Massilia Sound System re-popularised the city of Marseille in the 1990s, in conjunction with the success of Olympique de Marseille, the local football club. Along with that empowered an entire generation of young Marseillais with a positive identity, proud of their city and their capacity to embrace different cultural traditions.
Méfi
Massilia Sound System Lyrics
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Que lei còndes ti mancaràn pas.
Si parlas fòrt, si siás pas d'acòrd
Si çò que viés ti fa venir lo racacòr,
Es pas la pena de jugar ambé la mòrt.
Ti dieu, d'aise, d'aise, fagues pas lo nervos!
Que lei policiers son totjorn mai poderós,
D'aise, d'aise, fagues pas ton orgueiós!
Mi meravilhi d'auvir lo menistre
Ti parlar de tei devers, de tei drechs,
Tot en protegent d'òmes senistres
Que s'en garçan de la légalité.
Pareisse que vivèm en republica
E que la lei per toei lei gents s'applica,
Quaucaren truca, mi siáu enganat
Que vieu jamai leis estrassas plorar.
Pasmens as rason de metre lo òai
Paure de segur as besonh de trabalh
Per elei siás ren mai que de canalha
As pas sentit lo bruch de la saralha?
Per lo barri de voaturas cremadas
N'i a tròp,
Per lo barri de maires aploridas
N'i a tròp,
De pichonas totei desconsoladas
N'i a tròp,
De violéncias, de cavas marridas
N'i a tròp.
Ai grands lo perdon, per nautrei la maçuga!
Au mai siás pichon, au mai serà pesuga.
Si la justícia ti pareisse ruda
Dien pas parièr lei que t'an de fortuna,
Ti fan un viet per un paure pintaç
Dau temps qu'aquelei gents s'en foton plen lo nas,
Còmpta lei gròs monsurs empresonats!
E mi parlaràs pus d'egalitat.
La societat a ges de pietat
E lei raggas son pas estimats
Siáu pas aquí per ti faire cagar
Veni solament discutir e cantar.
The lyrics of Massilia Sound System's "Méfi!" (Chaabi mix) deal with issues related to police brutality, inequality, and social injustice. The song's chorus warns against confronting the police with anger or violence, advising listeners to be cautious and avoid risking their lives needlessly. Meanwhile, the verses criticize the government and its officials who supposedly protect corrupt individuals while ignoring the plight of the poor and powerless. The song paints a bleak picture of society, where cars are burned, families are broken, and violence is rampant, and argues that the justice system is rigged against ordinary people.
The phrase "Méfi!" itself is a Marseille slang term, meaning "Watch out!" or "Beware!", highlighting the fact that the song's message is meant to caution its listeners about the dangers of speaking out against authority figures. The lyrics are primarily in Occitan, a Romance language spoken in southern France, emphasizing the song's cultural roots in the region around Marseille. The use of Occitan and Arabic phrases reflects the multicultural make-up of Marseille and its history as a port city.
Line by Line Meaning
Mesfisa ti ben dau comissariat
Be careful near the police station
Que lei còndes ti mancaràn pas.
They will not miss your mistakes
Si parlas fòrt, si siás pas d'acòrd
If you speak loud or disagree
Si çò que viés ti fa venir lo racacòr,
If what you see makes you agitated
Es pas la pena de jugar ambé la mòrt.
It’s not worth risking your life
Ti dieu, d'aise, d'aise, fagues pas lo nervos!
Calm down and don’t get nervous
Que lei policiers son totjorn mai poderós,
Police officers are always more powerful
D'aise, d'aise, fagues pas ton orgueiós!
Don’t let your pride get in the way
Que lei policiers son totjorn mai dangeirós.
Police officers are always more dangerous
Mi meravilhi d'auvir lo menistre
I am surprised to hear the minister
Ti parlar de tei devers, de tei drechs,
Talking about your rights and obligations
Tot en protegent d'òmes senistres
All while protecting corrupt people
Que s'en garçan de la légalité.
Who get away with breaking the law
Pareisse que vivèm en republica
It seems like we live in a republic
E que la lei per toei lei gents s'applica,
And the law applies to everyone
Quaucaren truca, mi siáu enganat
I must be mistaken if anyone calls
Que vieu jamai leis estrassas plorar.
I never see the streets cry.
Pasmens as rason de metre lo òai
You have a reason to be watchful
Paure de segur as besonh de trabalh
Poor and insecure, you need to work
Per elei siás ren mai que de canalha
To them, you are nothing but a scoundrel
As pas sentit lo bruch de la saralha?
Haven’t you heard the sound of the herd?
Per lo barri de voaturas cremadas
For the neighborhood of burnt cars
N'i a tròp,
There are too many
Per lo barri de maires aploridas
For the neighborhood of crying mothers
N'i a tròp,
There are too many
De pichonas totei desconsoladas
Of little ones all distressed
N'i a tròp,
There are too many
De violéncias, de cavas marridas
Of violence, of ruined lives
N'i a tròp.
There are too many.
Ai grands lo perdon, per nautrei la maçuga!
Pardon them if you want, but not us!
Au mai siás pichon, au mai serà pesuga.
The smaller you are, the more they will weigh on you.
Si la justícia ti pareisse ruda
If justice seems harsh to you
Dien pas parièr lei que t'an de fortuna,
Don’t be like those who rely on luck
Ti fan un viet per un paure pintaç
They accuse you for a small offense
Dau temps qu'aquelei gents s'en foton plen lo nas,
While those people do whatever they want
Còmpta lei gròs monsurs empresonats!
Take note of the big bosses in jail!
E mi parlaràs pus d'egalitat.
And you won't talk to me about equality anymore.
La societat a ges de pietat
Society has no pity
E lei raggas son pas estimats
And the poor are not valued
Siáu pas aquí per ti faire cagar
I'm not here to make you angry
Veni solament discutir e cantar.
I come only to discuss and sing.
Writer(s): françois ridel - rené mazzarino - laurent garibaldi - dominique danger
Contributed by Cole M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.