Tag Archives: French music
Stromae’s “Papaoutai” (Read: “Where Are You, Dad?”) Posted by Hichem on Oct 19, 2013
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…
À chacun son rêve (To Each Their Own Dream) Posted by Hichem on Aug 31, 2013
Vous souvenez-vous des amis que vous avez eus ? (Do you remember the friends you had?) Question: Vous souvenez-vous de ceux que vous avez perdus ? (Question: Do you remember the ones you lost?) Dites-leur que: Chacun sa route (Tell them that: To each their own road), chacun son chemin (to each their own path), chacun son rêve (to each…
Les bâtisseurs de France (The Builders of France) Posted by Hichem on Aug 25, 2013
Today’s song is called “les Bâtisseurs de France” (the Builders of France.) It is performed by a young singer who in many ways can be seen as a “French Johnny Cash.” Look at it as un hommage to the workers from all over the world who contributed to building the edifice of the French nation, since quite…
What Does “BOLOS” Mean in French Slang? Posted by Hichem on Jun 9, 2013
“Bolos“, sometimes spelled “boloss“, is a brand new word on the French Slang scene. It was virtually unknown just a decade ago! What does it mean? Everyone seems to agree that it designates a person who’s way too gullible. Call it in English a “boob“, a “patsy“, a “pigeon“, a “stooge“, etc. In short, it’s…
Simply French Rock Posted by Hichem on May 18, 2013
Everyone agrees, Noir Désir is a household name on the French Rock scene. Their song “Un Jour en France” (“A Day in France”) has perhaps not reached the standing of a “classic” yet, but it does offer a pretty good idea about the message this band conveys through its music. Noir Désir’s “Un Jour en France” (“A Day…
Et Si…? (What If…?) Posted by Hichem on May 15, 2013
Ever wonder what if things went differently? Le monde serait-il devenu si différent? (Would the world have turned out to be so different?) The French musical featured today sings, tongue-in-cheek, about the so-called Effet papillon (Butterfly Effect): Every little detail could transform the world as we know it. Or is there more to that? Ray Ventura’s “Le…
J’me Tire (I’m Outta Here)! Posted by Hichem on May 3, 2013
In proper French, if you want to announce that you are leaving, that you’re about to be gone, then you can say: “je pars“, “je m’en vais“, “je quitte les lieux“, etc. If you feel like saying it informally, however, or rather in French slang, then you have the choice between expressions (not to be used…