“Balzac, Balzac ... that rings a bell. Wait – wasn’t he the gasman? Or the notary? Not sure which.”
An English-language take on Léo Ferré’s lyrics from La vie moderne (click on the video above to hear the chanson).
From the original French lyrics:
Quant à Balzac il s’y demande si
C’est un gazier ou un notaire