This is a follow up on the article about Cacofonix’s musical talents. In that article the focus was on the French originals. This article will dive deeper into the English equivalents. If you haven’t read the previous article, we recommend you read that one first for background information.
I am not 100% sure about all the explanations. If you have any additional information, you can always leave a comment or send an email. Your input is greatly appreciated.
| r | Page | Lyrics (EN) | Parody / Source | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asterix the Gladiator | 6 | Maybe it’s because I am Armorican… That I love Armorica so | “Maybe It’s Because I’m a Londoner” (1944) | Classic British music hall song by Hubert Gregg, adapted with a pun on “Armorican”. |
| 7 | I’m only a bard in a gilded cage | “A Bird in a Gilded Cage” (1900) | Famous Victorian-era ballad; pun on “bard” in Roman prison. | |
| 12 | Farewell and adieu to you fair Celtic ladies… | “Spanish Ladies” (Traditional) | British naval folk song; line structure preserved. | |
| 37 | Love is a menhir splendid thing | “Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing” (1955) | Classic American pop ballad; “menhir” inserted as pun. | |
| 37 | Roman in the gloamin’ | “Roamin’ in the Gloamin’” – Harry Lauder (1911) | Scottish music hall tune; wordplay with “Roman”. | |
| 41 | Goodbye to the forum, farewell Colosseum | “Goodbye Piccadilly, farewell Leicester Square” from “It’s a Long Way to Tipperary” by Jack Judge and Harry Williams, 1912 | This song became a signature marching tune for British soldiers during WWI and remained deeply ingrained in British pop culture throughout the 20th century. | |
| 42 | For Gau-aul lang syne, my dears | “Auld Lang Syne” – Robert Burns | Punning on “Gaul” and “auld”; song often sung on New Year’s Eve. | |
| Asterix and the Big Fight | 13 | If you were the only Gaul in the world | “If You Were the Only Girl in the World” (1916) | WWI romantic standard, repurposed with pun. |
| Asterix and the Normans | 8 | With Asterix, Obelix, old Uncle Vitalstatistix and all… | “Widecombe Fair” (or “Uncle Tom Cobley and all”) | It’s a well-known West Country song, famous for its repetitive structure, growing cast of characters, and comically endless refrain. |
| 36 | This old man, he played unum… duo… centum quinquaginta septem | “This Old Man” (nursery rhyme) | Traditional children’s counting song rewritten in Latin. | |
| 42 | I love a lassie, a bonnie Gaulish lassie… | “I Love a Lassie” – Harry Lauder (1905) | Scottish love song; “Gaulish” replaces “Scottish”. | |
| 42 | Get with it! I’m real gone! | 1960s beatnik slang | Parody of counterculture expression for being “cool”. | |
| 43 | I like to be in Armorica… Rock around the clock | “I Like to Be in America” + “Rock Around the Clock” | Blended parody; musical (West Side Story) meets rock’n’roll. | |
| 46 | We’ll take a skull of kindness yet | “Auld Lang Syne” (again) | Humorous rephrasing with pun on “skull”. | |
| 46 | See page 42 | Meta-reference | Joke referencing earlier parody on the same page. | |
| Asterix in Spain | 20 | I’m dreaming of a white solstice | “White Christmas” – Irving Berlin (1942) | Pagan twist on Christmas classic. |
| 20 | Rockabye Pepe on the treetop… Wonderful, wonderful boar | “Rock-a-bye Baby” + “Wonderful! Wonderful!” | Nursery rhyme + Johnny Mathis pop hit (1956). | |
| The Mansions of the Gods | 40 | On the first day of solstice, my true love sent to me… | “The Twelve Days of Christmas” (Traditional) | Druidic gift-giving version of carol. |
| Asterix and the Soothsayer | 33 | Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside… | “Oh, I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside” (1907) | Popular British seaside song; ties into setting. |
| Asterix and Caesar’s Gift | 21 | We shall overcome, we shall overcome | “We Shall Overcome” (Gospel hymn) | Civil rights anthem reused comically; French version parodies “When the Saints”. |
| Asterix and the Magic Carpet | 6 | Down among the legionaries let him lie… Hey down derry | “Down Among the Dead Men” | First published: Around 1728, possibly in The Beggar’s Opera era. |
| 7 | Raindrops… keep falling on my head | “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” – B.J. Thomas (1969) | Comic misery in a modern musical hit. | |
| 18 | Come Bacchus, fill the flowing bowl until it doth run over | Operatic drinking songs (e.g., La Traviata) | Romanized Dionysian parody of drinking arias. | |
| 20 | Speed bonnie boat, like a bird on the wing… | “Skye Boat Song” (Scottish trad.) | Reference to Jacobite escape; reimagined to India. | |
| 46 | “With a hey, ho, the wind and the rain…” | From Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare. Footnote: “Song by a famous British bard.” | A note in the panel reads; Song by a famous British Bard. An obvious reference to Shakespeare. | |
| 47 | “For the rain it raineth every day“ | Continues from page 46. | The French original and many translations have Cacofonix sing ‘Singing in the rain’ here, usually with phonetic spelling. | |
| Asterix and the Secret Weapon | 19 | “I’m sergeant Peppus’ lonely hearts club band” | “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” – The Beatles (1967) | Too obvious |
| Asterix and the Class Act | 17 | Oh to be in Armorica now that April’s there… | “Oh, to be in England now that April’s there” – Robert Browning | Sentimental patriotic poetry, reworded to Gallic setting. |
| Asterix and the Falling Sky | 13 | If I had a hammer… | “If I Had a Hammer” – Seeger/Lopez (1962) | Protest anthem, directly referenced (same as French version). |
| 47 | Doo aah diddy diddy dum diddy doo | “Do Wah Diddy Diddy” – Manfred Mann (1964) | Classic 1960s pop hit, phonetically spoofed. | |
| Asterix and the White Iris | 20 | A miiiiillion love songs… | “A Million Love Songs” – Take That (1992) | Over-the-top ballad delivery; mimics boy band stylings. |
| 20 | Rome if you want to, Rome around the world… | “Roam” – The B-52’s (1989) | Puns on “Roam” with “Rome”; globetrotting Gauls. | |
| 21 | Sword and sandal in de wiiiiind… | “Candle in the Wind” by Sir Elton John – 1973 | re-recorded for Princess Diana in 1997 | |
| 21 | Could you be, could you be, could you be Jove | “Could You Be Loved” – Bob Marley (1980) | Reggae hit spoof with Roman god pun. | |
| 21 | Gimme some love… | “Gimme Some Lovin’” – Spencer Davis Group (1966) | High-energy party tune parody. |
Notes:
- English translators (notably Anthea Bell & Derek Hockridge) consistently adapted Assurancetourix‘s lyrics to match culturally recognizable songs for Anglophone audiences.
- When no direct equivalent was available, they often opted for similar musical tone, wordplay, or humor structure.
- Song choices reflect diverse genres: from Edwardian parlor songs to 60s pop, folk tunes, and musical theatre.
Ode to Cacofonix
Have you ever noticed that after Asterix and Obelix, it is Cacofonix who gets quite a bit of adventure time in the albums?
Ode to contributors
I would like to thank James Smith who pointed me in the right direction to find “Down Among the Dead Men” and “Widecomb Fair“, and Chris O’Leary who hellped with “It’s a Long Way to Tipperary” and “Candle in the Wind”.
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