MA GUEULE – Bilingual Lyrics French/English

• By: JOHNNY HALLYDAY

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the raw emotion and defiant spirit of Johnny Hallyday's iconic song "Ma Gueule." This rock anthem, with its powerful lyrics and dramatic musicality, offers a profound reflection on self-acceptance and the marks left by a life lived. Learning "Ma Gueule" provides insight into French rock music and Hallyday's enduring legacy.

[English]

What's with my face?

What's wrong with my face?

Is there something wrong?

Is it because of you?

Oh, I know you didn't say a thing

It's your eyes I'm taking at face value

Sometimes just one look is enough

To cut you better than a knife

What's with my face?

What's wrong with my face?

If you want to pay me back

Come on, I'll give it right back

You said nothing, you've already said it

We won't spend the night on this

My face and I, we're out

We were just looking for friends

What's with my face?

But what's wrong with my face?

What's with my face?

What's wrong with my face?

...

What's with my face?

What's wrong with my face?

Yeah, she’s got a big mouth

Yeah, she’s giving me the cold shoulder

She thinks I owe her everything

Without her, I’d never have soared

Without her, I wouldn’t be worth a damn

My face has every right to dream

What's with my face?

What's wrong with my face?

From one trouble to the next

She’s fought all my wars

Every sleepless night, every dark day

Every bleeding hour, scarred deep inside

She never let me go, not even a shadow

When I was hurting, she’d even cry

What's with my face?

But what's wrong with my face?

What's with my face?

What's wrong with my face?

...

What's with my face?

What's wrong with my face?

I don’t care if she’s beautiful

At least she’s faithful

Not like some girl I know

One who leaves me to die alone

But I don’t even want to talk about it

One who couldn’t care less

About my face

...

[French]

Quoi ma gueule?

Qu'est-ce qu'elle a ma gueule?

Quelque chose qui n'va pas?

Elle ne te revient pas?

Oh, je sais que tu n'as rien dit

C'est ton œil que je prends au mot

Souvent un seul regard suffit

Pour vous planter mieux qu'un couteau

Quoi, ma gueule?

Qu'est-ce qu'elle a ma gueule?

Si tu veux t'la payer

Viens, je rends la monnaie

T'as rien dit, tu l'as déjà dit

On n'va pas y passer la nuit

Ma gueule et moi, on est d'sortie

On cherchait plutôt des amis

Quoi, ma gueule?

Mais qu'est-ce qu'elle a ma gueule?

Quoi, ma gueule?

Qu'est-ce qu'elle a ma gueule?

Quoi, ma gueule?

Qu'est-ce qu'elle a ma gueule?

Oui, elle a une grande gueule

Oui, elle me fait la gueule

Elle s'imagine que j'lui dois tout

Sans elle, je n'aurais jamais plané

Sans elle, je n'vaudrai pas un clou

Ma gueule a bien l'droit de rêver

Quoi, ma gueule?

Qu'est-ce qu'elle a ma gueule?

De galères en galères

Elle a fait toutes mes guerres

Chaque nuit blanche, chaque jour sombre

Chaque heure saignée y est ridée

Elle ne m'a pas lâché d'une ombre

Quand j'avais mal, même qu'elle pleurait

Quoi, ma gueule?

Mais qu'est-ce qu'elle a ma gueule?

Quoi, ma gueule?

Qu'est-ce qu'elle a ma gueule?

Quoi, ma gueule?

Qu'est-ce qu'elle a ma gueule?

Je m'en fous qu'elle soit belle

Au moins elle est fidèle

C'est pas comme une que je connais

Une qui me laisse crever tout seul

Mais je n'veux même pas en parler

Une qui se fout bien

De ma gueule

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
gueule /ɡœl/ B2	noun - mouth, face
question /ˈkwɛstjɔ̃/ B2	noun - a sentence or phrase expressing doubt, curiosity, or request for information
regard /ʁə.ɡaʁ/ B2	noun - a look or gaze
main /mɛ̃/ A2	noun - hand
vie /vi/ B2	noun - life
lune /lyn/ C1	noun - moon
amour /a.muʁ/ B2	noun - love
fille /fij/ A2	noun - girl
joie /ʒwa/ B2	noun - joy
mort /mɔʁ/ B2	noun - death
ciel /sjɛl/ C1	noun - sky
nuit /nɥi/ B2	noun - night
heure /œʁ/ B2	noun - hour
vie /vi/ B2	noun - life

Key Grammar Structures

• Quoi ma gueule? Qu'est-ce qu'elle a ma gueule?

  ➔ Interrogative Pronoun 'quoi' and Informal Language

  ➔ "Quoi" is used here instead of "Qu'est-ce que" to introduce the question in an informal way. "Ma gueule" is a very informal term for "my face" or, more broadly, "my self". The repeated question shows a confrontational attitude.

• Elle ne te revient pas?

  ➔ Indirect Object Pronoun 'te' and Negative Question

  ➔ "Te" is an indirect object pronoun meaning "to you". The structure is asking "Doesn't it appeal to you?". Negative questions can imply surprise or challenge.

• Souvent un seul regard suffit Pour vous planter mieux qu'un couteau

  ➔ Subjunctive Mood (Impersonal), Comparative Adverb 'mieux', 'que' as a comparative

  ➔ "Suffit" is used impersonally and requires the subjunctive after "que" in some situations (though here, the indicative is more common). "Mieux qu'un couteau" is a comparison using the adverb "mieux" (better) and "que" to introduce the comparison. The sentence means: "Often a single look is enough to stab you better than a knife."

• Si tu veux t'la payer, Viens, je rends la monnaie

  ➔ Conditional Clause with 'si', Pronoun 'la' as direct object, Imperative Mood

  ➔ "Si tu veux t'la payer" is a conditional clause meaning "If you want to mess with it/her/me". "La" is a direct object pronoun referring back to "ma gueule". "Viens, je rends la monnaie" is an imperative statement meaning "Come, I'll give you change (i.e., I'll pay you back)".

• Elle s'imagine que j'lui dois tout

  ➔ Reflexive Verb 's'imaginer', Subjunctive Mood (optional), Indirect Object Pronoun 'lui'

  ➔ "S'imagine" is a reflexive verb meaning "she imagines". The verb of the subordinate clause after “que” is sometimes in the subjunctive mood here. "Lui" is an indirect object pronoun, meaning "to her". The sentence translates to "She imagines that I owe her everything".

• Elle a fait toutes mes guerres

  ➔ Past Tense (Passé Composé), Possessive Adjective

  ➔ "Elle a fait" is the passé composé (past tense) of the verb "faire" (to do, to make). "Mes guerres" uses the possessive adjective "mes" meaning "my".

• C'est pas comme une que je connais

  ➔ Relative Pronoun 'que', Negative Construction

  ➔ "Que" is a relative pronoun introducing a relative clause that modifies "une". "C'est pas comme une que je connais" translates to: "It's not like one that I know". "Pas" is used for negation with "ne" often omitted in informal speech.