Formidable by Stromae was the second single off Racine Carrée. Here are the Formidable lyrics and translation, with a breakdown of the vocabulary in the song, and an analysis of the song and music video.
The video from Stromae includes English translation subtitles. It features Stromae stumbling around and pretending to be drunk. The translation is just below.
Stromae – Formidable Lyrics and English Translation
| French | English |
|---|---|
| [Refrain] | [Chorus] |
| Formidable, formidable | Wonderful, wonderful |
| Tu étais formidable, j'étais fort minable | You were wonderful, I was pathetic |
| Nous étions formidables | We were wonderful |
| Formidable | Wonderful |
| Tu étais formidable, j'étais fort minable | You were wonderful, I was pathetic |
| Nous étions formidables | We were wonderful |
| [Couplet 1] | [Verse 1] |
| Oh bébé - oups ! - mademoiselle | Oh baby - oops - mademoiselle |
| J'vais pas vous draguer, promis juré | I don't want to pick you up, I promise you, I swear |
| J'suis célibataire, depuis hier putain ! | I'm single, since yesterday, fuck it! |
| J'peux pas faire d'enfant et bon c'est pas - eh reviens ! | I can't have a baby and well it's not - hey come back! |
| Cinq minutes quoi ! J't'ai pas insultée | Just 5 minutes! I didn't insult you |
| J'suis poli, courtois, et un peu fort bourré | I'm polite, respectful, and definitely shit-faced |
| Et pour les mecs comme moi, vous avez autre chose à faire hein | You don't want to talk to a guy like me huh? |
| Vous m'auriez vu hier | If only you'd seen me yesterday |
| J'étais... | I was... |
| [Refrain] | [Chorus] |
| Formidable, formidable | Wonderful, wonderful |
| Tu étais formidable, j'étais fort minable | You were wonderful, I was pathetic |
| Nous étions formidables | We were wonderful |
| Formidable | Wonderful |
| Tu étais formidable, j'étais fort minable | You were wonderful, I was pathetic |
| Nous étions formidables | We were wonderful |
| [Couplet 2] | [Verse 2] |
| Eh tu t'es regardé, tu t'crois beau | Hey look at you, checking yourself out, you think you're hot stuff |
| Parce que tu t'es marié, mais c'est qu'un anneau | Because you're married, but it's just a ring |
| Mec, tu t'emballe pas, elle va t'larguer comme elles le font chaque fois | Dude, don't get carried away, she's going to dump you like they always do |
| Et puis l'autre fille, tu lui en as parlé? | And the other girl, did you mention her? |
| Si tu veux je lui dis, comme ça c'est réglé | If you want I'll tell your her (your wife), then it's sorted |
| Et au p'tit aussi, enfin si vous en avez | And the kid too, if you have one |
| Attends trois ans, sept ans, et là vous verrez | Wait three years, seven years, then you'll see |
| Si c'est... | If it's... |
| [Refrain] | [Chorus] |
| Formidable, formidable | Wonderful, wonderful |
| Tu étais formidable, j'étais fort minable | You were wonderful, I was pathetic |
| Nous étions formidables | We were wonderful |
| Formidable | Wonderful |
| Tu étais formidable, j'étais fort minable | You were wonderful, I was pathetic |
| Nous étions formidables | We were wonderful |
| [Couplet 3] | [Verse 3] |
| Et petite - oh pardon ! - petit | Hey little girl - oh sorry - little boy |
| Tu sais dans la vie y'a ni méchant ni gentil | You know in life there's no bad guys or good guys |
| Si Maman est chiante, c'est qu'elle a peur d'être mamie | If Mommy is bitchy, it's because she's afraid of being a granny |
| Si Papa trompe Maman, c'est parce que Maman est vieillit, tiens | If Daddy is cheating on Mommy, it's because Mommy is getting old, hold on |
| Pourquoi t'es tout rouge ? Ben reviens gamin ! | Why are you blushing? Come back here kid! |
| Et qu'est-ce que vous avez tous, à me regarder comme un singe, vous ? | And what's up with all you people, looking at me like I'm a monkey? |
| Ah oui, vous êtes saints, vous ! | Right, as if you're all saints! |
| Bandes de macaques ! | Bunch of monkeys! |
| Donnez-moi un bébé singe, il sera... | Give me a baby monkey, he'll be... |
| [Refrain] | [Chorus] |
| Formidable, formidable | Wonderful, wonderful |
| Tu étais formidable, j'étais fort minable | You were wonderful, I was pathetic |
| Nous étions formidables | We were wonderful |
| Formidable | Wonderful |
| Tu étais formidable, j'étais fort minable | You were wonderful, I was pathetic |
| Nous étions formidables | We were wonderful |
Formidable Lyrics and Vocabulary Breakdown
Well as you can probably tell Stromae went through a rough break up! In the music video he is pretending to be drunk in public and this entire song is basically the drunken rant of a man who just got dumped.
