lyrics Carnaval, y’a bon ! (Carnival, it’s good) or Carnaval au continent noir (Carnival in the black continent)

D’argent à une aigle de gueules, au vol abaissé, membrée, becquée et couronnée d’or, empiétant une montagne de trois coupeaux de sable issant d’une mer d’azur mouvant de la pointe et ondée d’argent.


	Traditional music from County of Nice (France)


You are here: Home > MIDI music! > Carnival tunes > lyrics Carnaval, y’a bon ! (Carnival, it’s good) or Carnaval au continent noir (Carnival in the black continent).	Friday June 27th 2025

Carnaval, y’a bon !
(Carnival, it’s good)
or Carnaval au continent noir (Carnival in the black continent)
Official song of the carnival of Nice 1930
Nissart lyrics by Théotiste Martin, known as Théo Martin, music by Mario Delvar. Traditional from County of Nice.

The original lyrics by Théotiste Martin, known as Théo Martin are only in French. The text in Nissart given here corresponds to the literal translation from the version in French.

The theme for this year 1930 is “Carnaval, y a bon” (Carnival, it’s good).

First page of the music sheet for Carnaval, y’a bon ! illustration by B.C. Moryn, éd. Fernand Pichon, 1930.	1^st verse
	Pour faire une petite balade, Carnaval un jour alla Au pays où les peuplades Dansent la bamboula. Les petites négresses, Voyant le roi de l’allégresse, Dirent tout à coup: “Zouhou! C’est Boudoubadabou! C’est celui de la cabane bambou ⁽¹⁾, Dont j’aimais la flûte en acajou! À Nice, la patrie des nababs ⁽²⁾, Il a fait la nouba.”	To go for a little walk, Carnival some day went In the country where tribes Use to dance bamboula ⁽³⁾. The little Negresses, Seeing king of elation, Said all at once: “Zouhou! It’s Boudoubadabou! It’s the one of the bamboo cabin, Whose I was liking the mahogany flute! In Nice, land of nabobs, He has a rave-up.
	Chorus
	Viens danser sur ce petit air Qui jazze Comme Joséphine Baker ⁽⁴⁾, Sans gaze ⁽⁵⁾! Carnaval, ce soir, Blanchit... les idées noires! Y’a bon! Y’a bon! C’est le refrain des négrillons!	Come and dance on this little tune Jazzy As Joséphine Baker, Without gauze! Carnival, at night, Whitens... gloomy thoughts! It’s good! It’s good! It’s piccaninnies’ chorus!

1. À la cabane Bambou: a song composed by Paul Marinier on 1899. The chorus was:
À la caban’ bambou, bambou, (At the cabin bamboo, bamboo)
À la caban’ bambou, you! (At the cabin bamboo, you!)
2. Nabab (nabob, from Hindi nawab): in the figurative, rich man flaunting his opulence.
3. Faire la bamboula: to live it up, or to have a wild time.
4. Freda Josephine McDonald, known as Joséphine Baker (Saint-Louis, Missouri, 1906 - Paris, 1975): French variety show artiste of American origin, discovered in Paris on 1925, where she knew fame as a cabaret dancer, variety show compère, singer, and film actress.
5. Allusion to Joséphine Baker’s stage dress, scantily clad with a single bananas belt.

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