y marche pas au soda

[DIXONMIJ]

can anyone help me with the phrase from 'joe le taxi'
y marche pas au soda

I thought soda was a fizzy drink, this song is nearly as difficult as 'laisse beton' although most of that is argot that you can find in a slang dictionary.

 

[carolineR]

"y marche pas au soda" means he's a drunkard.
(y marche pas = il ne marche pas, like in "une voiture marche à l'essence" : a car runs on petrol)
litterally : he doesn't run on soda

 

[DIXONMIJ]

thanks for that , what an interesting line, a drunk for a taxi driver

 

[sanspacey]

thanks for that , what an interesting line, a drunk for a taxi driver

the lyrics are all about a taxi driver who is a rum drunk and likes to drive listening to rumba and mambo, Latin rhythms. it even mentions the Spanish-Cuban bandleader Xavier Cougat and the Peruvian singer Yma Sumac, both famous for making Latin music popular in the USA and, by extension, in the world in the 30's and 40's.

 

[DIXONMIJ]

Thanks for the history behind the song.