Papaoutai in English
Reviewed/Translated by Stromae & John Elkhoury
Comprehension Difficulty: EASY
Dites-moi d’où il vient
Tell me where he comes from
Enfin je saurais où je vais
Then I would know where I’m going
Maman dit que lorsqu’on cherche bien
Mommy says when you look hard enough
On finit toujours par trouver
You’ll always end up finding it
Elle dit qu’il n’est jamais très loin
She says he’s never very far away
Qu’il part très souvent travailler
He often leaves to go work
Maman dit « travailler c’est bien »
Mommy says “working is good”
Bien mieux qu’être mal accompagné, pas vrai ?
Better to be there than in bad company, right?
Où est ton papa ?
Where is your dad?
Dis-moi où est ton papa
Tell me where is your dad?
Sans même devoir lui parler
Without even having to talk to him
Il sait ce qui ne va pas
He knows what’s wrong
Ah sacré papa
Oh my dear father
Dis-moi où es-tu caché ?
Tell me where are you hiding?
Ca doit faire au moins mille fois que j’ai compté mes doigts
I must’ve counted my fingers at least a thousand times
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?
Où t’es où t’es où papa, où t’es ?
Where are you, where are you, 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?
Où t’es où t’es où papa, où t’es ?
Where are you, where are you, where are you dad, where are you?
[[Synth breakdown]]
Quoi ? Qu’on y croie ou pas
What? Whether your believe or not
Y aura bien un jour où on y croira plus
There will be a day when we no longer believe
Un jour ou l’autre on sera tous papa
On day or another we’ll all be fathers
Et d’un jour à l’autre on aura disparu
And one day or another we’ll all disappear
Serons-nous détestables ?
Will we be hated?
Serons-nous admirables ?
Will we be loved?
Des géniteurs ou des génies
Natural fathers or geniuses
Dites-nous qui donne naissance aux irresponsables
Tell us who gives birth to irresponsible [fathers]
Hein ? Dites-nous qui, tiens
Hey? Tell us who huh?
Tout le monde sait comment on fait des bébés
Everybody knows how to make babies
Mais personne sait comment on fait des papas
But nobody knows how to make dads
Monsieur « j’sais tout » en aurait hérité, c’est ça ?
Mister “know-it-all” would’ve inherited it, is that it?
Faut l’sucer de son pouce, ou quoi
Does it come from sucking our thumbs, or what
Dites-nous où c’est caché, ça doit, faire au moins mille fois qu’on a bouffé nos doigts
Tell us where it’s hidden, we must’ve bit our nails a thousand times
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?
Où t’es où t’es où papa, où t’es ?
Where are you, where are you, 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?
Où t’es où t’es où papa, où t’es ?
Where are you, where are you, where are you dad, where are you?
Où est ton papa ?
Where is your dad?
Dis-moi où est ton papa
Tell me where is your dad?
Sans même devoir lui parler
Without even having to talk to him
Il sait ce qui ne va pas
He knows what’s wrong
Ah sacré papa
Oh my dear* father
Dis-moi où es-tu caché ?
Tell me where are you hiding?
Ca doit faire au moins mille fois que j’ai compté mes doigts
I must’ve counted my fingers at least a thousand times
Où est ton papa ?
Where is your dad?
Dis-moi où est ton papa
Tell me where is your dad?
Sans même devoir lui parler
Without even having to talk to him
Il sait ce qui ne va pas
He knows what’s wrong
Ah sacré papa
Oh my dear* father
Dis-moi où es-tu caché ?
Tell me where are you hiding?
Ca doit faire au moins mille fois que j’ai compté mes doigts
I must’ve counted my fingers at least a thousand times
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?
Où t’es où t’es où papa, où t’es ?
Where are you, where are you, 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?
Où t’es où t’es où papa, où t’es ?
Where are you, where are you, where are you dad, where are you?
Listen to more translated Stromae songs!
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Papaoutai English Translation – Stromae
What is this song about? Behind the poppy synths, booming bass and goofy dancing actually lies a deep message. The Belgian singer, Stromae, lost his father in the Rwanda genocide. The lyrics represent how Stromae, as a young Belgian boy, wondered where his father was, and when he would return to be a present figure in Stromae’s life.
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Wow thanks for the translation. It really helps those who want to learn the song but have no idea of it’s meaning.
A firm favorite of French teachers all around Britain is stromae.
