La Fessée

The lyrics tell a comic story about a man visiting a school friend’s widow. He starts by trying to comfort her with jokes, but the evening gradually turns into flirtation, food, champagne, and physical intimacy. The narrator presents each step as if it were innocent or unavoidable, while the playful tone suggests that both characters are choosing to enjoy themselves.

Several images help create the humor. The “doctor of the soul” is the narrator’s joking name for someone who cheers up a grieving person. “Her mind began to wander” means she became less restrained, perhaps because of the champagne. The title refers to a spanking: the narrator claims he gives one as punishment for her teasing comparison of his moustache, but the excuse becomes part of their flirtation.

The song mixes mock seriousness with double meanings. The widow’s grief may be real, but the lyrics turn the memorial setting into a scene of seduction; this contrast is central to the comedy. The narrator’s claims that he is merely doing his duty are clearly self-serving, yet the woman is also an active participant. The ending softens the supposed punishment into a caress, leaving the encounter playful rather than genuinely angry.