I'm a freak
Les Hurlements d'Léo Lyrics

The song “I’m a Freak” by Les Hurlements d’Léo is a fast-paced, eclectic mix of lyrics that touch on various themes like societal miseries, economic exploitation, the struggle for personal freedom, and even international politics. The song begins with a highly enigmatic line, “Deux cent kilos, À charrier dans des boyaux,” which translates to two hundred kilos to carry in the guts. This could be a metaphor for the burdensome struggles we carry deep within ourselves. The next line, “Danse pied tendre, Airline Rodéo,” translates to Dance with tender feet, Airline Rodeo. Perhaps this suggests the need to live life with tenderness and enjoy whatever freedom we have.

The song then shifts tone with the lines, “Le cucu bombé, Chargé de coco, Elle s'envoi en l'air, Sur l'air d'la mulata,” which refer to a person with a curved bottom and loaded with coco (probably cocaine). This person takes off with the air of a mulata, a type of Latin American music genre known for its sensual rhythms. This imagery of sexual hedonism soon merges with the lines, “Oyé, Oyé Cuba,” paying homage to Cuba, which has long been associated with communist freedom struggles and revolutionary ideals.

The song continues with a mixing pot of different themes and moods like criticizing economic exploitation and government corruption, while also celebrating personal freedom and individuality. The chorus, “I'm a freak, I'm a ???,” repeats multiple times in the song, suggesting a sense of rebellion against status quo and a need to break free. The song ends with the lines, “Des poissons réfrigérés, Dans des avions, Des morues parquées, Par douze dans des camions,” which translates to refrigerated fishes in planes and 12-packed codfishes in trucks. This could be a commentary on the rampant exploitation of natural resources and the manipulation of globalization that perpetuates this exploitation.