I know this thread is ancient in Internet years, and probably long forgotten. However, I’ve not found a more cogent discussion of the lyrics of Papaoutai online. I’m fascinated by the use of “outai” in the title and am wondering if there’s more to it than just a whimsical unconventional spelling of “où t’es”. I’m a total word nerd, but not very fluent in French, so I’m probably going way out on a limb here. But…
Googling “outai” I came across an entry in Wiktionnaire (https://fr.wiktionary.org/wiki/outer) for the French verb “outer”. “Outer” seems to have been derived from the English use of the word “out” as a verb. It offers two usages of the word, which are akin to its use in English. 1. To reveal someone’s previously hidden homosexuality, as in “He outed Kevin Spacey.” and 2. to denounce publicly–call one out–for a shameful secret, as in “Don’t worry, I won’t out you as a Nickelback fan.”
Now the 1st person passé simple form of “outer” would be “outai”. I don’t for a moment think Stromae is referring to a father he outed as a homosexual, but I wonder if the second usage might actually be apt? Playing with “Papa où t’es” (Father where are you?) and the portmanteau “Papaoutai” (Father-I-denounced) seems to fit with themes Stromae explores in this song–the boy’s mounting frustration with his father’s absence and its effect on him–and carries a particular irony when one learns his father was actually not willfully absent, but tragically killed.
Of course, a gaping hole in this theory is that nobody speaks in passé simple, so… it’s more likely just “Dad Where R U?”, huh?
The thread is not old in terms of FrenchCrazy time haha, it’s being actively monitored! This is still a very popular song. Thanks for your analysis.
Old answer for an old question. But simply: no.
With all due respect your theory is too far fetched. The verb “outer” in french is indeed an anglicism, but its usage is extremely rare given the specific context of someone assuming or being exposed as homossexual.
The real word play of the song title is its childish sense. The prashe “papa où t’es” sounds really odd to an adult, but is the kind of sentence a toddler would come up with, comprehensible but gramatically weird. So, to make it more childish they wrote it as a single word like it sounds to a child, hinting that the song is in fact sing by a child (looking or waiting for his dad).
It’s just a coincidence that the “où t’es” seems like the “outer” verb you found; the pronounciantion would have been the same if written like “papaautès” for example.
The Belgian singer, Stromae, lost his father in the Rwanda genocide. The lyrics represent how he, as a young Belgian boy, wondered where his father was, and when we would return to be a present figure in Stromae’s life.
Wow
I’m still learning french and listening and translating french music is also a way to go. I came across this Stromae’s song so I decided to get the translations
Can you do a translation of ta fête?
*your party…
I liked the music, but fell in lie with its meaning
Festival
I think there’s a line that’s wrong. It’s “One day or another we’ll all become fathers.” (Un jour ou l’autre..) and then “FROM ONE DAY TO THE NEXT we’ll all disappear” (d’un jour a l’autre..) The french words change but the english ones didn’t.
Thank you for this translation. It’s much better than the other ones I was finding. He does a beautiful play on words in french that gets lost in translation. It’s wonderful stuff!
I know French and there words change area doesn’t they have different ways of saying like for example comment t’ appless tu – what’s your name , je de precente Alyssa – your name is Alyssa right (see the difference your is said different
Bob, your French is not correct buddy, plenty grammatical mistakes that I don’t have a clue what you on about…(French is my mother tong)
I was wondering if there is a cultural reference I’m missing when Stromae talks about counting his fingers and looking for his dad – does it by any chance refer to hide and seek and counting up to ten/twenty etc on one’s fingers?
I’d say there isn’t, it just is another way to say ”a long time” which suit the atmosphere of the song way better, since it’s supposed to be a children speaking.
You are spot on. It is exactly what it means. I’m a native French teacher in Australia.
There isn’t. You know when you’re a kid and you count on your fingers because that’s the only way you can remember each number? That’s more the idea there. I’m French and if there was a cultural thing behind that, then I wouldn’t know.
i believe it’s actually just a song dedicated to his father, who he lost in the rwanda genocide
don’t quote on this but i’m pretty sure that’s what it is
It says that but I think it symbolizes the lives of children whose parents are physically “there”, but not mentally (therefore acting as though they are dead or unable to move, as seen in the music video). In the music video, the kid ends up just like his dad as a result of his (the dad’s) neglect. Based off of the many comments I have seen rejected this theory, I believe my thinking may be a little off but let me know if my theory could be, at least a little bit, correct.
