Ma Jolie Lyrics in English Claudio Capéo

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Below, I translated the lyrics of the song Ma Jolie by Claudio Capéo from French to English.

Little girl has tear-filled eyes this morning

But it's not the rain

It's her buddies

Who tell her she's fat

That she's ugly, that she's worth nothing

Seeing her cry

Maybe makes them feel good

She darkens pages

She writes poems

She talks about journeys

To forget problems

Her heart is growing older

But she's only a child

You'll set sail

One day of course

You'll see, my pretty, my pretty

Happiness is a gift

That we find when we forget ourselves

You'll see, my pretty, my pretty

Soon you'll laugh so hard

That the earth will shake with envy

Go fearless and smile

Oh my pretty

Go fearless and smile

Oh my pretty

Little girl is scared to walk into class

She wants to be invisible

To blend into the crowd

For her, there's no love

There's only judges with backpacks

Who wait for her in the yard

What is she guilty of

She grabs her guitar

To escape a bit

She makes up stories

Of marvelous princes

She draws mirages

With her child's eyes

You'll set sail

And death takes its time

You'll see, my pretty, my pretty

Happiness is a gift

That we find when we forget ourselves

You'll see, my pretty, my pretty

Soon you'll laugh so hard

That the earth will shake with envy

Go fearless and smile

Oh my pretty

Go fearless and smile

Oh my pretty

Little girl is gifted

She writes poems

At night in her notebook

She tells herself

You'll see, my pretty, my pretty

Happiness is a treasure

That we find when we forget ourselves

You'll see, my pretty, my pretty

Happiness is a gift

That we find when we forget ourselves

You'll see, my pretty, my pretty

Soon you'll laugh so hard

That the earth will shake with envy

Go fearless and smile

Oh my pretty

Go fearless and smile

Oh my pretty

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Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Nazim Khaled, Eddy Pradelles

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SONG MEANING

“Ma Jolie” paints the portrait of a sensitive schoolgirl who hides her tears behind rain-soaked eyes. Classmates tease her for being “grosse” or “moche,” and the playground feels more like a courtroom than a place to laugh. When words wound, she slips into her notebook, filling page after page with poems, mirages, and far-off voyages. Her guitar becomes a ticket to another world where kind princes wait and problems melt away.

Yet the song is anything but gloomy. Claudio Capéo becomes a gentle guardian, whispering a promise: “Tu verras, ma jolie… le bonheur est un présent que l’on retrouve quand on s’oublie.” In other words, joy comes when we stop judging ourselves through others’ eyes. The chorus rings like a pep-talk: soon she will laugh so loudly that the whole earth will “tremble with envy.” “Ma Jolie” is an uplifting hymn to creativity, self-belief, and the idea that even the most fragile child can grow into a force of nature—if she only dares to smile and step forward without fear.

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Claudio Capéo Ma Jolie Lyrics