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Bilingual Bedtime/French songs
Chanson à gestesAction song

Ainsi font, font, font.

The melody of Ainsi font, font, font on a staff, as engraved in the book
Download the tune

The melody as written on the staff, so you can learn the tune before you sing.

Verse 1

  1. Ainsi font, font, fontehn-see fohn, fohn, fohnThus they do, do, do,
  2. Les petites marionnettes,lay puh-tee-tuh mah-ryohn-net-tuh,The little marionettes,
  3. Ainsi font, font, fontehn-see fohn, fohn, fohnThus they do, do, do,
  4. Trois p’tits tours et puis s’en vont.trwah ptee toor ay pwee sahn vohn.Three little turns, and then off they go.

Verse 2

  1. Les poings au côté,lay pwehn oh koh-tay,Fists on the hips,
  2. Marionnettes, marionnettes,mah-ryohn-net-tuh, mah-ryohn-net-tuh,Marionettes, marionettes,
  3. Les poings au côté,lay pwehn oh koh-tay,Fists on the hips,
  4. Sautez, marionnett’s, sautez.soh-tay, mah-ryohn-net, soh-tay.Jump, marionettes, jump.

About this song

The best-known French song for pretending to be marionettes, printed in Jean-Baptiste Weckerlin's 1870 collection, the same book as Frère Jacques. On font, font, font children hold up both hands and twist them at the wrist like dangling puppets, then set fists on their hips and hop for the second verse.

Where it comes from

The words: Jean-Baptiste Weckerlin, Chansons et rondes enfantines (Garnier, 1870).

From the book

Bilingual Bedtime

Thirty-Five French Songs for Children

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Un, deux, trois, nous irons au boisAll 35 songsSavez-vous planter les choux
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