIVE #HeinzRecords #theLittleOrchestra #livemusic #LivePerformance #PortlandOregon #Portland #PortlandOR #Portlandmusic #Portlandband #IDoNotWantToWork #SympathiqueAlbum #French #France #FrenchLanguage #JeNeVeuxPasTravailler