Maréchal, nous voilà !

Maréchal, nous voilà ! (French pronunciation: [maʁeʃal nu vwala]; "Marshal, here we are!") is a 1941 French song dedicated to Marshal Philippe Pétain. The lyrics were composed by André Montagard; its music was attributed to André Montagard and Charles Courtioux but actually plagiarized from a song composed for the 1933 musical La Margoton du battailon by Polish Jewish composer Kazimierz Oberfeld, who was deported to Auschwitz in 1945, where he was murdered. Although La Marseillaise remained the official national anthem of the state, Maréchal, nous voilà ! was performed in many capacities unofficially as an alternative song for the public, being used as a popular song for events like sports and recreation. However, the song never dispelled the use of "La Marseillaise" as the official anthem, and it remained the main hymn of the Vichy State and had official support among the Vichy government. It had multiple performances during the Vichy France Era, often in a famous variation by André Dassary.

Maréchal, nous voilà !

English: Marshal, here we are!
Unofficial anthem of Vichy France
Lyrics	André Montagard, 1941
Music	Kazimierz Oberfeld, 1933
Adopted	1941
Relinquished	1944
Preceded by	La Marseillaise
Succeeded by	La Marseillaise

The refrain itself shows the growing cult of personality around Pétain during the Vichy regime.

Lyrics

Maréchal, nous voilà! (French)

Marshal, here we are! (English translation)

Une flamme sacrée Monte du sol natal, Et la France enivrée Te salue, Maréchal! Tous tes enfants qui t’aiment Et vénèrent tes ans, À ton appel suprême Ont répondu: Présent! Chorus: Maréchal, nous voilà! Devant toi, le sauveur de la France, Nous jurons, nous tes gars De servir et de suivre tes pas. Maréchal, nous voilà! Tu nous as a redonné l'espérance La patrie renaîtra, Maréchal, Maréchal, Nous voilà! Tu as lutté sans cesse Pour le salut commun On parle avec tendresse Du héros de Verdun… En nous donnant ta vie, Ton génie et ta foi, Tu sauves la patrie Une seconde fois. Chorus

A sacred flame Rises from the native soil, And France enraptured Greets you, Marshal! All your children who love you And worship your years, To your supreme call, Have responded: Present! Chorus: Marshal, here we are! Before you, France's saviour, We swear, we your people, To serve and follow your feats Marshal, here we are! You regave us hope The Fatherland will be reborn, Marshal, Marshal, Here we are! You fought unceasingly For the common salvation We speak tenderly About Verdun's hero... By giving us your life, Your genius and your faith, You save the homeland A second time. Chorus

In popular culture

Cinema

• 2003: The Chorus by Christophe Barratier – Soundtrack.
• 2011: War of the Buttons by Yann Samuell – Soundtrack.
• 2011: War of the Buttons by Christophe Barratier – Soundtrack.
• 2016: Fanny's Journey by Lola Doillon – Soundtrack..

Literature

• In Pierre Cormon's novel Le Traître, the song plays regularly in a Cairo restaurant in 2002.

Comics

• Maréchal, nous voilà by Laurent Rullier (script) and Hervé Duphot (drawing and color); volume II of the Les combattants series, Paris, Delcourt, 2012

Television

• 1991: Les Chansons rétros, filmed sketch by Les Inconnus, parody.

Bibliography

• (in French) Nathalie Dompnier, « Entre La Marseillaise et Maréchal, nous voilà ! quel hymne pour le régime de Vichy ? », pp. 69–88 [1], in Myriam Chimènes (dir.), La vie musicale sous Vichy, Éditions Complexe – IRPMF-CNRS, coll. « Histoire du temps présent », 2001, 420 p. ISBN 2-87027-864-0 ISBN 978-2870278642
• Maréchal, nous voilà ! mp3 recording (French)

• "Pétain of Verdun, of Vichy, of History". New York Times. 15 November 1964. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
• Fancourt, Daisy. "Anthems for France". Music and the Holocaust. ORT. Retrieved 1 October 2023.