Dedicated to "Napoleon I Bonaparte" which has been a loyal and active subscriber since i had 15 subs. The "Chant du Départ" (French for "Song of the Departure") is a revolutionary and war song written by Étienne Nicolas Méhul (music) and Marie-Joseph Chénier (words) in 1794. It was the official anthem of the First Empire. It is also the regional anthem of French Guiana. The song survived both the Revolution and the Empire, and is still in the repertoire of the French Army. Valéry Giscard d'Estaing even used it as his campaign song for the presidential election of 1974. As a president of the Republic, he would often have it played by troops, along with the Marseillaise.