Les Animals Lyrics in English Renaud

Below, I translated the lyrics of the song Les Animals by Renaud from French to English.
Me, I really like animals
Especially little cats
I also quite like horses
Owls and horned owls
I've had a passion not long ago
For beautiful phoenixes
I know one of them
He's fantastix
Back then they called him
Renaud, the fox
But since he drinks milk
He's way more laid-back
I'd love to talk to him
About my turtle Penelope
Who does nothing but hibernate
And who's a bit short-sighted
Me, I really like animals
Especially little cats
I also quite like horses
Owls and horned owls
My lifelong passion
Is sperm whales
Whales and their love affairs
The little whale calves
I also adore dolphins
And then narwhals
Or narvaos, even if that's lame
I don't care at all
I really like raptors
Sparrowhawks, eagles
Doves and slugs
Hello there, cheeky rhyme
Me, I really like animals
Especially little cats
I also quite like horses
Owls and horned owls
I love all the animals
From Noah's Ark
The worst, the most jackal-like
Is man and his fiancée
Who torture and slaughter
Really pretty bulls
In grim shows
And to loud cheers
For those ones I wish one day
That the scavengers
Come back to circle around
Their pale remains
So they end up a bit like
Bears, elephants
That we decimate or blow away
For the taste of blood
Me, I really like animals
Especially little cats
I also quite like horses
Owls and horned owls
Me, I really like animals
Especially little cats
I also quite like horses
Owls and horned owls
Owls and horned owls
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SONG MEANING

Renaud’s “Les Animals” is a cheeky love letter to the entire animal kingdom. The singer lists a joyful parade of creatures—from cuddly kittens and majestic phoenixes to lumbering cachalots—sprinkling in playful made-up plurals like chevals and narveaux. His whimsical roll call feels like a child’s picture book come to life, showing pure affection and curiosity for every species, no matter how big, small, common, or mythical.

Yet tucked beneath the humor is a sharp environmental message. After celebrating owls, dolphins, and even slugs, Renaud flips the spotlight onto humans, labeling us the “worst animals” for the cruelty we inflict through bullfights, trophy hunting, and other blood sports. The contrast is stark: animals simply are, while people choose violence. By the end, the song urges listeners to swap brutality for compassion and to protect the very creatures that make our world so vibrant.

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