Phantom
Pleymo Lyrics

The lyrics of Pleymo's song "Phantom" paint a powerful image of neglect and alienation. The first two lines describe someone who is ignored and silenced, someone who is "neglected" and "infligé de n'pas sortir un son" or made to feel like they cannot speak up. The lyrics continue to describe how society can be apathetic towards the suffering of others, as evidenced by the line "On se fout pas mal se savoir d'où il vient" which translates to "We don't care where he comes from". The singer then asks if this person is seen as "instable", though he appears to be nothing at all.

The song then takes a darker turn as it describes someone who is perhaps suicidal or deeply troubled, portrayed as "étouffait à rendre l'âme" or choking to the point of dying. The singer asks where were we when this person was trying to communicate their pain, using the repetition of "Où étions nous?" as a reminder of our failure to listen and act. The chorus is equally chilling, with the repeated use of "Il étouffait à rendre l'âme" hammering home the sense of urgency and desperation.

The third verse is perhaps the most haunting, as it describes "Jeremy" who "s'est privé du monde" or cut himself off from society. The singer admits to their own complicity, saying they "ont repris (leur) vie, suivi par son ombre" or resumed their own life while being haunted by the memory of this person. The phrase "non-assistance à personne oppressée" which means "failure to assist someone who is oppressed" serves as a condemnation of the singer and the rest of society for allowing this to happen. The song ends with the repeated line "J'ai vu un phantom" or "I saw a phantom", reminding us that the memory of this person will continue to loom large.