Ma Liberté De Penser – Bilingual Lyrics French/English

• By: Florent Pagny

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the powerful French song "Ma liberté de penser" by Florent Pagny. Learn about its creation during a period of personal and legal challenges for the artist, and discover how its themes of freedom and defiance continue to resonate with listeners, offering insights into French culture and the power of music.

[English]

If you're going to take everything, take my kids and the TV

My toothbrush, my revolver, the car, that's already done

With the banking restrictions, take my wife, the sofa

The microwave, the refrigerator

And even down to my private life, which is exposed anyway

I might as well sell my soul to the Devil

I can work things out with him

Since everything is negotiable here, but you won't have

My freedom of thought

...

Take my bed, the gold records, my good mood

The teaspoons, everything that has value in your eyes

And that I no longer need, if you're going to take everything, don't forget

The weed hidden under the shelf, everything that is beautiful and matters to me

I'd rather it went to Abbé Pierre

I can donate my body to science

If there's something to take

And that gives you a clear conscience, but you won't have

My freedom of thought

My freedom of thought

Hey

...

Hey

...

I can empty my pockets on the table

They've been full of holes for a long time

Pull down my pants, I'm capable of it, but you won't have

My freedom of thought

...

If you're going to take everything and liquidate everything

So that your little affairs work out

I'll just take my striped pajamas and you can have the oranges as a gift

You can even keep everything

I won't take anything to Hell

If you're going to take everything, I'd rather go there

If paradise is offered to you

Hey

I might as well sell my soul to the devil

I can work things out with him

Since everything is negotiable here, but you won't have

No, you won't have

My freedom of thought

My freedom of thought

...

[French]

Quitte à tout prendre, prenez mes gosses et la télé

Ma brosse à dent, mon revolver, la voiture, ça c'est déjà fait

Avec les interdits bancaires, prenez ma femme, le canapé

Le micro-ondes, le frigidaire

Et même jusqu'à ma vie privée de toute façon à découvert

Je peux bien vendre mon âme au Diable

Avec lui, on peut s'arranger

Puisqu'ici tout est négociable, mais vous n'aurez pas

Ma liberté de penser

Prenez mon lit, les disques d'or, ma bonne humeur

Les petites cuillères, tout c'qu'à vos yeux a d'la valeur

Et dont je n'ai plus rien à faire, quitte à tout prendre, n'oubliez pas

Le shit planqué sous l'étagère, tout c'qui est beau et compte pour moi

J'préfère qu'ça parte à l'Abbé Pierre

J'peux donner mon corps à la science

Si y a quelque chose à prélever

Et que ça vous donne bonne conscience, mais vous n'aurez pas

Ma liberté de penser

Ma liberté de penser

Hey

Hey

J'peux vider mes poches sur la table

Ça fait longtemps qu'elles sont trouées

Baisser mon froc, j'en suis capable, mais vous n'aurez pas

Ma liberté de penser

Quitte à tout prendre et tout solder

Pour que vos petites affaires s'arrangent

J'prends juste mon pyjama rayé et j'vous fais cadeaux des oranges

Vous pouvez même bien tout garder

J'emporterai rien en Enfer

Quitte à tout prendre, j'préfère y aller

Si l'paradis vous est offert

Hey

Je peux bien vendre mon âme au diable

Avec lui, on peut s'arranger

Puisqu'ici tout est négociable, mais vous n'aurez pas

Non, vous n'aurez pas

Ma liberté de penser

Ma liberté de penser

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
prendre /pʁɑ̃dʁ/ A2	verb - to take
vendre /vɑ̃dʁ/ B1	verb - to sell
liberté /li.bɛʁ.tɛ/ B2	noun - freedom
penser /pɑ̃sɛʁ/ B1	verb - to think
voix /vwa/ B2	noun - voice
corps /kɔʁ/ B2	noun - body
science /sjɑ̃s/ B2	noun - science
valeur /valœʁ/ B2	noun - value
pensée /pɑ̃sɛ/ B2	noun - thought
cœur /kœʁ/ B2	noun - heart
passion /pa.sjɔ̃/ B2	noun - passion
espoir /ɛs.pwaʁ/ C1	noun - hope

Key Grammar Structures

• J'peux bien vendre mon âme au Diable

  ➔ Use of the modal verb 'peux' (can) with the adverb 'bien' to express capability or willingness, emphasizing possibility.

  ➔ 'peux' is the present tense form of the modal verb 'pouvoir', indicating ability or permission. 'Bien' adds emphasis, meaning 'really' or 'willingly'.

• Ma liberté de penser

  ➔ Use of the possessive 'ma' with nouns to indicate ownership or relation; 'de' to express possession or attribute.

  ➔ 'Ma' is the feminine possessive adjective meaning 'my'. 'De' translates to 'of' or 'to', showing possession or characteristic.

• Puisqu'ici tout est négociable

  ➔ Use of the subordinating conjunction 'puisque' (since) to introduce a reason; 'tout est négociable' (everything is negotiable) as a predicate.

  ➔ 'puisque' is a subordinating conjunction meaning 'since' or 'because', used to introduce a reason. 'Tout est négociable' translates as 'everything is negotiable'.

• J'préfère y aller

  ➔ Use of the verb 'préfère' (prefer) in the present tense with the infinitive 'y aller' (to go there) to express preference.

  ➔ 'préfère' is the first person singular form of 'préférer' (to prefer). 'Y aller' is a fixed expression meaning 'to go there'.

• J'emporterai rien en Enfer

  ➔ Use of 'j'emporterai' (I will bring/take) as future tense of 'emporter' (to carry away); 'rien' (nothing) as the object; 'en Enfer' as a prepositional phrase indicating place.

  ➔ 'j'emporterai' combines the subject 'je' with the future tense of 'emporter' (to carry away). 'Rien' means 'nothing', and 'en Enfer' indicates the place of afterlife.