Regards sur la culture: Les comptines

Here is another comptine that talks about a particular place in Paris, and one that talks about nothing in particular at all!

Blues, à chanter l'hiver (to sing during the winter) sur le Pont Neuf* quand on saute (jumps) d'un pied sur l'autre pour se réchauffer (to warm oneself) en attendant (while waiting for) l'autobus.

Un deux trois
Un deux trois quand il fait froid
Quatre cinq six comme exercice
Sept huit neuf sur le Pont Neuf*
Dix onze douze chantons ce blues:
Un deux trois quand il fait froid...

Am stram gram
pic et pic et colégram
bour et bour et ratatam
am stram gram

*The Pont Neuf, the subject of the first comptine, was built between 1578 and 1604. It is the oldest bridge in Paris, which is quite ironic, given that its name means "the new bridge" (however, when it was built, it was the newest bridge)! It crosses the Seine at the tip of the Ile de la Cité, where the river is at its widest point. The bridge served, during the 17th and 18th centuries, as both amusement park and shopping center. Its numerous circular turrets provided stages for street performers and vendors of everything from household items to medicine. In 1985, the Bulgarian artist Christo transformed the bridge into a sculpture by wrapping it in flowing canvas.

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1			Considérez What English song, similar to a comptine, refers to a bridge?

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