“N’importe quoi” (“Anything”)
"N'importe quoi" was Pagny’s first recorded song, made at the Studio Musika in Paris in 1987 under the supervision of Jean-Yves d’Angelo. Pagny composed the music and most of the lyrics, with contribution by Marion Vernoux. It became a hugely successful anti-drug anthem and Pagny’s second most successful single, after only “Savoir aimer” ten years later. The cover photo of the record jacket showed Pagny as his early rebellious self: leather jacket, cigarette in hand, cold-eye glare, and a three-quarter side shot of head that shows his earing.
This song is a monologue by one party (Florent) to another party who is addicted to drugs, exhibits all the symptoms thereof and is on the cusp of falling off the edge (“faire n’importe quoi”). In supplication mode, Florent tries to talk sense and prod a reaction by the other who never responds. The form of address is intimate (“tu”) and the feminine ending of a past participle (“qu’t’es perdue”) reveals that the other is female.
Originally called “Dis-moi,” Pagny changed the title. “N’importe quoi” literally means “no matter what,” but informally it can mean “anything,” “whatever,” “nonsense,” or even “BS.” In the specific context of this song, “n’importe quoi” becomes the final words of each of the three choruses and they refer vaguely to the likely tragic endgame or outcome of the situation that is underway.
The song has 8 Verses (V), 3 Choruses (C) and an Outro (O). The stanza sequence is: VVVV/C/VV/C/VV/C/O. Verses have 4 lines and Choruses have six lines. The first two Choruses are identical, while the third Chorus has small but significant lyric changes. All stanzas are rhymed. As the melody progresses with its short, percussive lyrics, the light keyboard instrumentation becomes supplemented by bass, guitar and drums leading eventually to arm-waving rounds of audience participation in the concert venue.
The version shown below occurred in summer 2003 at the Olympia music hall in Paris.
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Verse Dis-moi, pourquoi t'es comme ça Pourquoi ça va pas Pourquoi tu essaies pas Pourquoi tu ne veux pas Verse Dis-moi, pourquoi tu souris Et pourquoi tu pleures Pourquoi t'as envie Et pourquoi t'as peur Verse Dis-moi, pourquoi tu dis ça Pourquoi tu crois pas Pourquoi t'y crois plus Pourquoi tu sais plus Verse Tu vois, tu retrouves plus ta rue T'as paumé l'étage J'crois bien qu't'es perdue Tu marches pas, tu nages Chorus Et là, tu crois Qu'je vais rester là sans rien dire? Ah oui, tu crois Qu'je vais rester planté là A te voir partir dans tes délires Et te laisser faire n'importe quoi? Verse Dis-moi, pourquoi tu fais ça Pourquoi t'arrête pas Tu te fous en l'air Ça a l'air de t'plaire Verse Pourquoi, pourquoi tu comprends pas Que c'est pas vrai tout ça Que tu reviendras pas Si tu t'en vas par là? Chorus Et là, tu crois Qu'je vais rester sans rien dire? Ah oui, tu crois Qu'je vais rester planté là A te voir partir dans tes délires Et te laisser faire n'importe quoi? Verse Dis-toi, t'es en train de partir Tu t'es trompée d'navire T'as cassé ta dérive T'es en train d'te couler Verse Et moi, moi tu m'as oublié Moi, tu y as pas pensé? Moi tu m'as juste laissé Le droit de la fermer Chorus Et tu crois pas Qu'je vais rester sans rien dire? Ah non, crois pas Qu'je vais rester planté là A te voir mourir dans tes délires Te regarder faire n'importe quoi Outro Oh oh oh oh oh oh Oh oh oh oh oh oh |
Verse Tell me, why you are like that Why are things going badly Why aren’t you trying Why don’t you hope Verse Tell me, why do you smile And why do you cry Because you crave And because you are afraid Verse Tell me, why do you say that Why don’t you believe Why do you no longer believe Why do you no longer know Verse You know, you no longer find your path You’ve lost the landing I believe you are lost You don’t walk, you float Chorus And then, you believe That I will stay there and say nothing Oh, yes, you believe That I will remain there To see you fall into your delirium And let you do just anything? Verse Tell me, why do you do that Why don’t you stop You are killing yourself It seems to please you Verse Why, why don’t you understand That all of that is not true That you will never come back If you go that way? Chorus And then, you believe That I will stay and say nothing? Oh, yes, you believe That I will remain there To see you fall into your delirium And let you do just anything? Verse Consider, you are in the process of leaving You have missed the boat You are adrift You are slipping away Verse And me, you have forgotten me Me, you didn’t think about it? Me, you just left me The right to close it Chorus And you believe That I will just stay saying nothing? Oh no do not believe That I will remain there To see you die in your delirium And watch you do just anything Outro Oh oh oh oh oh oh Oh oh oh oh oh oh |
NB:
1)T'as paumé: “paumer” means “to lose;” informally, “les paumés” can mean “losers.”
2)Tu te fous en l'air: “se foutre en l’air” is an expression that means to commit suicide, kill oneself (toss oneself in the air).
3)t'es en train de: “être en train de” is a replacement for the present progressive which does not exist in French. The phrase precedes an infinitive and implies that an activity is both current and ongoing and not just a one-off.
4)Dis-toi: “don’t forget,” “keep in mind,” “consider.” This was the song’s original title.
1)T'as paumé: “paumer” means “to lose;” informally, “les paumés” can mean “losers.”
2)Tu te fous en l'air: “se foutre en l’air” is an expression that means to commit suicide, kill oneself (toss oneself in the air).
3)t'es en train de: “être en train de” is a replacement for the present progressive which does not exist in French. The phrase precedes an infinitive and implies that an activity is both current and ongoing and not just a one-off.
4)Dis-toi: “don’t forget,” “keep in mind,” “consider.” This was the song’s original title.
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