Le Freak – English Lyrics

• By: CHIC
• Album: The Chic Organization 1977-1979

Lyrics & Translation

Unlock the vibrant world of 1970s New York and the French flair of disco with Chic's 'Le Freak.' This song offers a fantastic opportunity to learn simple and iconic French phrases like 'c'est chic' while immersing yourself in a story of turning rejection into a global celebration. The song's infectious rhythm and universal message of letting loose on the dance floor make it a timeless classic and a fun entry point into the language and culture of the disco era.

[English]

One, two

Ah, freak out!

Le freak, c'est chic

Freak out!

Ah, freak out!

Le freak, c'est chic

Freak out!

Ah, freak out!

Le freak, c'est chic

Freak out!

Ah, freak out!

Le freak, c'est chic

Freak out!

Have you heard about the new dance craze?

Listen to us, I'm sure you'll be amazed

Big fun to be had by everyone

It's up to you, it surely can be done

Young and old are doing it, I'm told

Just one try and you too will be sold

It's called 'Le Freak', they're doing it night and day

Allow us, we'll show you the way

Ah, freak out!

Le freak, c'est chic

Freak out!

Ah, freak out!

Le freak, c'est chic

Freak out!

Ah, freak out!

Le freak, c'est chic

Freak out!

Ah, freak out!

Le freak, c'est chic

Freak out!

All that pressure got you down

Has your head been spinning all around?

Feel the rhythm, check the rhyme

Come on along and have a real good time

Like the days of Stomping at the Savoy

Now we "freak," oh, what a joy

Just come on down to the fifty four

Find your spot out on the floor

Ah, freak out!

Le freak, c'est chic

Freak out!

Ah, freak out!

Le freak, c'est chic

Freak out!

Ah, freak out!

Le freak, c'est chic

Freak out!

Ah, freak out!

Le freak, c'est chic

Freak out!

Now freak

I said freak

Now freak

All that pressure got you down

Has your head been spinning all around?

Feel the rhythm, check the rhyme

Come on along and have a real good time

Like the days of Stomping at the Savoy

Now we "freak," oh, what a joy

Just come on down to the fifty four

Find your spot out on the floor

Ah, freak out!

Le freak, c'est chic

Freak out!

Ah, freak out!

Le freak, c'est chic

Freak out!

Ah, freak out!

Le freak, c'est chic

Freak out!

Ah, freak out!

Le freak, c'est chic

Freak out!

Ah, freak out!

Le freak, c'est chic

Freak out!

Ah, freak out!

Le freak, c'est chic

Freak out!

Ah, freak out!

Le freak, c'est chic

Freak out!

Ah, freak out!

Le freak, c'est chic

Freak out!...

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
freak /friːk/ B2	noun - a very unusual or unexpected event or situation verb - to behave in a wild and irrational way
chic /ʃiːk/ B2	adjective - elegantly and stylishly fashionable
dance /dæns/ A1	noun - movements of the body and feet in rhythm, usually to music verb - to move one's feet and body rhythmically, usually to music
craze /kreɪz/ B2	noun - an enthusiasm for a particular activity or object which appears suddenly and is very widespread for a short period.
fun /fʌn/ A1	noun - enjoyment, amusement, or lighthearted pleasure.
sure /ʃʊər/ A2	adjective - confident and certain of something
amazed /əˈmeɪzd/ B1	adjective - greatly surprised; astonished
young /jʌŋ/ A1	adjective - having lived or existed for only a short time.
old /oʊld/ A1	adjective - having lived for a long time; no longer young.
sold /soʊld/ A2	verb - give or hand over (something) in exchange for money.
night /naɪt/ A1	noun - the period of darkness in each twenty-four hours; the time from sunset to sunrise.
pressure /ˈpreʃər/ B2	noun - the exertion of force by one thing on another.
down /daʊn/ A1	adjective - directed or moving toward a lower place or level.
rhythm /ˈrɪðəm/ B1	noun - a strong, regular, repeated pattern of movement or sound.
rhyme /raɪm/ B1	noun - correspondence of sound between words or the endings of words, especially when these are used at the ends of lines of poetry.
good /ɡʊd/ A1	adjective - to be desired or approved of.
joy /dʒɔɪ/ B1	noun - a feeling of great pleasure and happiness.
spot /spɒt/ A2	noun - a particular place or position.

Key Grammar Structures

• Le freak, c'est chic

  ➔ Use of the verb "être" (to be) in French to express a state or characteristic.

  ➔ The phrase translates to "The freak, it's chic." "C'est" is a contraction of "ce est", meaning "it is". It's a common way to introduce or define something. Here "Le freak" is defined as "chic".

• Have you heard about the new dance craze?

  ➔ Present Perfect tense (Have + past participle) to inquire about a past experience with relevance to the present.

  ➔ The sentence uses "Have you heard" which inquires whether the listener has experienced or is aware of the dance craze at some point until now. The relevance is that the speaker is about to talk about it, implying the listener should already know.

• Listen to us, I'm sure you'll be amazed

  ➔ Imperative mood ("Listen") followed by a future conditional clause using "will" ("you'll be amazed").

  ➔ "Listen to us" is an imperative. The conditional clause "I'm sure you'll be amazed" expresses a strong belief that the listener will be amazed if they listen. "You'll" is a contraction of "you will".

• It's up to you, it surely can be done

  ➔ Use of modal verb "can" to express possibility or ability, and the idiom "up to you" indicating a decision lies with the listener.

  ➔ "It's up to you" means the decision is the listener's responsibility. "It surely can be done" uses "can" to indicate that doing the "freak" dance is certainly possible.

• Young and old are doing it, I'm told

  ➔ Present continuous tense to describe an ongoing action ("are doing"), and passive voice construction ("I'm told") to indicate information received from an unspecified source.

  ➔ "Young and old are doing it" uses the present continuous to convey that people of all ages are currently participating in the dance. "I'm told" implies that the speaker received this information from someone else, but the source is not named. This is a passive construction.

• All that pressure got you down

  ➔ Past simple tense ("got") to describe a completed action in the past. Use of the phrasal verb "get down" meaning to depress or discourage someone.

  ➔ "Got you down" is a phrasal verb meaning "depressed you". The past simple indicates this happened in the past.

• Has your head been spinning all around?

  ➔ Present perfect continuous tense ("Has... been spinning") to ask about an action that started in the past and continues to the present, possibly with ongoing effects.

  ➔ The present perfect continuous emphasizes the duration or continuity of the "spinning" sensation. It suggests the dizziness may have started in the past and is still ongoing.