Lyrics & Translation
Explore the heartfelt lyrics of La Fouine's "J'avais pas les mots" to connect with universal themes of family, communication, and overcoming childhood challenges. This song offers a powerful glimpse into expressing difficult emotions and the importance of finding the right words.
In this rat hole, they don't want me, I see the teachers laughing
Building A, police station, I don't even know where to go
When things go wrong, no shelter, impossible to escape
No diploma, some rims, and I hear them talk
Olympia, Bercy, Dome, and I find myself dreaming
Light flashing, siren wailing, I sleep lightly
Champagne glasses, silicone, gotta let go sometimes
Alone at the back of the jail
I dreamed of getting out of there
I didn’t have the words
I didn’t, I didn’t have the words
I should have held her in my arms
Told her she mattered to me
I didn’t have the words
I didn’t, I didn’t have the words
Mom I love you, dad’s the same
And I never knew how to say it because
I didn’t have the words
I didn’t, I didn’t have the words
Younger, I couldn’t find the words to tell my story
I didn’t have the words
I didn’t, I didn’t have the words
When the doors close, I smoke weed
And I let people talk
I fall to the ground, get back on my feet, I see my life unfolding
First and second gear, how many times I stalled
Warn my dad, warn my mom, I’ll be here for a few years
Insurance, registration, checked from morning to night
No vacations, a little bit of weed, I’ll be in the neighborhood all summer
Schemes, goods, influential no matter what they say
Against the wind, aiming for the top, they'll become big no matter what they say
Alone at the back of the jail
I dreamed of getting out of there
I didn’t have the words
I didn’t, I didn’t have the words
I should have held her in my arms
Told her she mattered to me
I didn’t have the words
I didn’t, I didn’t have the words
Mom I love you, dad’s the same
And I never knew how to say it because
I didn’t have the words
I didn’t, I didn’t have the words
When I was younger, I couldn’t find the words to tell my story
I didn’t have the words
I didn’t, I didn’t have the words
Misunderstood in my corner, no one to talk to
"With time, you won’t get far," the counselor told me
Dad stop complaining, mom put down your broom
Too many years have passed, never found the time to talk
Often absent, you worked too much, she also couldn’t find the words
"When you grow up," her words often got tangled in my mind
I didn’t have the words, I didn’t, I didn’t have the words
Hidden in my silence, bro, I didn’t have the words
Alone at the back of the jail
I dreamed of getting out of there
I didn’t have the words
I didn’t, I didn’t have the words
I should have held her in my arms
Told her she mattered to me
I didn’t have the words
I didn’t, I didn’t have the words
Mom I love you, dad’s the same
And I never knew how to say it because
I didn’t have the words
I didn’t, I didn’t have the words
When I was younger, I couldn’t find the words to tell my story
I didn’t have the words
I didn’t, I didn’t have the words
Yeah, I didn’t have the words, that’s right
Fouiny, 2013, "Strange Journey"
Key Vocabulary
| Vocabulary | Meanings |
|---|---|
|
pleurer /plœʁe/ A2 |
|
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espoir /ɛs.pwaʁ/ B2 |
|
|
surprendre /sypʁɑ̃dʁ/ B2 |
|
|
dormir /dɔʁmiʁ/ A2 |
|
|
années /ane/ A2 |
|
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parler /paʁle/ A2 |
|
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souvenir /su.və.niʁ/ B1 |
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inclure /ɛ̃.klyʁ/ B2 |
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réussir /ʁe.y siʁ/ B2 |
|
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mariage /ma.ʁi.aʒ/ B1 |
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tirer /tiʁe/ B2 |
|
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travail /tʁavaj/ B2 |
|
|
habiter /abi.te/ B1 |
|
“pleurer, espoir, surprendre” – got them all figured out?
⚡ Dive into vocabulary challenges in the app and lock in your knowledge right after jamming to "J'avais pas les mots"
Key Grammar Structures
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J'avais pas les mots
➔ Imperfect tense with 'avoir' + pas + noun/infinitive to express past inability
➔ The verb 'avoir' in the imperfect tense ('j'avais') + 'pas' + the noun 'les mots' expresses the inability to find the words in the past.
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Lui dire qu'elle comptait pour moi
➔ Infinitive phrase expressing intention or purpose
➔ The use of the infinitive 'dire' (to say/tell) after 'Lui' (to him) indicates an intention to communicate a message.
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J'avais pas les mots
➔ Repeating the imperfect tense with 'avoir' + pas + noun for emphasis of past inability
➔ Repetition emphasizes the feeling of not being able to express oneself in the past using the imperfect tense structure.
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Seul au fond de la sse-cla
➔ Prepositional phrase indicating position or location
➔ The preposition 'au fond de' shows the physical position of being deep inside a place.
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J'rêvais d'sortir de là
➔ Verb 'rêver' (to dream) in imperfect tense + 'de' + infinitive to express aspiration
➔ The imperfect tense of 'rêver' combined with 'de' + infinitive expresses a longing or aspiration to do something.
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J'avais pas les mots
➔ Repeated structure emphasizing inability or lack of words in the past
➔ Repetition reinforces the theme of ongoing struggle with expression in the past.
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