Passer ma route (Going My Way) (1995)
The song “Passer ma route” appeared on a 1995 album of the same name. In it, Maxime Le Forestier seems to express a determination to forge his own path in life, unencumbered by past experiences, existing relationships, or social expectations.
The song’s title, “passer ma route,” is likely unusual (and misleading) for many readers, but it is key to understanding Le Forestier and the song. Upon reflection, the song is actually a parody and, like some other portions of Le Forestier’s “oeuvre,” a mischievous play on words. Specifically, it reconfigures a conventional French expression “passer son chemin,” which means to proceed without stopping (“move on,” “go one’s way”) and can express a dismissive sense of “have it your way,” “walk away,” or “keep to your own path.”
Unlike Frank Sinatra’s earlier construction of “my way,” therefore, the song’s title does NOT signify an individualist goal-oriented, determined pursuit of an objective, which in French would be expressed “tracer son propre chemin.” Instead, Le Forestier construes “Passer ma route” to mean by-passing events or incidents without paying attention—in effect, avoiding distraction by things that one believes are of no personal concern. And he means it in a critical, sarcastic way.
To illustrate this concept, the official video for the song on You Tube depicts Le Forestier himself strolling down a street while singing the song, completely oblivious to the mayhem occurring around him (assassinations, accidents, arguments, attacks, explosions, etc). This particular video is not featured below in this post because the peripheral chaos in the video distracts from the music. It does, however, vividly reveal Le Forestier’s main point, which is essentially a parody of people who waltz through life “minding their own business” while neglecting human and social disintegration.
The song’s title, “passer ma route,” is likely unusual (and misleading) for many readers, but it is key to understanding Le Forestier and the song. Upon reflection, the song is actually a parody and, like some other portions of Le Forestier’s “oeuvre,” a mischievous play on words. Specifically, it reconfigures a conventional French expression “passer son chemin,” which means to proceed without stopping (“move on,” “go one’s way”) and can express a dismissive sense of “have it your way,” “walk away,” or “keep to your own path.”
Unlike Frank Sinatra’s earlier construction of “my way,” therefore, the song’s title does NOT signify an individualist goal-oriented, determined pursuit of an objective, which in French would be expressed “tracer son propre chemin.” Instead, Le Forestier construes “Passer ma route” to mean by-passing events or incidents without paying attention—in effect, avoiding distraction by things that one believes are of no personal concern. And he means it in a critical, sarcastic way.
To illustrate this concept, the official video for the song on You Tube depicts Le Forestier himself strolling down a street while singing the song, completely oblivious to the mayhem occurring around him (assassinations, accidents, arguments, attacks, explosions, etc). This particular video is not featured below in this post because the peripheral chaos in the video distracts from the music. It does, however, vividly reveal Le Forestier’s main point, which is essentially a parody of people who waltz through life “minding their own business” while neglecting human and social disintegration.
Les Enfoirés 2022
Le Forestier’s intention in this song, therefore, is not advocacy for individualism but sarcasm for disconnection. Familiarity with his personal history buttresses this conclusion. His story does not reveal a blind, oblivious lack of attention to social concerns. On the contrary, the song appeared in 1995, the same year he joined the group “Les Enfoirés.” Since its founding in 1986, this invitation-only French group of 40+ singers and performers has performed annual televised charity concerts to raise funds for “Les restos du coeur.” “Les restos” is a non-profit organization founded in 1986 by the comedian Michel Colucci (“Coluche”) to distribute food packages, meals and other services to needy persons. In selecting the group’s name, which means “The Bastards” (or worse) and is normally an insult, Coluche baptized it with the sarcastic sense of humor that he commonly employed with his audiences. Additionally, Le Forestier’s earlier song in 1987 “Né quelque part” demonstrated sensitivity to the human costs of anti-immigration legislation.
In light of this personal context, it is evident that Le Forestier is sketching a sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek depiction of people who blithely ignore social concerns while going their own way. As though to embellish the point of connectedness, “Passer ma route” is enlivened by an upbeat reggae melody by Jean-Pierre Sabar (also a collaborator in 1987 on “Né quelque part”) and backing vocals by Zouk Machine (an all-female “zouk” group from Guadeloupe).
Curiously, the song appeared in two different versions, one long and one short. The original long version (8.06 minutes) came first in the 1995 album "Passer ma route." It included 5 verses and 8 refrains. The second version (4.36 minutes) appeared in 1996 on the “Chienne de route” (“Road Bitch”) album with 3 verses, 5 refrains and 2 instrumental interludes. The song was abbreviated, perhaps to accommodate radio preferences to squeeze more songs into broadcasts as well as to exclude superfluous details that distracted from the narrative. The melody, while catchy, is basically simple and repeats many times during the original 8-minute song. The shortening re-sized it commensurately with other songs on both albums. The lyrics contain a variety of esoteric expressions and images that require extensive annotation in the notes following the translation.
