Pam-Pa-Nam Lyrics in English by Oxmo Puccino
Below, I translated the lyrics of the song Pam-Pa-Nam by Oxmo Puccino from French to English.
J'ai grandi sur une île sans mer, aux vagues sèches et grises
I grew up on an island without sea, with dry and gray waves
Sur les hauteurs, je flottais en visant les autres rives
On the heights, I floated aiming for the other shores
Des globules métissés circulent dans les artères bouchées
Mixed blood cells circulate in the clogged arteries
Du cannibale, aux mille pattes métallique roulant dans ses bouches
Of the cannibal, with a thousand metallic legs rolling in its mouths
Qui à l'aube crachent des gens qui baillent, et les mangent aux heures de pointe
Which at dawn spit out people who yawn, and eat them at rush hour
Les titis n'ont pas le temps de leur ville, les passants viennent de loin
The kids don't have time for their city, passers-by come from afar
Nous, dès qu'on veut profiter d'elle un peu la vie se complique
Us, as soon as we want to enjoy it a little, life gets complicated
Courir sans la forme olympique, vous trace le regard oblique
Running without Olympic form, draws you an oblique gaze
À force de pression constante, la tension va s'estomper
With constant pressure, the tension will fade away
Par imprudence des gens qui s'aiment, sans gare, se laissent tomber
Through imprudence of people who love each other, without a station, they let themselves fall
Je démontre un escargot à la coquille dure à pénétrer
I demonstrate a snail with a shell hard to penetrate
Mais le monstre est beau, à chaque retour, vous reconnaîtrez
But the monster is beautiful, with each return, you'll recognize it
Pam Pam Pa Nam
Pam Pam Pa Nam
Pam Pam Nam
Pam Pam Nam
Pam Pa Nam
Pam Pa Nam
Une créature de bitume, sa voix ferrée te crie dessus
A creature of asphalt, its railway voice screams at you
Chuchote au marteau piqueur, les petits coeurs sont des fissures
Whispers to the jackhammer, little hearts are cracks
Le temps se divise par quatre dans son oesophage
Time divides by four in its esophagus
C'est lui la bête mais c'est nous qui sommes en cage
It's him the beast but it's us who are in a cage
Sans changer de taille il grossit au risque
Without changing size it grows at the risk
De serrer sa ceinture jusqu'à déchirer le périphérique
Of tightening its belt until the ring road tears
À part sur l'avenue tu feras pas dix mètres sans toucher le mur
Except on the avenue you won't go ten meters without hitting the wall
Ou, sans qu'on te bouscule face aux fourmis, tu te sens ridicule
Or, without being jostled in front of the ants, you feel ridiculous
Après tout, que serait Batman sans Gotham ?
After all, what would Batman be without Gotham?
Quand le monstre s'assombrit, que les sourires diminuent
When the monster darkens, when smiles diminish
C'est à cause des gratte-ciels que les nuages éternuent
It's because of the skyscrapers that the clouds sneeze
Alors l'orage gronde et la foudre précède un
Then the storm rumbles and lightning precedes a
Pam Pam Pa Nam
Pam Pam Pa Nam
Pam Pam Nam
Pam Pam Nam
Pam Pa Nam
Pam Pa Nam
Même dans ses rares passages, le soleil sait se faire beau
Even in its rare appearances, the sun knows how to make itself beautiful
La chaleur accueillie, telle un joli fardeau
The warmth welcomed, like a pretty burden
Magistrale au mois de mai, la joie devient capitale
Magistral in May, joy becomes capital
À demi nues sur les terrasses, les fraîcheurs sont admirables
Half-naked on the terraces, the cool breezes are admirable
Les quais sont florissants, inondés de coulées vertes
The quays are flourishing, flooded with green flows
Chaque rencontre se change en amicale découverte
Every encounter turns into a friendly discovery
Agrippés aux ailes des bateaux mouches
Clinging to the wings of the Bateaux Mouches
Dans les parcs on pique-nique en chantant
In the parks we picnic while singing
Pam Pam Pa Nam
Pam Pam Pa Nam
Pam Pam Nam
Pam Pam Nam
Pam Pa Nam
Pam Pa Nam
Lyrics and Translations Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lyrics © DERRIERE LES PLANCHES D L P, WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC FRANCE
Abdoulaye Diarra
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bitume — asphalt / tarmac
Bitume literally translates to "asphalt" or "tarmac". It's an interesting word choice because it's not commonly used in song lyrics, especially in such a personified way.
In the song, Oxmo Puccino uses "créature de bitume" (creature of asphalt) to describe the city itself. This personification gives the urban landscape a living, breathing quality, highlighting its harshness and omnipresence. It's a unique and evocative way to refer to the city, making it a memorable word from the lyrics.
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