Balance Ton Quoi – Bilingual Lyrics French/English

• By: Angèle
• Album: Nonante-Cinq

Lyrics & Translation

Explore Angèle's hit song "Balance ton quoi," a powerful anthem that uses catchy melodies and sharp lyrics to tackle sexism and promote gender equality. This song not only showcases Angèle's talent as a songwriter but also serves as an engaging entry point to understanding contemporary feminist discourse in French culture.

[English]

They all talk like animals

All the girls talk badly

2018 I don't know what you need

But I'm more than an animal

I saw that rap is trendy

And it works better when it's dirty

Well maybe we should break the rules

A girl who does it would be normal

Speak your mind

Even if you talk badly about girls

I know deep down you understood

Speak your mind, maybe one day it'll change

Speak your mind

So let me sing to you

To go do it, hmm

Yeah I won't make it on the radio

Because my words aren't very beautiful

People whisper half‑words to me

For a beautiful girl you're not that stupid

For a funny girl you're not that ugly

Your parents and your brother, that helps

Oh, you're talking about me

What's your problem?

I wrote, just for you, the most beautiful poem

Let me sing to you

To go do it, hmm

Yeah I'll be polite for the TV

But go do it, hmm

Speak your mind

Speak your mind

Speak your mind

One day maybe it'll change

There's no more respect in the street

You know very well when you abuse

Speak your mind

Speak your mind

Let me sing to you

To go do it, hmm

Yeah I won't make it on the radio

Because my words aren't very beautiful

Let me sing to you

To go do it, hmm

Yeah I'll be polite for the TV

But go do it, hmm

Speak your mind

Speak your mind

Speak your mind

Even if you talk badly about girls

I know deep down you understood

Speak your mind, maybe one day it'll change

Speak your mind

[French]

Ils parlent tous comme des animaux

De toutes les chattes ça parle mal

2018 j'sais pas c'qui t'faut

Mais je suis plus qu'un animal

J'ai vu qu'le rap est à la mode

Et qu'il marche mieux quand il est sale

Bah faudrait p't'être casser les codes

Une fille qui l'ouvre ça serait normal

Balance ton quoi

Même si tu parles mal des filles

je sais qu'au fond t'as compris

Balance ton quoi, un jour peut-être ça changera

Balance ton quoi

Donc laisse-moi te chanter

D'aller te faire en, hmm

Ouais j'passerai pas à la radio

Parce que mes mots sont pas très beaux

Les gens me disent à demi-mot

Pour une fille belle t'es pas si bête

Pour une fille drôle t'es pas si laide

Tes parents et ton frère ça aide

Oh, tu parles de moi

C'est quoi ton problème?

J'ai écrit rien qu'pour toi le plus beau des poèmes

Laisse-moi te chanter

D'aller te faire en, hmm

Ouais j's'rai polie pour la télé

Mais va te faire en, hmm

Balance ton quoi

Balance ton quoi

Balance ton quoi

Un jour peut-être ça changera

Y a plus d'respect dans la rue

Tu sais très bien quand t'abuses

Balance ton quoi

Balance ton quoi

Laisse-moi te chanter

D'aller te faire en, hmm

Ouais j'passerai pas à la radio

Parce que mes mots sont pas très beaux

Laisse-moi te chanter

D'aller te faire en, hmm

Ouais j's'rai polie pour la télé

Mais va te faire en, hmm

Balance ton quoi

Balance ton quoi

Balance ton quoi

Même si tu parles mal des filles

je sais qu'au fond t'as compris

Balance ton quoi, un jour peut-être ça changera

Balance ton quoi

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
animal /a.ni.mul/ A2	noun - a living creature such as a dog or cat
mode /mɔd/ B1	noun - fashion, style or trend
code /kod/ B1	noun - a system of rules or principles
respect /rɪˈspɛkt/ B2	noun - consideration or admiration for someone or something
respect /rɪˈspɛkt/ B2	verb - to admire or regard highly
respect /rɪˈspɛkt/ B2	noun - a feeling of admiration or deference
parle /paʁl/ A2	verb - to speak
changer /ʃɑ̃.ʒe/ B1	verb - to become different, to alter
chanter /ʃɑ̃.te/ A2	verb - to sing
corriger /kɔ.ʁi.ʒe/ B2	verb - to correct, to fix errors
fais /fɛ/ A1	verb - to do, to make
péter /pɛ.te/ B2	verb - to fart

Key Grammar Structures

• Ils parlent tous comme des animaux

  ➔ Comparison with "comme"

  ➔ The word "comme" in "Ils parlent tous "comme" des animaux" means "like" and creates a comparison.

• 2018 j'sais pas c'qui t'faut

  ➔ Informal negation with elision (ne ... pas) and colloquial "c'qui"

  ➔ The speaker drops the usual "ne" in the negative ("sais pas") and contracts "ce qui" to "c'qui" meaning "what you need".

• Mais je suis plus qu'un animal

  ➔ Comparative superiority with "plus ... que"

  ➔ The structure "plus ... que" ("plus qu'un animal") expresses that the speaker is "more than an animal".

• J'ai vu qu'le rap est à la mode

  ➔ Past perfect + subordinate clause introduced by "que"

  ➔ "J'ai vu" is the passé composé (present perfect) and it introduces a subordinate clause with "que" – "que le rap est à la mode".

• Bah faudrait p't'être casser les codes

  ➔ Conditional present of devoir + infinitive ("faudrait + infinitive")

  ➔ "Faudrait" is the conditional of "faudre" (to have to). It is followed by the infinitive "casser" meaning "should break the codes".

• Balance ton quoi

  ➔ Imperative mood (command) of "balancer"

  ➔ "Balance" is the second‑person singular imperative of "balancer" meaning "throw" or "spit out"; here it works as a command: "Balance ton quoi!"

• Même si tu parles mal des filles

  ➔ Concessive clause introduced by "même si"

  ➔ "Même si" means "even if"; the clause "même si tu parles mal des filles" expresses a condition that does not prevent the main statement.

• Je passerai pas à la radio

  ➔ Future simple negative (omission of "ne")

  ➔ The speaker uses the future simple "passerai" and drops the spoken "ne": "Je ne passerai pas à la radio" → "Je passerai pas à la radio".