Baisse la tête
Marcel et son orchestre Lyrics
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Mais de l'orgueil plus que de raison
Voudrait tenir sa revanche
En misant sur mes compétences
Quand il a vu que pour le guidon
J'avais quelques dispositions
Du lundi jusqu'au dimanche
Mais comment lui annoncer ?
J'ai d'abord mon bac à passer !
{Refrain, x2}
Baisse-la !
Baisse la tête !
Baisse la tête !
T'auras l'air d'un coureur !
Quelles que soient les conditions,
Faut avaler du goudron
J'ai peur que ce critérium
Soit vraiment un loup pour l'homme
Comme il veut du résultat
Voir ma gueule dans les médias
Pour enflammer son corazon
J'attaque à la testostérone
Si j'avais pas les compét'
Je bosserais mon bac sous amphét' !
{au Refrain, x2}
Soumis à la tyrannie
D'un papa que je chéris
D'un sponsor qui investit
Il n'y a pas de miracle
Pour donner du grand spectacle
J'ai pour tenir la cadence
La chance d'avoir à l'arrivée
Les annales de Miss Dauphiné
Mais comment lui demander
Qu'elle vienne chez moi pour réviser ?
{Refrain, x2}
The song "Baisse la tête" by Marcel et son orchestre talks about the pressure and expectations that are put on someone by their father and sponsor. The lyrics describe a situation where the singer's father, who lacks talent but has excessive pride, wants to see his son succeed in cycling so that he can gain recognition through his son's accomplishments. The singer, who is good at cycling, is pressured to participate in a race despite having to study for his exams. The singer wants to focus on his studies, but his father insists that he participates in the race. The lyrics also suggest that the singer is forced to take performance-enhancing drugs to increase his chances of winning, and he considers using drugs to help him study for his exams.
The refrain "Baisse la tête!" which translates to "lower your head" is a reference to the position of a cyclist during a race. The singer's father tells him to lower his head to resemble a cyclist and to appear like a winner. The repetition of this phrase in the song underscores the pressure and expectations that the singer is facing, and his desire to conform to his father's demands. In the end, the singer is caught between his studies, his cycling career, and his desire to please his father.
Overall, the song is a commentary on the pressures that are exerted on young people by parents and sponsors who seek personal glory through their children's accomplishments.
Line by Line Meaning
Papa qui n'a pas de don
Marcel's father is not particularly talented
Mais de l'orgueil plus que de raison
However, he has an excessive amount of pride
Voudrait tenir sa revanche
As a result, he wants to prove something
En misant sur mes compétences
And is relying on Marcel's abilities to do so
Quand il a vu que pour le guidon
When he realized that Marcel has a talent for biking
J'avais quelques dispositions
And is naturally skilled
Du lundi jusqu'au dimanche
So he makes Marcel practice cycling constantly
Je dois pédaler en cadence
And ride in a steady rhythm
Mais comment lui annoncer ?
But how can Marcel tell him
J'ai d'abord mon bac à passer !
That he has to focus on his studies first?
{Refrain, x2}
Chorus, repeated twice
Baisse-la !
Lower it (your head)!
Baisse la tête !
Lower your head!
T'auras l'air d'un coureur !
You'll look like a racer!
Quelles que soient les conditions,
Regardless of the circumstances
Faut avaler du goudron
They have to endure long, difficult races
J'ai peur que ce critérium
Marcel is worried that this race
Soit vraiment un loup pour l'homme
Might be too challenging for him
Comme il veut du résultat
Since his father desires a good outcome
Voir ma gueule dans les médias
Wanting to see Marcel's face in the media
Pour enflammer son corazon
To spark his heart
J'attaque à la testostérone
Marcel takes testosterone supplements to perform better
Si j'avais pas les compét'
If he didn't have his skill
Je bosserais mon bac sous amphét' !
He would resort to using amphetamines to study
{au Refrain, x2}
Back to chorus, repeated twice
Soumis à la tyrannie
Marcel feels subjected to his father's tyranny
D'un papa que je chéris
Even though he loves his father
D'un sponsor qui investit
And sponsors who have invested in him
Il n'y a pas de miracle
There's no miracle solution
Pour donner du grand spectacle
But to put on a great performance
J'ai pour tenir la cadence
To do so, Marcel has to practice a steady rhythm
La chance d'avoir à l'arrivée
Luckily, Marcel has access to previous race records
Les annales de Miss Dauphiné
Specifically, records of a cyclist named Miss Dauphiné
Mais comment lui demander
But how can Marcel ask her
Qu'elle vienne chez moi pour réviser ?
To come over to help him study?
{au Refrain, x2}
Back to chorus, repeated twice
Contributed by Victoria B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.