Alors on danse – Bilingual Lyrics French/English

• By: Stromae

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the cultural impact and meaning of Stromae's breakthrough hit, "Alors on danse." This song, with its blend of existential lyrics and catchy electro-pop beat, offers a unique perspective on modern life's challenges and the cathartic power of dance. Learning the lyrics can provide insights into contemporary French culture and the artist's profound storytelling.

[English]

So we dance

So we dance

So we dance

Who says studying means working

Who says a job means money

Who says money means spending

And who says credit means debt

Who says debt means the bailiff

And he says sit in the shit

Who says love means kids

Always says divorce

Who says loved ones means mourning

Cause problems don't come alone

Who says crisis means the world

Means famine, third world

And who says tired means waking up

Still deaf from the night before

So we go out to forget all our problems

So we dance

And then you think it's over because worse than that would be death

When you finally think you're getting out, when there's no more, but there’s more

Is it the music or the problems?

Problems or the music?

It grabs your guts, it grabs your mind

And then you pray for it to stop

But it’s your body, not the heavens

So you stop covering your ears

And then you scream even louder

And it keeps going

So we sing

La la la la la la

La la la la la la

So we sing

La la la la la la

La la la la la la

So we sing

So we sing

And only when it’s over

So we dance

And still, there’s more

And still, there’s more

And still, there’s more

And still, there’s more

[French]

Alors on

Alors on

Alors on

Qui dit étude dit travail

Qui dit taf te dit les thunes

Qui dit argent dit dépenses

Et qui te dit crédit dit créance

Qui dit dette te dit huissier

Et lui dit assis dans la merde

Qui dit Amour dit les gosses

Dit toujours et dit divorce

Qui dit proches te dit deuils

Car les problèmes ne viennent pas seuls

Qui dit crise te dit monde

Dit famine, dit tiers-monde

Et qui dit fatigue dit réveil

Encore sourd de la veille

Alors on sort pour oublier tous les problèmes

Alors on danse

Et là tu te dis que c'est fini car pire que ça ce serait la mort

Quand tu crois enfin que tu t'en sors, quand y en a plus et ben y en a encore

Est-ce la zik ou les problèmes?

Les problèmes ou bien la musique

Ça te prend les tripes, ça te prend la tête

Et puis tu pries pour que ça s'arrête

Mais c'est ton corps, c'est pas le ciel

Alors tu te bouches plus les oreilles

Et là tu cries encore plus fort

Et ça persiste

Alors on chante

La la la la la la

La la la la la la

Alors on chante

La la la la la la

La la la la la la

Alors on chante

Alors on chante

Et puis seulement quand c'est fini

Alors on danse

Et ben y en a encore

Et ben y en a encore

Et ben y en a encore

Et ben y en a encore

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
étude /e.tyd/ B1	noun - study, education
travail /tʁavaj/ B1	noun - work, labor
argent /aʁʒɑ̃/ A2	noun - money
dette /dɛt/ B2	noun - debt
crise /kʁiz/ B2	noun - crisis
famine /famin/ C1	noun - famine
mood /mud/ A2	noun - mood, state of mind
pointe /pɛnt/ B2	noun - tip, point
crier /kʁije/ C2	verb - to shout, to scream
danse /dɑ̃s/ A2	noun - dance
chante /ʃɑ̃t/ A2	verb - to sing

Key Grammar Structures

• Qui dit étude dit travail

  ➔ Use of 'qui dit... dit...' construction for equivalence or causation

  ➔ 'Qui dit... dit...' is a French construction used to present two ideas that are equivalent or causally connected.

• pense à l'argent

  ➔ Use of 'à' + noun to indicate 'thinking about' or 'regarding'

  ➔ The preposition 'à' is used in French to connect with a noun to express thinking about or concerning something.

• Tout ça te prend aux tripes

  ➔ Use of 'prend' with indirect object to indicate emotional or physical impact

  ➔ The verb 'prendre' here indicates that something deeply affects or takes over your senses or emotions.

• Alors on chante

  ➔ Use of 'on' as an informal subject pronoun equivalent to 'we'

  ➔ 'On' in French is an informal pronoun used to mean 'we' in spoken language.

• Et puis seulement quand c'est fini

  ➔ Use of 'quand' with inversion to indicate temporal clauses

  ➔ 'Quand' is used in French to introduce temporal clauses, often with inversion for formal or poetic style.

• Y en a encore

  ➔ Use of 'y en a encore' to express 'there are still more' or 'there is still some left'

  ➔ This phrase is an informal French expression meaning that there is still some left or more remaining.