The chorus plays on the synonym “formidable” which means wonderful, and “fort minable” which means “very pathetic.” Stromae says that his ex-partner was “wonderful” and his relationship was “wonderful” but he was (and is) “pathetic.”
This song uses some slang words and phrases, so let’s look at them.
Verse 1
In the first verse, Stromae is basically drunk in the street and is talking to a stranger, a woman, randomly and maybe even a bit rudely. He’s just been dumped the day before and he’s drunk and feeling sorry for himself. Let’s look at the vocabulary:
draguer: to hit on someone, to pick someone up
When Stromae says “J’vais pas vous draguer” he’s saying “I’m not going to hit on you” or “I’m not trying to pick you up.” This is a slang term.
putain: fuck
This is definitely a swear! Putain literally translates as “whore” or “prostitute” but in French it’s the equivalent of fuck in English. In some contexts though it can also mean whore, so if someone calls you a “putain” feel free to slap them! 😉
bourée: shit-faced, very drunk
This is also a common slang term and it’s considered pretty rude, like saying “shit-faced” in English. The standard, polite way of saying “drunk” is to use the word “ivre.”
mecs: guys
mec: guy
The word “mec” is a common slang term that means “guy.” It’s casual but not rude, and can pretty much be used in any situation where it would appropriate to use the English word “guy.” So fine to use with your friends, but you probably don’t want to refer to your boss as “un mec.”
Verse 2
In the second verse, Stromae is still drunk and talking to strangers, but this time he’s talking to a guy. He’s basically lecturing this guy, who is seemingly married, about how his marriage is worthless and will likely fall apart in a few years. He randomly assumes that this guy has a side-chick and offers to tell his wife about her, but we’re to understand that he’s just making things up and drunk ranting at strangers because he’s sad about getting dumped.
The vocabulary in this verse is pretty basic, but here are a few words that are good to know:
un anneau: a ring
tu t’emballe pas – this is a shortened version of “tu ne t’emballe pas” which means “don’t get too excited” or “don’t get carried away.”
s’emballer = to get carried away OR to race
elle va t’larguer: she’s going to dump you
The full spelling of this is “elle va te larguer” but because Stromae is meant to be drunk and slurring his words here, he’s compressing this phrase. This is a slang phrase that is pretty casual, so you can use this with your friends, but should probably avoid it at work.
Verse 3
As if the first two verses weren’t bad enough, in this verse the drunk Stromae (or the character he’s portraying) starts ranting at a kid. He basically tells this kid that life is tough and then yells at all the people staring at him.
There is some more swearing/slang in this verse.
Si Maman est chiante, c’est qu’elle a peur d’être mamie
Si Papa trompe Maman, c’est parce que Maman est vieillit, tiens
“est chiante” means “to be bitchy” or “to be mean.” “Chiante” = bitchy, and is a swear word.
“tromper” in this context means “to cheat on” but “tromper” can mean a number of things, including “to deceive,” “to delude,” “to cheat,” “to fool,” etc.
And finally Stromae ends the song by yelling at a crowd of people and calling the monkeys (specifically “macaques” a breed of monkey). He then gets side-tracked and says, “give me a baby monkey, it will be… wonderful!”
Alright – did you like this song? Did you like the video? Leave a comment below and let me know if you like this Stromae song or if you prefer his more upbeat material (like Papaoutai or Alors On Danse? Let me know in the comments below. Thank you!
Amazing! Really helpful, would love to see more of Stormae’s songs translated and analyzed (maybe Ta fête, or Défiler?) thanks 🙂
Thank you! I will absolutely consider translating another Stromae song. Stay tuned! 🙂
Thanks. This was great. I enjoyed “the lesson.”
Awesome, I’m glad! 🙂
Dear Darby,
Thank you so much for doing this. I just discovered Stromae and was taken away with his talent. I remember that when I learned English and started to understand lyrics in Beatles I was devastated by the shallowness of their beautiful early songs, even cried with disappointment. I was afraid that the same will happen with the French artists (I am trying to learn French intermittently) but your way of approaching this song, as a living contemporary creature made me to relate and appreciate what it is versus what was rather shamanic obsession with this powerful music.
