Ça Marche Lyrics in English Christophe Maé

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Below, I translated the lyrics of the song Ça Marche by Christophe Maé from French to English.

It's all in the look

That's a certainty

It's all in the style and the pose attitude

Put crabs in a basket

That's society

Panurges and sharks teamed up

Arm in arm

One on top of the other in the mud

As long as we can still stand

Climb the steps

No respect, no faith, no law

Over those who don't measure up

And it'll keep spinning like that

As long as it works

Each one has their wounds

And their habits

Each in the jungle has a thirst for altitude

Wolves in the sheepfold

Beastly comedy

Since vile and world got united

Arm in arm

One on top of the other in the mud

As long as we can still stand

Climb the steps

No respect, no faith, no law

Over those who don't measure up

And it'll keep spinning like that

As long as it keeps working

Man's an animal

Said to be civilized

For whom everything's parades and social scenes

Between males and females

It's a species heading for disparity

La la la la la la la

no, la la la

Arm in arm

One on top of the other in the mud

As long as we can still stand

Climb the steps

No respect, no faith, no law

Over those who don't measure up

And it'll keep spinning like that

As long as it keeps working

Arm in arm

Arm under

One on top of the other in the mud

Arm under

It works arm over and arm under

It, one on top of the other in the mud

It, as long as we still can

Climb the steps

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SONG MEANING

“Ça Marche” invites us into a chaotic carnival where style outranks substance and survival of the flashiest is the only rule. Christophe Maé lines up a menagerie of crabs, wolves, sharks, and sheep to paint modern society as a muddy pit in which everyone claws upward, arm in arm yet elbowing for space. Polite masks, designer poses, and cocktail-party smiles hide a ruthless scramble up the social staircase; those who “do not make the weight” are simply trampled and forgotten.

The looping chorus—“tant que ça marche” (as long as it works)—carries a wink and a warning. Maé suggests that people will keep playing this beastly game until the gears finally jam, forcing a change of heart. Beneath the catchy rhythm lies a challenge to the listener: Is climbing higher worth losing compassion along the way? The song’s playful groove sugar-coats a stark message about ego, competition, and the fragile veneer of civilization.

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Christophe Maé Ça Marche Lyrics