Fils De Joie Lyrics in English Stromae

Below, I translated the lyrics of the song Fils De Joie by Stromae from French to English.
Being alone is difficult
And there, it's been years
And judging is easy
Especially when you haven't tasted it
The hardest part, well, was the first time
Then the hardest part is knowing
When will be the last time
It's true, I'm not against
A little tenderness from time to time
And then, this time, well
I could do it by insulting her
Yes, everything is negotiable in life
For a fee
Plus, I'm surely her best customer
But
Just leave my mom alone
Yes, I know
It's true she's not perfect
She's a hero
And I will always proudly talk about her
I'm a son of a b*tch, as they say
After all she's done for them
Forgive their stupidity
Oh dear mother
They dehumanize you
It's easier
The same ones court you
And everyone turns a blind eye
Why does everyone hate me?
When I'm the one who feeds them
Their lives would be much more modest
Without me, they'd be rotten
The bed and security
Have a price, Madam
Well yes, everything in life has a cost
Hadn't they ever taught you that?
I'm accused of
Trafficking human beings
But fifty, forty, thirty
Or twenty percent, that's already good
They shouldn't think
Too much of themselves as models
Ladies, or should I say wh*res
But
Just leave my mom alone
Yes, I know
It's true she's not perfect
She's a hero
And I will always proudly talk about her
I'm a son of a b*tch, as they say
After all she's done for them
Forgive their stupidity
Oh dear mother
They dehumanize you
It's easier
The same ones court you
And everyone turns a blind eye
I know it's your job
But I have to do mine, right?
Between yours and mine
The difference
Is that I pay taxes
Come on, move along, Madam
Take back your papers
And what's left of your dignity
Poor woman
Find yourself a real job
But
Just leave my mom alone
Yes, I know
It's true she's not perfect
She's a hero
And I will always proudly talk about her
I'm a son of a b*tch, as they say
After all she's done for them
Forgive their stupidity
Oh dear mother
They dehumanize you
It's easier
The same ones court you
And everyone turns a blind eye
Forgive their stupidity
O dear mother
They dehumanize you
It's easier
The same people court you
And everyone closes their eyes
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SONG MEANING

**Stromae’s “Fils De Joie” throws us into a vibrant, theatrical mini-drama where the singer adopts several roles to expose society’s love-hate relationship with sex work. The main narrator is a proud son of a prostitute who defends his mother’s dignity while mocking those who buy her services in secret and insult her in public. By flipping the hurtful insult fils de pute into the playful title fils de joie (child of joy), Stromae invites us to question who really deserves the shame: the woman who works to survive, or the hypocrites who judge her.

The track then jumps between the voices of a cynical client, an exploitative pimp and a cold-hearted policeman, creating a dizzying carousel of viewpoints that reveal greed, moral double standards and institutional neglect. With infectious rhythms and razor-sharp lyrics, Stromae turns a personal story into a wider social critique, reminding listeners that empathy costs nothing, while prejudice and exploitation cost lives.

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