Bagatelle (from the Château de Bagatelle) is a billiards-derived indoor table game, the object of which is to get a number of balls (set at nine in the 19th century) past wooden pins (which act as obstacles) into holes that are guarded by wooden pegs; penalties are incurred if the pegs are knocked over. It probably developed from the table made with raised sides for trou madame, which was also played with ivory balls and continued to be popular into the later nineteenth century, after which it developed into bar billiards, with influences from the French/Belgian game billard russe (with supposed Russian origins). A bagatelle variant using fixed metal pins, billard japonais, eventually led to the development of pachinko and pinball. Bagatelle is also laterally related to miniature golf.
Table games involving sticks and balls evolved from efforts to bring outdoor games like ground billiards, croquet, and bowling inside for play during inclement weather. They are attested in general by the 15th century, although the 19th-century idea that bagatelle itself derived from the English "shovel-board" described in Charles Cotton's 1674 Compleat Gamester has since been disregarded.
Bagatelle are an Irish rock band who first formed in August 1978. They are well known for their popular pop hits such as "Second Violin", "Leeson Street Lady" and "Summer in Dublin", perhaps their best known song.
The band formed in Bray, Co. Wicklow, Ireland. Fellow Irish musician Bono has commented on the impact that Bagatelle had on U2 in the early days of their career, Larry Mullen, of the same band, once famously said that he used to call them "Baga-Money", in reference to their fame, and that he wished that his band could be as successful as them.
Bagatelle have shared stages with artists such as Bob Marley, Don McLean and Jose Feliciano. They have had albums produced by Phil Coulter and the late Gus Dudgeon, who produced for David Bowie and Elton John. They also appeared on the "Self Aid" concert in the mid-1980s with U2 and Van Morrison.
When the original Bagatelle got together to re-form the band in 1992, Polygram (now Universal), their record label, decided to release The Best of Bagatelle and Liam Reilly, and followed this with Bagatelle Gold. The band are now back touring and in December 2010 released an album of cover versions entitled Under The Covers.
Bagatelle is a one-act opéra-comique by Jacques Offenbach, with a French libretto by Hector Crémieux and Ernest Blum.
It was first produced on 21 May 1874 at Théâtre des Bouffes Parisiens under the direction of the composer.
The piece is set in the boudoir of a star of café-concert, Bagatelle. Her maid Finette is having an affair with a clarinetist reduced to playing in the Cirque Fernando band, Pistache. After a performance, Bagatelle is rehearsing a peasant song when an 18-year-old young admirer enters through the window. He is Georges de Planteville and to ensure they stay together he throws the keys through the window. However Pistache had been hidden in the apartment also; in the morning Finette has to release all three. It emerges that Georges had defended Bagatelle during her show against detractors, so she returns his love.
Theres a hot sun shining on the roadway
Going home and its 8am
Ive been out all night with the boys from home
seem to spend a lot of time with them
One of them comes from my hometown
But the rest are from far and near, following their daddys footsteps,
Tryin to make themselves a new life out here.
Theres a cold wind blowing down the alley
Going out and its 10pm
Well be out all night with the girls from home
Seem to spend a lot of time with them
wed give anything to be in Ireland
but theres nothing for us there but tears
And does anyone in Glockamara ever wonder
How are things with us out here?
The ups and downs of a big old town
will hit you like a freight train here
you gotta learn to stand on your own two feet
But its hard sometimes with all the beer
theres always somebody standing behind you;
immigration or internal revenue
and Im slowly going downhill walking up Bainbridge Avenue
Some of us are going to a night class
to get a qualification or two
because we just cant walk into the police department
like our old folks used to do
in my hometown they cant field a football team
Cause the whole bloody leagues over here
and watch our people march every year
The ups and downs of a big old town
will hit you like a freight train here
you gotta learn to stand on your own two feet
But its hard sometimes with all the beer
theres always somebody standing behind you;
immigration or internal revenue
and Im slowly going downhill walking up Bainbridge Avenue
At home were just not wanted
But we dont really mind
there only 5 short hours ahead
but 100 years behind
Two guys in my house work in Wall Street
Because they did their homework back home
and one of my sisters works for IVM
so its a good life out here for some
all the bars in the village are open all night
and we go back to hear the music play
but well stay here on the streets of New York City
until the Earls can fly home one day.
The ups and downs of a big old town
will hit you like a freight train here
you gotta learn to stand on your own two feet
But its hard sometimes with all the beer
theres always somebody standing behind you;
immigration or internal revenue
and Im slowly going downhill walking up Bainbridge Avenue