Thank you so much Irena! These translations are a lot of work, but I’m also a person who is always obsessed with understanding the lyrics. And as a long-time French learner I find translating songs to be immensely valuable. Best of luck to you in your studies. Please feel free to explore the site, as I have many more in-depth translations. 🙂
It is completely the opposite with Stromae. In fact the simpler or accessible his songs are the more complex and satisfying they are. His choice of words always have nuanced possibilities, and a hundred years from now, his lyrics will be interpreted by other artists who in their time will pull out of another vein some beautiful relevemce.
Très beau travail de traduction et d’explication.
Merci beaucoup!
Thank you very much! Loved it! Great to be able to see such a wonderful translation when one is trying to learn and improve its French. Especially when listening to Stromae songs. Keep up the good work! Merci!
In the second verse, when he’s talking to the guy, I think he is referring to the guy as his secret lover… and is threatening to yell his wife about their affair.
Thanks for the translation and explanations. I am new to the French language and this really helped 🙂
You’re very welcome, I’m glad that it helped! 🙂
I love this song and video I listen to it every day along with his other songs ! Thanks for the explanation about the slang I’m learning French on my own it helps a lot
You’re very welcome Clarissa! Definitely check out our other translations! The Stromae songs are all good for slang, and Dernière Danse by Indila (also translated on this site) are also good for intermediate learners interested in picking up a bit of slang.
Darby,
Really, really good work here – a labor of love, and exceedingly well done. I translate songs too (Japanese to English that must ride on the same melody) so I am familiar with the decisions you have to make before you press the enter key. Hats off to you. My son, my wife and I also have our toes in the francophone world. He will soon be taking the U.S.’ AP French test, though he is only 14. I’m trying to make it easy on him – and you finding your work has been like tapping into the motherlode. He loves Stomae, Julien Dorre, … well, French music in general. Thank you so much for putting your time into these pieces. If you ever get the urge, I bet other people besides us would love to see you wrap your sensibilities around a Tete piece.
Thanks a mil!
Hi Brian – thanks so much for your lovely comment! These translations are definitely a labour of love and they take ages, so it’s great to hear that people enjoy them! I’ll have a look at some songs by Tété, as I hadn’t heard of him before. 🙂 Tell your son good luck on the French AP exam!
Merci pour ce traduction. J’étudie le français et j’aime beaucoup Stromae. Ce traduction m’aide beaucoup, en particulier l’argot.
I love the song and the beats très bien (please excusé moi Française) 😁 im new at this and i know i probably made a mistake.
Anyhow, I’ve enjoyed your depiction of the song and the translation is very helpful in many ways. Please continue in making our lives much simpler and joyous
Thanks for commenting Omar. 🙂 I’m glad that you enjoyed the translation! If you like Stromae you can check out the other Stromae songs that I’ve translated.
Thank you!Your translation and how you explain the meaning are the best!!Big Merci from Ukraine!
De rien. 😉
Thanks for including the slang terms and meanings! i don’t know french, so when i translate them, it might come out a bit too literal, so sometimes words are a bit confusing.
Happy to help! 🙂
This is the best translation and explanation of the lyrics. Thanks so much!
I loved it! Ant get it out of my head. Thanks for some lesson items too! Formidable !💚💚💚
In Belgium, Country of Origin of Stromae, Maquace (and singe / monkey to some extent) is used as slang for people of color. (“Makaken” in dutch. )
I always interpreted this as him also addressing the blatant racism still going on to this day.
I agree! That was how I interpreted it as well
Merci
Thank you!
The raw pain of [any sort of] relationship poured into music I cannot get out of my head.
chapeau! 🎩
I first heard Stromae in Rwanda. This song reminds me of some of the pain and suffering that you hear when Edith Piaf sang. Incredible song…Thanks for the translation. Like someone else here, I also understand the reference macaque to be a racist term aimed at people of color. Le chanson est formidable!
I first heard Stromae in Rwanda. This song reminds me of some of the pain and suffering that you hear when Edith Piaf sang. Incredible song…Thanks for the translation. Le chanson est formidable!
I feel like the last bit is more about him wanting a baby than just getting sidetracked.
This is great stuff, I just had to acknowledge your explanation. Thank you!
“Formidable” is a poignant portrayal of the pain of lost love and the struggle to move on. It’s a song that resonates with anyone who has experienced heartbreak, capturing the complex mix of emotions that accompany such an experience.
You have well explained the meaning of this song.
Keep it up.
Merci beaucoup Dancy! Très utile et intéressant!