L'enfer Lyrics in English by Stromae

Enfer literally translates to "hell". It's a powerful and dramatic word that you don't often see as the title of a pop song.

In this deeply personal track, Stromae uses enfer not in a religious sense, but as a metaphor for the internal torment of battling dark thoughts. He sings, "Ces pensées qui me font vivre un enfer" (These thoughts that make me live a hell), poignantly describing a state of mental suffering.

Don't let the dance beat fool you! Belgian artist Stromae has a talent for making you move to songs with incredibly serious lyrics, and "L'enfer" is a perfect example. The title means "Hell," and he's talking about the personal hell of mental struggle. He starts by admitting a strange contradiction: he knows he's not the only person who feels lonely—in fact, there are "Beaucoup" [A lot] of people—but as he says, "malgré tout, je m'sens tout seul" [despite everything, I feel all alone]. It's that feeling of being isolated even when you're surrounded by people who might understand.

Then he gets incredibly direct about the darkness in his head, admitting, "J'ai parfois eu des pensées suicidaires / Et j'en suis peu fier" [I've sometimes had suicidal thoughts / And I'm not very proud of it]. He describes these thoughts as a way to silence the noise, the constant mental pain that makes him feel like he's living through hell. It's a powerful and honest look at depression, where even the act of thinking becomes the enemy. The song is a brave conversation about a topic many people find difficult to discuss, all set to music that makes you want to get on the dance floor.