“Moi… Lolita” is a popular French song by the young Alizée and was like the “Hit me baby one more time” of the French-speaking world. It was the immensely popular début single from Alizée, who was just 16 when the single was released (how very Britney Spears). The French lyrics, English translation, explanation of the phrases, and the video, are below.
When I downloaded this song on iTunes, the word “Lolita” was starred out so the song title reads: “Moi… L****a.” Perhaps Canadian iTunes thinks a 16 year-old singing about being a Lolita is too hot to handle? Any way, this song has a number of good vocabulary words and phrases in it, so let’s get started.
An explanation of the phrases and vocabulary will follow the lyrics and translation.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Moi je m'appelle Lolita | Me, my name is Lolita |
| Lo ou bien Lola | Lo or Lola |
| Du pareil au même | It's all the same |
| Moi je m'appelle Lolita | Me, my name is Lolita |
| Quand je rêve aux loups | When I consider my mistakes |
| C'est Lola qui saigne | It's Lola who has to bleed |
| Quand fourche ma langue, | When I have a slip of the tongue |
| J'ai là un fou rire aussi fou | I laugh a laugh as crazy |
| Qu'un phénomène | As a phenomenon |
| Je m'appelle Lolita | My name is Lolita |
| Lo de vie, lo aux amours diluviennes | Lo for spirit*, Lo for diluvial love |
| CHORUS: | CHORUS: |
| C'est pas ma faute | It's not my fault |
| Et quand je donne ma langue aux chats | And when I'm ready to give up |
| Je vois les autres | I see the others |
| Tout prêts à se jeter sur moi | All ready to throw themselves at me |
| C'est pas ma faute à moi | It's not my own fault |
| Si j'entends tout autour de moi | If I hear everything around me |
| L.O.L.I.T.A. | L.O.L.I.T.A. |
| Moi Lolita | Me... Lolita |
| Moi je m'appelle Lolita | Me, my name is Lolita |
| Collégienne aux bas | A schoolgirl underneath |
| Bleus de méthylène | Tight blue jeans |
| Moi je m'appelle Lolita | Me, my name is Lolita |
| Coléreuse et pas | Quick-tempered, and not |
| Mi-coton, mi-laine | Half cotton, half wool |
| Motus et bouche qui n'dis pas | Silent and a mouth that doesn't tell |
| À maman que je suis un phénomène | Mom that I am a phenomenon |
| Je m'appelle Lolita | My name is Lolita |
| Lo de vie, lo aux amours diluviennes | Lo for spirit*, Lo for diluvial love |
| CHORUS REPEATS | CHORUS REPEATS |
Vocabulary:
*lo de vie (lo for spirit) sounds like l’eau de vie (the name of a strong alcoholic drink) so this is a bit of a play on words.
du pareil au même: the same thing
rever aux loups: to consider one’s mistakes (literally: to dream of wolves)
e.g. “Je rêve aux loups” – I consider my mistakes
saigner: to bleed
fourcher la langue: to have a slip of the tongue (literally: fork tongue)
e.g. “Je fourche ma langue” – “I have a slip of the tongue.”
diluvien (fem: diluvienne): diluvial
Diluvial (adjective): of or relating to a flood or floods, particularly Biblical floods.
This is not a common word in English. Basically diluvial means “like a flood of Biblical proportions.” This adjective is typically used to describe the rain (les pluies diluvienne) but in the song it is used to describe the flood of affection (or love) that Alizée is receiving (les amours diluviennes).
collégienne (masc: collégien): schoolgirl, (masc: schoolboy)
bleus de méthylène: literally “methylene blue.” This is a bit confusing; usually the term “bleu de méthylène” is used only to describe the chemical compound (thank you Wikipedia), but in this song the lyric is “bleus de méthylène” in the plural. “Bleus” is a slang term for blue jeans, and “les bleus méthylène” are a type of very tight blue jeans. I’ve even seen them being described as more like leggings. So Alizée is talking about her tight blue jeans, not her love of chemistry.
motus: silent
A common expression is “motus et bouche cousue” which literally translates as “silent and mouth sewn” but essentially means “my lips are sealed.”
le coton: cotton
la laine: wool
“Mi-laine mi-coton” is apparently a nickname for Mylène Farmer, who wrote the song and who discovered and promoted Alizée. Mylène Farmer is a very successful singer herself, like the Madonna of the French world (in terms of popularity). I will probably translate one of her songs eventually. So “pas mi-coton mi-laine” probably means “I am not exactly like Mylène.”
coléreuse (masc. coléreux): quick-tempered
je donne ma langue au chat: I give up (typically on guessing). Literally translates as: “I give my tongue to the cat.” It is the sort of phrase that you use after a guessing game like this:
“Guess who I saw today?”
“Who? Bob?”
“No.”
“Fred?”
“No.”
“Alors je donne ma langue au chat.” (OK, I give up, tell me.)
In the context of the song “quand je donne ma langue aux chats” means “when I am ready to give up.”