Music Video

Formidable (English Translation)

Stromae Lyrics

Song Facts:

Album: Racine Carrée (Square Root)
Genre: Hip Hop/Electronic
Release Date: 27 March 2013
Lyricist/Composer/Producer: Stromae
Labels: Mercury Records, Mosaert
Awards and achievements: #1 in Belgium, France, and Switzerland charts; certified triple-Platinum in Belgium; charted almost 10 European countries.
Cover Versions: Dutch artist Cheyenne Toney in 2013; Arabic version by Nadia Essadiqi Music Video: Filmed at a metro station in Brussels, Belgium. Stromae acts out the part of a drunken man very well. This leaves a communication gap between him and the public. Directed by Alexis Breut.

Annotations and Meaning:

Stromae’s "Formidable" is probably a case study in how to use literal storytelling to intersperse more fundamental theme-building. Through pictorial detail, this song describes an apparently post-breakup scene where Stromae traverses the streets and appears to chat with random people passing him by. Far from random, these doings. Each line in the stanza unwraps more about the feelings of the artist in an uninterrupted rebound between personal exposure and critique of society.

Verse 1: The Attempt to Connect

In the first verse, Stromae is seen trying to engage with a woman, wasting no time in informing her of his current single status and a recent breakup with his girlfriend. The reference to impotence, whether concrete or otherwise, is yet another raw confession to the perception of inadequacy. For this conversation with this ex-boxer, it's a theme of the fight to preserve dignity against personal failures, highlighted by the bitter, sweet refrain that of being "formidable" in the past tense.

Verse 2: The Illusion of Stability

In the second verse, we find a married man talking in a very cynical view of matrimonial bliss and parenthood; he suggests that all relationships are doomed to dissolve. Here, Stromae goes further to narrate the fear of commitment, not stopping time that questions reality based on what society seems to preach around the issues of marriage and family.

Verse 3: The Cycle of Family Dynamics

Here in this verse, Stromae turns to the family and suggests some sort of generation conflict and imperfections in the images of the authorities. He reflects on how innocent a child is in this verse, but that child will grow up, realizing that this is not as easy as they think. It is the mention of "baby monkey," a metaphor for the thing or person "formidable" that one yearns for in the messes of mature years.

Conclusion: The Dichotomy of Formidable

Stromae's brilliant wordplay on "formidable" and "fort minable" (very pathetic) just nails what the song is all about: his character as a guy wrestling with himself and his own insufficiency from a failing relationship but looking back, idolizing it simply because it was once beautiful. It alienated by its light and comic tone from real despair and self-interrogation, thus candid in the face of heartbreak, personal failure, and ways of love and pressures society puts on relationships. "Formidable" is not just a musical triumph but also an astute, bold commentary about vulnerability, social expectations, and searching for redemption. Stromae has a way of wringing intricate themes through the wringer of his catchy, accessible music—a sensibility that rendered "Formidable" one of the greatest contemporary relatable anthems.

Formidable (English Translation) Lyrics

Formidable (English Translation) by Stromae

[Chorus]
Wonderful, wonderful
You were wonderful, I was so pathetic
We were wonderful
Wonderful
You were wonderful, I was so pathetic
We were wonderful

[Verse 1]
Hey baby, oops, Miss
I’m not gonna hit on you, I swear
I’ve been single since yesterday, f**k!
I can’t have a baby but well, it’s not –
Hey, come back!
Just five minutes, I didn’t insult you
I’m polite, respectful and a very bit wasted
You’re not gonna wanna talk to a guy like me, huh
If you’d only seen me yesterday
I was …

[Chorus]
Wonderful, wonderful
You were wonderful, I was so pathetic
We were wonderful
Wonderful
You were wonderful, I was so pathetic
We were wonderful

[Verse 2]
Look at you, checking yourself out
You think you’re hot stuff ‘cause you’re married
But it’s just a ring dude, don’t get carried away
She’s gonna dump you like they always do
And what about the other chick, you mention her?
If you want I’ll tell your wife and then it’s settled
And the kid, too, well, if you got any
Just wait 3 years, 7 years and you’ll see
If it’s …

[Chorus]
Wonderful, wonderful
You were wonderful, I was so pathetic
We were wonderful
Wonderful
You were wonderful, I was so pathetic
We were wonderful

[Verse 3]
Hey little girl, oh sorry, boy
You know in life, there’s no good guys or bad guys
If mommy’s being a pain, it’s ‘cause she’s afraid of becoming a granny
If daddy is cheating on mommy, it’s ‘cause she’s getting old
Hey! Why are you blushing? Get back here, kid
And why are you all looking at me like an ape?
Yeah right, you’re all saints
Bunch of monkeys
Give me a baby ape
He’ll be…

[Chorus]
Wonderful, wonderful
You were wonderful, I was so pathetic
We were wonderful
Wonderful
You were wonderful, I was so pathetic
We were wonderful

French original version:

Formidable, formidable
Tu étais formidable, j'étais fort minable
Nous étions formidables
Formidable
Tu étais formidable, j'étais fort minable
Nous étions formidables
Oh, Bébé, oups, Mademoiselle
J'vais pas vous draguer, promis juré
J'suis célibataire, depuis hier, putain
J'peux pas faire d'enfant et bon, c'est pas...
Hé, reviens, cinq minutes quoi, j't'ai pas insultée
J'suis poli, courtois, et un peu fort bourré
Mais pour les mecs comme moi
Vous avez autre chose à faire, hein
M'auriez vu hier
J'étais formidable, formidable
Tu étais formidable, j'étais fort minable
Nous étions formidables
Formidable
Tu étais formidable, j'étais fort minable
Nous étions formidables
Oh, tu t'es regardé? Tu t'crois beau
Parce que tu t'es marié? Mais c'est qu'un anneau
Mec, t'emballes pas
Elle va t'larguer comme elles le font chaque fois
Et puis l'autre fille, tu lui en as parlé?
S'tu veux j'lui dis, comme ça c'est réglé
Et au petit aussi, enfin si vous en avez
Attends trois ans, sept ans et là vous verrez
Si c'est formidable, formidable
Tu étais formidable, j'étais fort minable
Nous étions formidables
Formidable
Tu étais formidable, j'étais fort minable
Nous étions formidables
Hé petite, oh pardon, petit
Tu sais dans la vie, y a ni méchants ni gentils
Si Maman est chiante
C'est qu'elle a peur d'être mamie
Si Papa trompe Maman
C'est parce que Maman vieillit, tiens
Pourquoi t'es tout rouge? Ben reviens gamin
Et qu'est-ce que vous avez tous
À me regarder comme un singe, vous?
Ah oui, vous êtes saints, vous
Bande de macaques
Donnez-moi un bébé singe
Il sera formidable, formidable
Tu étais formidable, j'étais fort minable
Nous étions formidables
Formidable
Tu étais formidable, j'étais fort minable
Nous étions formidables

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