I think when it comes to this song, it’s meant to open our eyes to a very important and critical situation and expand our minds beyond our own comprehension of what it means to be/have an absentee parent. His is just one story. A fatherless home. But notice he mentions a mother and yet there is no mother seen in the home either so I think that he mentions a quote from his mon to show one was present in his life, but to also shed light and recognize those without a mother he didn’t include on the home so it can also makes sense to those who can relate. Metaphorically picture a leaf on a branch on a tree full of leaves and branches all lead back to the trunk. The trunk being Parental abandonment. which
branches off to fatherless/ motherless/ or a parent that’s physically present but not mentally or emotionally. Regardlesss of who’s missing out of the family regardless of the situation the reasonings the story behind it, Parental abandonment not only effects the child’s well being but can have lasting affects extending to adulthood. And short it’s crucial to recognize and address the long-term consequences of Parental abandonment as it can have a profound impact on a child’s development and overall quality of life.
I think its also hyperbole – you have ten fingers, to count to a thousand is impossible. It shows how long he is waiting
I was thinking counting fingers was referring to doubting “what’s wrong with me”. Like first thing to do when baby is born is to see if he has 10 fingers and toes …
I love this song but could never tell what he’s saying
He is pissed off at his dad for being absent throughout his childhood and he never got a chance to make amends as he was murdered in Rwanda when Sromae was still young. Stromae talks about the confusion and identity crisis of growing up without a dad and warns future fathers to try harder.
Mr.John Elkhoury really thanks for your website
Hey thanks for the translation! This is the French homework for grade 7/8, and this is a big help!
Thanks.. it is really very beautiful work. It help me revise my french. Bise (kiss)
Great translation! I think there was one thing that was a little lost in the process though. “Bouffe nos doigts” in English means “biting our nails” (rather than fingers).
Sorry, don’t mean to nitpick!
That’s fine, it’s not nitpicking – there’s always some leeway when it comes to translations.
You are right , a little detail lost in translation 😊
By putting sacré in front of a word, it makes it negative. So instead of “dear papa/dad” its more like “damn papa/dad”
Yes, but I wouldn’t want all the 15-year Old High School French Students to encounter “bad” words on my website :)
But then they might use sacré thinking they are being nice, but actually saying a “bad” word.
Does sacre also mean holy/ blessed? Is it a double meaning of blessed father/ damn father
I must have eaten my fingers at least a thousand times? AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! CANNIBALISIM!!!!!!!
According to google it’s more like ” chewed on our fingers ” out of expectation or nervousness.
thanx a lot for the translation I often wonder what the song was about .finally know what it means and I loved it even more.i absolutely love stromae
I love your trad, I wanted to do one but I’m a lazy girl (so I feel very bad about what I’m about to say). Only one thing bothers me with what you did. I think it’s a great trad and you translated perfectly the song but one sentence isn’t correct.
Maman dit « travailler c’est bien » : Mommy says “working is good” -> that’s good but it is linked to the next sentence.
Bien mieux qu’être mal accompagné, pas vrai ? : Better to be alone than in bad company, right? -> but actually, Stromae talks about the work, so alone is not better than being in bad company, working is. He doesn’t care about being alone, in the contrary, he thinks it’s better to work too much than being with the wrong persons. So loneliness isn’t the problem right here. So it would more be like “Mommy says “working is good”, it’s better than being in bad company, right?”. I’ll explain myself. “accompagné” is a participe passé verb used as an adjective so using the translation of the proverb “Vaut mieux être seul que mal accompagné” is falsing the meaning of the lyrics. ^^’
Also, the pun with “Outai” and “Où t’es” is quite funny. I think it can be translated with “Daddy where r u?” or not? Please, answer me, I’m curiouuuuuus :D
Sorry, in France we actually have classes where we have to study a lot of texts. For us a coma can change everything, I guess it’s different for the english. I’m really sorry if I seem annoying and a pain in the ass, really I didn’t wanted to but I love Stromae and I think it’s important to keep the meaning, even if it’s just one sentence. ANYWAY I LOVE YOUR WORK AND I THINK IT’S PRETTY COOL THAT OUR LITTLE BELGIAN BOY IS A WORLD KNOWN SINGER :)
Love always,
a French girl :D
That’s cool. Good that you voiced your opinion. I would never have seen that!
Uhh, didn’t you wrote a little short
Thank you for kind explanation, Amina. It helped me to deeply understand.
Also Thanks to John Elkhoury!
Oh, cool! You’re french? Can you please help me learn?
What’s the difference between “Dites-moi” and “Dis-moi”?
They technically convey the same meaning yet are different conjugations. Dites-moi is referring to the “vous” form (you) which means he’s speaking formally or he’s speaking to more than one person. Dis-moi is the “tu” form, so he’s speaking informally or he’s only referring to one person. Tu and vous both mean “you” but they have nuances.
I Hope that helps!
love french langauge ! Vous etes Formidable
It’s nice to finally know what that song means.