Ridsa released his first album Mes histoires on 2 June 2014 with collaborations with Wanz, Dieselle, Pépé Rosso and Angèle. The album peaked at number 44 on SNEP, the official French Albums Chart. The follow-up album L.O.V.E released on 9 March 2015 that made it to number 16. It had collaborations with Marvin, Dieselle, Souf and DJ Kayz. He had further chart success with collaborations notably with Souf in the single "Baby" and with Kenza Farah in "Liées". His third album Tranquille was released on 11 December 2015 with the track "Là c'est die" from the album became his biggest commercial success reaching number 5 on SNEP, the French official singles chart. A second track from the album "Pardon" also charted in SNEP.
Je vais bien
Ridsa Lyrics
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Il faisait rire les gens mais ne riait jamais
J'ai vu des femmes se tordre juste pour lui plaire
Mais on disait de lui qu'il était solitaire
Même en étant entouré, il avait l'air seul
Il parlait pas de lui mais avait de bons conseils
Quand on le croisait, il avait l'air ailleurs
Solitaire
Solitaire
Et quand on lui demandait, il disait je vais bien
Je vais bien, je vais bien
Quand les gens le jugeaient, il disait c'est rien
C'est rien, c'est rien
Et quand on lui demandait, il disait je vais bien
Je vais bien, je vais bien
As-tu été heureux? Il disait c'est loin
C'est loin, c'est loin
Il devenait timide face au regard des gens
Il avait l'air aigri à la fois attachant
On le trouvait discret, on le trouvait distant
Mais on sentait un vide quand il était absent
Toute façon on finit seul, c'est ce qu'il disait souvent
Il se méfiait de tout et quitte à faire semblant
J'ai vu des femmes courir pour avoir de son temps
Les promesses qu'on lui faisait pour lui c'était que du vent
Et quand on lui demandait, il disait je vais bien
Je vais bien, je vais bien
Quand les gens le jugeaient, il disait c'est rien
C'est rien, c'est rien
Et quand on lui demandait, il disait je vais bien
Je vais bien, je vais bien
As-tu été heureux? Il disait c'est loin
C'est loin, c'est loin
On avait beau l'attendre et il ne venait pas
Il avait pas besoin de nous, nous besoin de lui
Chaque fois qu'on lui demander ce qui n'allait pas
Il répondait et toi raconte moi ta vie
On lui tendait la main il n'en voulait pas
Il nous parlait d'amour même sans le vivre
Et lors ce qu'on le fixait, lui, il tournait le regard
Il nous souhaitait le bonheur juste avant de partir
Et quand on lui demandait, il disait je vais bien
Je vais bien, je vais bien
Quand les gens le jugeaient, il disait c'est rien
C'est rien, c'est rien
Et quand on lui demandait, il disait je vais bien
Je vais bien, je vais bien
As-tu été heureux? Il disait c'est loin
C'est loin, c'est loin
The song “Je vais bien” by French rapper Ridsa speaks to the experience of a man who appears detached and isolated from those around him, despite his interactions with others. The first verse describes this man’s worn-out appearance, made even more prominent by the dark circles under his eyes. While people were drawn to him, he never seemed to reciprocate their amusement. Women tried to win his favor, but he was known to be a loner. Even though he was surrounded by people, he still managed to look alone. He didn't talk about himself, but offered good advice. When encountered, he seemed to be elsewhere, leading people to describe him as lonely. Despite this, when asked how he was doing, he always replied that he was doing well, and when people judged him, he simply shrugged it off.
The second verse remarks on how he turned shy around others, and people found him both gruff and personable. He was characterized by discretion and distance, but people always sensed his absence. He often stated that everyone ends up alone, distrusting everything and even faking it when necessary. Women pursued him, promising him things he knew wouldn't last. Even then, when others showed concern, he reassured them that he was okay. He had refused help so many times that people had given up offering. Whenever anyone asked what was wrong, he would deflect the question back at them, wanting to know about their lives instead. Finally, when the time came to say goodbye, he would wish them happiness.
In many ways, “Je vais bien” is a poignant ode to depression and loneliness. The lyrics speak to the many ways that people can be emotionally distant, and the song underscores the challenge of helping someone who consistently rejects offers of support. The fact that the refrain consists of the titular phrase “je vais bien” (I'm doing well), which is repeated throughout the song, adds to the sense of isolation and the mask that people often feel they need to wear. The song is also notable for its use of French slang, which adds to the authenticity of Ridsa's voice and message.
Line by Line Meaning
Son regard était vide, démarqué par les cernes
His gaze was empty, marked by dark circles
Il faisait rire les gens mais ne riait jamais
He made people laugh but never laughed himself
J'ai vu des femmes se tordre juste pour lui plaire
I saw women contort themselves just to please him
Mais on disait de lui qu'il était solitaire
But people said he was lonely
Même en étant entouré, il avait l'air seul
Even when surrounded, he looked alone
Il parlait pas de lui mais avait de bons conseils
He didn't talk about himself but had good advice
Quand on le croisait, il avait l'air ailleurs
When we crossed paths, he seemed elsewhere
Et quand on lui demandait, il disait je vais bien
And when asked how he was, he said he was fine
Quand les gens le jugeaient, il disait c'est rien
When people judged him, he said it was nothing
As-tu été heureux? Il disait c'est loin
Were you happy? He said it was far away
Il devenait timide face au regard des gens
He became shy in front of people's gazes
Il avait l'air aigri à la fois attachant
He seemed bitter yet endearing
On le trouvait discret, on le trouvait distant
We found him discreet, we found him distant
Mais on sentait un vide quand il était absent
But we felt an emptiness when he was gone
Toute façon on finit seul, c'est ce qu'il disait souvent
Anyway, we end up alone, that's what he often said
Il se méfiait de tout et quitte à faire semblant
He distrusted everything and even pretended
J'ai vu des femmes courir pour avoir de son temps
I saw women run to have some of his time
Les promesses qu'on lui faisait pour lui c'était que du vent
The promises made to him were just empty words
On avait beau l'attendre et il ne venait pas
We waited for him in vain and he never came
Il avait pas besoin de nous, nous besoin de lui
He didn't need us, we needed him
Chaque fois qu'on lui demander ce qui n'allait pas
Every time we asked him what was wrong
Il répondait et toi raconte moi ta vie
He would answer, and you, tell me about your life
On lui tendait la main il n'en voulait pas
We offered him a hand, but he didn't want it
Il nous parlait d'amour même sans le vivre
He talked to us about love even without experiencing it
Et lors ce qu'on le fixait, lui, il tournait le regard
And when we stared at him, he looked away
Il nous souhaitait le bonheur juste avant de partir
He wished us happiness just before leaving
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Maxence Boitez, Stany Kibulu
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind