Lyrics & Translation
Explore the emotional depth of La Fouine's "Papa," a touching tribute that reveals the artist's personal relationship with his father. Through sincere lyrics and a melodic hip-hop style, "Papa" offers a universal message about family, gratitude, and the enduring impact of paternal love, making it a special song to connect with.
It's to remind me of everything you've done for me
In my secret garden, all the bad flowers have withered
Time goes by, everything goes away, not the love I have for you
Dad, just one word and I'll go there, there, for you
Dad, time goes by, everything goes away, not the love I have for you
Yeah, you wanted me to cut boards like you
I didn't want to and I was lucky but don't worry I touch wood
The fridge empty when you left, mom was very angry at you
I wasn't allowed, but secretly, I loved you a lot
I put in this rap what I couldn't tell you
You remain my father for better and for worse
You got up at five in the morning so we could have sneakers on our feet
But despite that I still slapped the math teacher
Yeah, at the square they call me Fouiny baby
But for you I remain Laouni, son of my country
Boom boom, the cops come to pick me up
You never came to the visiting room because men hide to cry
Yeah, if you opened it, it's because vice called
But we all remain the same, Dad, you are forgiven
What's said is said, what's done is done
I dipped my pen in my tears to write this verse
And if I keep all the wounds of the past inside
It's to remind me of everything you've done for me
In my secret garden, all the bad flowers have withered
Time goes by, everything goes away, not the love I have for you
Dad, just one word and I'll go there, there, for you
Dad, time goes by, everything goes away, not the love I have for you
I look at you from above, you look at me from below
You make my heart vibrate with your dreamy look
I'm too often absent, will you forgive me?
I try to be a good father, mom looks at me from above
I write this sincere rap from the back of the bus
I have your little head as a wallpaper, fingers on the guitar
I arrive at the venue to do the soundcheck, it's noon
You're probably getting out of class with your Hello Kitty bag
We're partying tonight, we're sold out
Nobody can enter anymore, my heart is sold out
I love you like crazy, I love you madly
All my points have been taken away, I love you like it's no longer allowed
And like in a flash you entered my life
I said no to jail, no more worries
What's said is said, what's done is done
And when I'm no longer here, I hope you'll say
And if I keep all the wounds of the past inside
It's to remind me of everything you've done for me
In my secret garden, all the bad flowers have withered
Time goes by, everything goes away, not the love I have for you
Dad, just one word and I'll go there, there, for you
Dad, time goes by, everything goes away, not the love I have for you
Dedicated to the brothers who had a father like mine
Who broke his back typing from evening till morning
Dedicated to the sisters who had a father like me
Who from morning to evening ran after glory
Dedicated to the brothers who had a father like mine
Who broke his back typing from evening till morning
Dedicated to the sisters who had a father like me
Who from morning to evening ran after glory, yeah
Hoho, hoho, hoho yeah
Hoho, hoho, hoho yeah
Hoho, hoho, hoho yeah
Hoho
With time, everything goes away
But not the love I have for you, Dad
Key Vocabulary
| Vocabulary | Meanings |
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blessures /blɛsyʁ/ B1 |
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amour /a.muʁ/ A2 |
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père /pɛʁ/ A1 |
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temps /tɑ̃/ A1 |
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secret /se.kʁɛ/ B1 |
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chance /ʃɑ̃s/ A2 |
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cœur /kœʁ/ A2 |
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fête /fɛt/ A2 |
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maman /ma.mɑ̃/ A1 |
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regarder /ʁə.ɡaʁ.de/ A2 |
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écrire /e.kʁiʁ/ A2 |
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vibrer /vi.bʁe/ B1 |
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couper /ku.pe/ A2 |
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sincère /sɛ̃.sɛʁ/ B2 |
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guitare /ɡi.taʁ/ A2 |
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fleurs /flœʁ/ A2 |
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🚀 "blessures", "amour" – from “Papa” still a mystery?
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Key Grammar Structures
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Et si je garde en moi toutes les blessures du passé, c'est pour me rappeler tout ce que tu as fait pour moi
➔ Conditional sentences (Type 1 - Real Condition)
➔ The sentence uses the 'si' clause ('Et si je garde...') to express a condition, and the main clause ('c'est pour me rappeler...') to express the consequence if the condition is met. This is a Type 1 conditional, indicating a real and probable condition.
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C'est pour me rappeler tout ce que tu as fait pour moi
➔ Relative clause with 'ce que'
➔ The phrase 'ce que tu as fait' is a relative clause where 'ce que' functions as both the object of 'as fait' and the subject of the relative clause as a whole. It translates to 'what you have done'.
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Tu voulais qu'je coupe des planches comme toi
➔ Subjunctive mood after 'vouloir que'
➔ The verb 'vouloir' (to want) when followed by 'que' requires the use of the subjunctive mood in the subordinate clause. Here, 'coupe' is the subjunctive form.
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J'ai pas voulu et j'ai eu d'la chance mais t'inquiètes j'touche du bois
➔ Use of colloquial contractions and expressions
➔ 'J'ai pas voulu' is a colloquial contraction of 'Je n'ai pas voulu'. 'D'la chance' is a contraction of 'de la chance'. 'T'inquiètes' is a shortened version of 'Ne t'inquiète pas'. 'Toucher du bois' is an idiom (knock on wood)
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J'ai mis dans c'rap c'que j'n'ai pas su te dire
➔ Use of 'ce que' with omitted 'ne' in negation.
➔ The line shows the omission of 'ne' in the negative construction 'je n'ai pas su', a common feature in colloquial French. 'C'que' is also a contracted form of 'ce que'.
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T'es jamais v'nu au parloir car les hommes se cachent pour pleurer
➔ Past Participle Agreement (implied)
➔ While not explicitly visible, there's an implied past participle agreement. 'V'nu' is short for 'venu'. Because the auxiliary verb is 'être', and the subject 'tu' is implied, the past participle should agree in gender and number. Though rarely spoken, it's grammatically correct if it was 'venue' if the speaker was talking to a female.
