Un Jour Ou L'autre Lyrics in English by Jali

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Below, I translated the lyrics of the song Un Jour Ou L'autre by Jali from French to English.

Ooooh perched at his window

He watches her go by

The little girl with pigtails

Never daring a glance, a smile

A nod, he watches her go by

To drift away, to leave, he watches for her return

When he sees her, it goes boom boom boom

Balabala boom boom

It goes boom boom when he sees her

Balabala boom boom

It goes boom boom when he sees her

His heart beats 'til it cracks his ribs

All he can do

Is hope to see her again someday

Ooooh perched at his window

He watches her go by

The young lady on her bicycle

He'd like to ask her to dance

One evening after school

Make her spin and spin

So her dress whirls

Maybe steal a kiss from her

On her doorstep

Speculating on his worth

Hoping he ranks high in her eyes

When he sees her, it goes boom boom boom

Balabala boom boom

It goes boom boom when he sees her

Balabala boom boom

It goes boom boom when he sees her

His heart beats 'til it cracks his ribs

All he can do

Is hope to see her again someday

Ooooh perched at his window

He watches her go by

The young woman poured into her green dress

Without delay

Four at a time he bounds down the steps

All that just to get closer

To admire her feline stride up close

A coffee, a meal, a love story, a break-up

Back at his window

He heads off on adventure again

A coffee, a meal, a love story, a break-up

Back at his window

He heads off on adventure again

When he sees her, it goes boom boom boom

Balabala boom boom

It goes boom boom when he sees her

Balabala boom boom

It goes boom boom when he sees her

His heart beats 'til it cracks his ribs

All he can do

Is hope to see her again someday

When he sees her, it goes boom boom boom

Balabala boom boom

It goes boom boom when he sees her

Balabala boom boom

It goes boom boom when he sees her

His heart beats 'til it cracks his ribs

All he can do

Is hope to see her again someday

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virevolte — twirls / spins

Virevolte comes from the verb virevolter, meaning to twirl, spin, or whirl around. It's a charming and visually evocative word that isn't as common as simpler verbs for movement.

In the song, the singer imagines inviting a girl to dance and hopes "Pour que sa robe virevolte" (So that her dress twirls). This word beautifully captures the lighthearted and romantic image of a dress swirling around during a dance, making it memorable and engaging.

Perched at his window like a day-dreaming lookout, the shy narrator watches the girl next door grow from a pig-tailed child into a confident young woman on her green dress–swishing bike. Each time she passes, his heart drums “boum boum boum… balabala boum boum!” Yet words fail him, so he builds whole love stories in his head: an invite to dance after school, a stolen kiss on her doorstep, even the glimmer of a coffee date and whirlwind romance.

That repeated refrain of a racing heartbeat turns the song into a playful anthem for unspoken crushes. “Un Jour Ou L’autre” (One Day Or Another) captures the universal thrill of longing—those moments when you promise yourself you’ll finally say hello tomorrow, while today you settle for watching, hoping, and letting your imagination do the talking. The result is a sweet, upbeat reminder that courage might lag behind desire, but hope keeps the rhythm alive.

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Jali Un Jour Ou L'autre Lyrics