Oualalaradime
Zebda Lyrics

Oui bon, j'avais tous les défauts
At the time, I had all the faults one could think of

Menteur comme un dentiste, comme y faut
I was a liar, and quite an expert in it

Dribbleur comme Scifo, j'ai dit Méco
I was good at dodging and deceiving people, just like a famous soccer player, and I bragged about it

Très tôt, je voulais pas bosser
From a very young age, I didn't want to work or study

Et comme Pinocchio mais sans la fée
Like Pinocchio, I lied a lot, but I didn't have any conscience or guidance to prevent me from doing so

J'ai méchamment menti et ça l'a fait
I lied big time, and it worked out for me

J'ai menti comme on tousse
I lied just as easily and naturally as coughing

Et sans qu'un long tarin me pousse
It wasn't like I had a long nose that would grow longer when I lied

J'en ai fait des coups en douce
I took advantage of my ability to deceive and did some shady business

Tu me crois, tu vaux pas un centime
If you believe me, then you are gullible and naive

Je le jure, oualalaradime
I swear by this silly word that I made up

Oui bon, j'étais comme Canto
I identified with a popular singer who was known for his rebellious behavior

Et je parlais aux mouettes en argot
I spoke in slang to seagulls, as if I was too cool for normal conversations

J'étais Walter Hugo, le poète !
I fancied myself as a poet, just like a famous one, and I wanted to be respected for my creativity

Faire le cow-boy avec des balles à blanc
I wanted to act like a cowboy and shoot fake bullets

Ramasser beaucoup d'oseille et vlan
I wanted to make a lot of money and do it quickly

A 10 ans, j'étais dur à cuire
Even at ten years old, I was tough and resilient

Je voulais passer mon permis de conduire
I was eager to start driving, even though I was too young for it

J'ai dit "signes, il m'faut une bagnole"
I begged the driving instructor to give me a car so I could learn how to drive

Si tu me crois, tu vaux pas un centime
If you believe me, you are foolish and shouldn't be trusted

Je te le jure, oualalaradime
I swear by this word that doesn't really mean anything

Ensuite, ma mère à coups d'insultes
My mother scolded me harshly and insulted me

Me disait, "Allez !, ne fais pas l'inculte
She would tell me to stop acting ignorant and to show some respect to adults

Dis bonjour, quand tu croises un adulte"
She would remind me to greet adults when I see them

Et moi têtu comme deux chameaux
But I was as stubborn as two camels

Qui se disputent un verre d'eau
Who fight over a glass of water

Il a fallu que je fasse le beau
I had to pretend to be polite and respectful

C'est l'adulte qui ôtait son chapeau
And strangely enough, it was the adult who showed me respect by tipping his hat

A 10 ans j'étais farouche
At ten years old, I was fierce and rebellious

Il aurait fallu me coudre la bouche
No one could stop me from talking and acting out

Si je garoffe c'est pour la rime
If I brag, it's only because it fits with the rhyme of the song

Je le jure sur la tête de Sim
I swear on this made-up name that I came up with

Mon père qu'était dans le bâtiment
My father worked in construction

Me faisait part de ses sentiments
He shared his emotions and opinions with me

Y avait plus qu'à regarder comment
It was evident just by looking at him

Je faisais croire à tous les copains
I lied to all my friends

Que pour me marave, y z'étaient vingt
I claimed that there were twenty guys who wanted to beat me up

A 10 ans, j'étais en colère
I was furious at ten years old

Qu'on voyait plus les bulletins scolaires
People no longer talked about my school grades

Mineur, j'avais l'avantage majeur
Since I was underage, I had some legal advantages

D'avoir mis à l'amende le facteur
I punished the postman for not delivering my letters, and got away with it