Je Me Suis Fait Tout Petit – Bilingual Lyrics French/English

• By: Pomplamoose, Georges Brassens
• Album: French EP

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the nuances of love and devotion through the classic French song "Je me suis fait tout petit." This rendition by Pomplamoose, featuring John Schroeder, offers a modern take on Georges Brassens' timeless lyrics, providing insight into the French language's poetic expression of affection and commitment.

[English]

I never took off my hat

in front of anyone

Now I crawl and act all charming

When she calls me

I was a grumpy dog, she makes me eat

In her little hand

I had wolf’s teeth, I’ve traded them

For baby teeth!

I made myself look so small in front of a doll

That closes her eyes when you put her to bed

I made myself look so small in front of a doll

That says "mom" when you touch her

I was tough, but she turned me around

The cleverest of mice

And I fell all warm, all roasted

Against her mouth

That has baby teeth when she smiles

When she sings

And wolf’s teeth when she’s furious

How mean she can be

I made myself look so small in front of a doll

That closes her eyes when you put her to bed

I made myself look so small in front of a doll

That says "mom" when you touch her

All the sleepwalkers, all the wise men have

Told me kindly

That in her cross arms, I’ll endure my

Final punishment

Some are worse, some are better

But all in all

Whether we hang here or elsewhere

If we must hang

I’ve made myself look so small in front of a doll

That closes her eyes when you put her to bed

I’ve made myself look so small in front of a doll

That says "mom" when you touch her

Subtitles/Captions/Subtítols www.music-text.cat - Ignasi Barjau Capdevila

[French]

Je n’avais jamais ôté mon chapeau

devant personne

Maintenant je rampe et je fais le beau

Quand elle me sonne

J’étais chien méchant, ell’ me fait manger

Dans sa menotte

J’avais des dents d’ loup, je les ai changé

Pour des quenottes!

Je m’ suis fait tout p’tit devant un’ poupée

Qui ferme les yeux quand on la couche

Je m’ suis fait tout p’tit devant un’ poupée

Qui fait "maman" quand on la touche

J’étais dur à cuire, ell’ m’a converti

La fine mouche

Et je suis tombé tout chaud, tout rôti

Contre sa bouche

Qui a des dents de lait quand elle sourit

Quand elle chante

Et des dents de loup, quand elle est furie

Qu’elle est méchante

Je m’ suis fait tout p’tit devant un’ poupée

Qui ferme les yeux quand on la couche

Je m’ suis fait tout p’tit devant un’ poupée

Qui fait "maman" quand on la touche

Tous les somnambules, tous les mages m’ont

Dit sans malice

Qu’en ses bras en croix, je subirai mon

Dernier supplice

Il en est d’ pir’s il en est d’ meilleur’s

Mais à tout prendre

Qu’on se pende ici, qu’on se pende ailleurs

S’il faut se pendre.

Je m’ suis fait tout p’tit devant un’ poupée

Qui ferme les yeux quand on la couche

Je m’ suis fait tout p’tit devant un’ poupée

Qui fait "maman" quand on la touche

Sous-titres/Captions/Subtítols www.music-text.cat Ignasi Barjau Capdevila

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
rampe /ʁɑ̃p/ A2	verb - to crawl
fais /fɛ/ A1	verb - to do, to make
manger /mɑ̃ʒe/ A2	verb - to eat
sonne /sɔn/ A2	verb - to ring, to sound (with bell)
fermé /fɛʁ.me/ A2	adjective - closed
mouche /muʃ/ B1	noun - fly (insect)
converti /kɔ̃.vɛʁ.ti/ B2	verb - to convert, to change (someone's beliefs or religion)
toucher /tuʃe/ B1	verb - to touch
croix /kʁwa/ A2	noun - cross
subirai /sybʁe/ C1	verb - to undergo, to suffer
pende /pɑ̃d/ C2	verb - to hang (infinitive: se pendre), to hang oneself
moindre /mɛ̃dʁ C1	adjective - less, minor

Key Grammar Structures

• Je n’avais jamais ôté mon chapeau devant personne.

  ➔ Negative past tense with 'jamais' (never).

  ➔ The phrase means 'I had never taken off my hat in front of anyone.'

• J’étais chien méchant, ell’ me fait manger.

  ➔ Imperfect tense to describe a past state.

  ➔ This means 'I was a naughty dog, she makes me eat.'

• Je m’ suis fait tout p’tit devant un’ poupée.

  ➔ Reflexive verb construction.

  ➔ This means 'I made myself small in front of a doll.'

• Tous les somnambules, tous les mages m’ont dit sans malice.

  ➔ Use of 'tous' for emphasis.

  ➔ This means 'All the sleepwalkers, all the magicians told me without malice.'

• Il en est d’ pir’s il en est d’ meilleur’s.

  ➔ Use of 'il en est' for general statements.

  ➔ This means 'There are worse and there are better.'

• S’il faut se pendre.

  ➔ Conditional structure with 's'il faut'.

  ➔ This means 'If it is necessary to hang oneself.'