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Stromae’s “Papaoutai” (Read: “Where Are You, Dad?”) Posted by 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.)

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Comments:

  1. Afnan:

    Salut Hichem,

    Les video ne functionons pas.