Quand Jimmy dit – Bilingual Lyrics French/English

• By: Patricia Kaas

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the nuances of the French language through Patricia Kaas's hit, "Quand Jimmy dit." This song offers a window into passionate storytelling, using everyday yet evocative French to paint a picture of youthful ambition and romance. By following the narrative of Jimmy and the singer's devotion, you can immerse yourself in authentic conversational phrasing and idiomatic expressions set to a captivating musical backdrop.

[English]

He started his band, just two years ago

A lost job seeker, the pharmacist's son

A bassist from Toulouse, a drummer with a Harlem style

A mix of jazz and blues, African new-wave version

He sold his moped and the leather from his jacket

Sacrificed to fashion, uncompromising music

For how long he's been struggling, on the sand in a basement

I can tell you, ladies and gentlemen, one of these days it's going to be serious

When Jimmy says "what'd I say"

"I love you baby"

It's like

The whole province singing in English

When Jimmy says "what'd I say"

"Oh, baby come on"

It's like

The whole province walking in Westons

...

He sings in the countryside, at Saturday night dances

Banana rock'n'roll, jealousy reggae

Traveling by minibus, third-rate hotels

He's got everything and more to end up in Rolling Stone

I love his little lovable face, I follow him in his struggle

And I'll always follow him, I can't let him go

I've stroked his jeans, I've slept on his guitar

Every time I imagine him, it feels strange, strange

When Jimmy says "what'd I say"

"I love you baby"

It's like

The whole province singing in English

When Jimmy says "what'd I say"

"Oh, baby come on"

It's like

The whole province walking in Westons

...

He sold his moped and the leather from his jacket

Sacrificed to fashion, uncompromising music

I knew for a long time he'd leave Montbéliard

And if Paris takes him, it's because he's a real star

When Jimmy says "what'd I say"

"I love you baby"

It's like

The whole province singing in English

When Jimmy says "what'd I say"

"Oh, baby come on"

It's like

The whole province walking in Westons

When Jimmy says "what'd I say"

"I love you baby"

It's like

The whole province singing in English

When Jimmy says "what'd I say"

"Oh, baby come on"

...

[French]

Il a monté son groupe, il y a deux ans à peine

Un chômeur en déroute, le fils de la pharmacienne

Un bassiste de Toulouse, un batteur looké Harlem

Un mélange de jazz and blues, version new-wave africaine

Il a vendu sa mob' et le cuir de son blouson

Sacrifié à la mode une musique sans concession

Depuis le temps qu'il rame sur le sable au fond d'une cave

Je peux vous dire, messieurs, dames qu'un d'ces jours ça va faire grave

Quand Jimmy dit "what'd I say"

"I love you baby"

C'est comme qui dirait

Toute la province qui chante en anglais

Quand Jimmy dit "what'd I say"

"Oh, baby come on"

C'est comme qui dirait

Toute la province qui marche en Weston

Il chante dans les campagnes, dans les bals du samedi

Des rock'n'roll banane, des reggaes jalousie

Voyage en minibus, hôtel de troisième zone

Il a tout et même plus pour finir Rolling Stone

J'aime sa petite gueule d'amour, je le suis dans sa galère

Et j'le suivrai toujours, lui, je n'peux pas m'en défaire

J'ai caressé son jean, j'ai dormi sur sa guitare

Chaque fois que je l'imagine, ça m'fait bizarre, bizarre

Quand Jimmy dit "what'd I say"

"I love you baby"

C'est comme qui dirait

Toute la province qui chante en anglais

Quand Jimmy dit "what'd I say"

"Oh, baby come on"

C'est comme qui dirait

Toute la province qui marche en Weston

Il a vendu sa mob' et le cuir de son blouson

Sacrifié à la mode une musique sans concession

Je savais depuis longtemps qu'il quitterait Montbéliard

Et si Paris m'le prend, c'est qu'c'est vraiment une star

Quand Jimmy dit "what'd I say"

"I love you baby"

C'est comme qui dirait

Toute la province qui chante en anglais

Quand Jimmy dit "what'd I say"

"Oh, baby come on"

C'est comme qui dirait

Toute la province qui marche en Weston

Quand Jimmy dit "what'd I say"

"I love you baby"

C'est comme qui dirait

Toute la province qui chante en anglais

Quand Jimmy dit "what'd I say"

"Oh, baby come on"

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
monter mɔ̃te A2	verb - to move something into a vertical position or raise it to a certain level
chômeur ʃɔmœʁ A2	noun - unemployed person
déroute deʁut B1	noun - confused or disorganized situation
bassiste basist A2	noun - bass player
looké luke B1	adjective - having a particular style or appearance
mélange melɑ̃ʒ A2	noun - combination of several elements
sacrifié sakʁifie A2	verb - to give up something important to obtain something else
concession kɔ̃sɛsjon B1	noun - compromise or partial abandonment of a position
ramer ʁame A2	verb - to propel a boat using oars
gueule ɡœl B1	noun - face, often used in a familiar or pejorative way
galère ɡalɛʁ B1	noun - difficult or painful situation
défaire defɛʁ A2	verb - to detach or separate the parts of a whole
bizarre bizaʁ A2	adjective - strange or unusual
province pʁɔvɛ̃s A1	noun - administrative subdivision of a country
Weston wɛstɔ̃ B1	noun - brand of luxury shoes

Key Grammar Structures

• Il a monté son groupe, il y a deux ans à peine

  ➔ Passé composé with auxiliary *avoir*

  ➔ The verb phrase "*a monté*" is a **passé composé**, formed with the auxiliary *"avoir"* and the past participle *"monté"*.

• Un bassiste de Toulouse, un batteur looké Harlem

  ➔ Past participle used as adjective

  ➔ The word "*looké*" is a **past participle** that functions as an adjective meaning “styled” or “fashion‑forward”.

• C’est comme qui dirait

  ➔ Idiomatic expression “comme qui dirait”

  ➔ "*comme qui dirait*" is an **idiomatic phrase** meaning “as if one were to say”. It is often used to introduce a figurative comparison.

• Je peux vous dire, messieurs, dames qu'un d'ces jours ça va faire grave

  ➔ Future proche – “ça va + infinitive”

  ➔ "*ça va faire*" uses the **future proche** construction, where *aller* (here “va”) + infinitive expresses an event that is about to happen.

• Je l'ai suivi toujours, lui, je n'peux pas m'en défaire

  ➔ Clitic pronoun placement and colloquial contraction "n'peux"

  ➔ The object pronoun "*l'*" precedes the auxiliary **avoir** in "*l'ai suivi*". "*n'peux*" is a colloquial contraction of *ne peux* (negative form of *pouvoir*).

• Chaque fois que je l'imagine, ça m'fait bizarre

  ➔ Relative clause introduced by "que" and verb *faire* + infinitive

  ➔ The segment "*que je l'imagine*" is a **relative clause** introduced by *que*. The expression "*m'fait*" is *faire* + infinitive, meaning “makes me feel”.

• Quand Jimmy dit "what'd I say"

  ➔ Temporal clause with "quand" + present indicative and direct speech

  ➔ "*Quand Jimmy dit*" is a **temporal clause** introduced by *quand* (when). The verb *dit* is in the **present indicative**, and the English phrase is quoted directly.

• Je savais depuis longtemps qu'il quitterait Montbéliard

  ➔ Conditional mood in the past (future in the past) – *quitterait*

  ➔ The verb "*quitterait*" is the **conditional present**, used here to express a future event imagined from a past standpoint (future‑in‑the‑past).