Stromae’s “Papaoutai” (Read: “Where Are You, Dad?”) Posted by Hichem on Oct 19, 2013 in Music, Vocabulary
A very good friend of mine just told me that he enjoyed a lot listening to this French song by Stromae. Its titre (title)? “Papaoutai” What?
You’re not sure if it sounds French?
Well, true, it at least sounds like une onomatopée (an onomatopoeia), like a French frog (a real one, please) that would go “coac coac” (Americans would say “ribbit, ribbit.”)
But, non, it’s not really une onomatopée.
Here’s how you can decipher it:
Papaoutai is actually “Papa où t’es”
Meaning:
Papa, où es-tu? (Dad, where are you?)
Facile, non?
* * *
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x13m78u_stromae-papaoutai-official-music-video_music
Stromae – “Papaoutai“
Dites-moi d’où il vient
Tell me where he comes from
Enfin, je saurais où je vais
Finally, I’d know where I’m going
Maman dit que lorsqu’on cherche bien
Mom says that when one searches well
On finit toujours par trouver
One always ends up finding
Elle dit qu’il n’est jamais très loin
She says he is never too far
Qu’il part très souvent travailler
That he often goes to work
Maman dit travailler c’est bien
Mom says that work is good
Bien mieux qu’être mal accompagné
Way better than being in a bad company
Pas vrai?
Not true?
Où est ton papa?
Where’s your dad?
Dis-moi où est ton papa!
Tell me where your father is!
Sans même devoir lui parler
Without even having to talk to him
Il sait ce qui ne va pas
He knows what’s not going well
Hein, sacré papa!
Hein, good ole’ dad!
Dis-moi où es-tu caché!
Tell me where you are hiding!
Ça doit faire au moins mille fois que j’ai
It must have been at least a thousand times since I
Compté mes doigts
Counted on my fingers
Hé!
Hey!
Où t’es? Papa, où t’es?
Where are you? Dad, where are you?
Où t’es? Papa, où t’es?
Where are you? Dad, where are you?
Où t’es? Papa, où t’es?
Where are you? Dad, where are you?
Ou t’es, ou t’es où papa, où t’es?
Where are you? Dad, where are you?
Où t’es? Papa, où t’es?
Where are you? Dad, where are you?
Où t’es? Papa, où t’es?
Where are you? Dad, where are you?
Où t’es? Papa, où t’es?
Where are you? Dad, where are you?
Ou t’es, ou t’es où papa, où t’es?
Where are you? Dad, where are you?
Qu’on y croit ou pas
Whether one believes in it or not
Il y aura bien un jour où on n’y croira plus
There will be a day when one won’t believe in it anymore
Un jour où l’autre on sera tous papa
One day or another we will all be daddies
Et d’un jour à l’autre on aura disparu
And one day or another we’ll disappear
Serons-nous détestables?
Will we be detestable?
Serons-nous admirables?
Will we be admirable?
Des géniteurs ou des génies?
Genitors or geniuses?
Dites-nous qui donne
Tell who gives
Naissance aux irresponsables
Birth to the irresponsable people?
Ah dites-nous qui, tient,
Ah tell us who, let’s see,
Tout le monde sait
Everyone knows
Comment on fait des bébés
How babies are made
Mais personne sait
But no one knows
Comment on fait des papas
How fathers are made
Monsieur je-sais-tout
Mister I-know-it-all
En aurait hérité, c’est ça
Would have inherited it, that’s right
Faut l’sucer d’son pouce ou quoi?
Does he need some thumb-sucking or what?
Dites-nous où c’est caché
Tell us where it’s hidden
Ça doit…
That must…
Faire au moins mille fois qu’on a
Have been at least a thousand times since we
bouffé nos doigts
Ate our own fingers
Hé!
Hey!
Où t’es? Papa, où t’es?
Where are you? Dad, where are you?
Où t’es? Papa, où t’es?
Where are you? Dad, where are you?
Où t’es? Papa, où t’es?
Where are you? Dad, where are you?
Sans même devoir lui parler
Without even having to talk to him
Il sait ce qui ne va pas
He knows what’s wrong
Hein, sacré papa!
Hein, good ole’s dad!
Dis moi où es-tu caché!
Tell me where you are hiding!
Ça doit…
That must have been…
Faire au moins mille fois que j’ai
At least a thousand times since I
Compté mes doigts
Counted my fingers
Hé!
Hey!
* * *
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoRp5cYwXOI
Never ones to miss such good parodies, les Guignols de l’info launched: “Emploi, où t’es?” (“Job, Where Are You?“) featuring French President François Hollande
Before I go, I don’t forget to say salut to Michael, my new coéquipier!
If you haven’t had a chance to read his very first post here on the Transparent French Blog, I strongly encourage you to do so, ça en vaut la peine (it’s worth it.)
- Michael’s Bonjour mes amis!
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Comments:
Afnan:
Salut Hichem,
Les video ne functionons pas.