The video and translation below feature the song’s short version. There are 8 stanzas, of which 5 are a recurrent refrain that repeats the main theme of the song (“Je fais que passer ma route…”) (“I’m only/just going my way”). The 3 verses recount his casting off irrelevant plans, ties that bind, and ritual encumbrances. The rhyme sequence of the 4-line verses and refrains is basically ABAB and the stanza structure is Verse/Refrain, Verse/Refrain/Refrain, Verse/Refrain/Refrain. An instrumental “bridge” occurs midway.
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Laissez-les dans les cartons, les plans de la planète. Faites-les sans moi, oubliez pas les fleurs. Quand ces rétroviseurs-là passent par la tête, J'ai du feu sur le gaz et j'm'attends ailleurs Je fais que passer ma route Pas vu celle tracée Passer entre les gouttes Évadé belle Parole après parole, note après note Elle voulait tout savoir sur ma vie J'ai tourné sept fois ma clé dans ses menottes Sept fois ma langue dans sa bouche et j'ai dit Je fais que passer ma route Pas vu celle tracée Passer entre les gouttes Évadé belle NB: Instrumental riff here Je fais que passer ma route Pas vu celle tracée Passer entre les gouttes Évadé belle Est-ce que c'est un marabout? Un bout de ficelle Un gri-gri que j'aurais eu sans le savoir Chez les tambours des sorciers, sous les échelles Dans les culs-de-sac infestés de chats noirs. Je fais que passer ma route Pas vu celle tracée Passer entre les gouttes Évadé belle. Je fais que passer ma route Pas vu celle tracée Passer entre les gouttes Évadé belle. NB: Instrumental ends the short version here; long version ends with choral contribution |
Leave them in the boxes, the planet's plans. Do them without me, and don't forget the flowers. When rearview mirrors pass through my head, I've got fire on the gas, and I’m expected elsewhere. I'm only going my way Not seen the one provided Avoiding the worst Nice escape. Word by word, bit by bit She wanted to know everything about my life I turned my key seven times in her handcuffs Seven times my tongue in her mouth and I said: I'm only going my way Not seen the one provided Avoiding the worst Nice escape NB: Instrumental riff here I'm only going my way Not seen the one provided Avoiding the worst Nice escape Is this a marabout? A piece of string. A lucky charm that I’d had without knowing? Amid the sorcerers' drums, under the ladders In the dead-ends infested with black cats. I'm only going my way Not seen the one provided Avoiding the worst Nice escape. I'm only going my way Not seen the one provided Avoiding the worst Nice escape. NB: Instrumental ends the short version here; long version ends with choral contribution |
NB:
1) “oubliez pas les fleurs:” “don’t forget the flowers.” This expression invokes the custom of placing flowers on graves (the pre-fab plans that he discards). Here, as elsewhere, Le Forestier drops the negative “ne” before the verb.
2) “ces rétroviseurs-là:” a “rétroviseur” is a rear-view mirror. Here, it symbolizes memories and recollections tied to the past that he wants to ignore.
3) “J'ai du feu sur le gaz:” In saying that he has “fire on the gas,” Le Forestier means he’s ready to go (“pedal to the metal”) and alludes to a French expression “avoir le feu au cul” (“have one’s ass on fire”).
4) “j'm'attends ailleurs:” the active verb “attendre” (“to wait”) changes meaning when used as a reflexive verb “s’attendre” which means “to expect.” It can also (as here) convey a significant personal longing for something “look forward to” (being elsewhere in this case). It is usually followed by “à” as in “s’attendre à” something.
5) “Je fais que:” French has two ways to say “only:” 1) “seulement,” and 2) “ne...que.” When using “ne...que,” the “ne” comes before the verb and the “que” just before the “only” thing. Le Forestier uses an abbreviation by dropping “ne” before the verb “fais.” In spoken French negative constructions, the “ne” is often dropped and it is dropped here as well and throughout the song.
6) “Passer entre les gouttes:” this common expression means to “avoid the worst” by evoking an image of threading a delicate path through falling raindrops.
7) “Évadé belle:” “nice” or “narrow” escape, “close shave.”
8) “J'ai tourné sept fois ma clé dans ses menottes, Sept fois ma langue dans sa bouche et j'ai dit:” Le Forestier refers to a relationship with a woman that was tying him down. These two lines resurrect a classic French proverb that encourages caution and care: “Il faut tourner sa langue sept fois dans sa bouche avant de parler” (“turn your tongue in your mouth seven times before speaking”). This admonition is often thought to encourage cultural reserve and aversion to spontaneity. The close English equivalent (“look before you leap”) differs in two ways: it replaces a verbal reference with an action orientation and it lacks the exquisite precision (7 times) of the French proverb. Le Forestier also makes a subtle allusion to a “French Kiss” when he twists the proverb to say “ma langue dans sa bouche.”
9) “un marabout:” a sorcerer or witch doctor. Le Forestier invokes African images throughout this stanza. His sister Catherine spent 1971-78 in Morocco where she adopted the name Aziza.
10) “Un gri-gri:” a West African Voodoo good-luck charm, talisman or amulet.
11) Chez les tambours des sorciers, sous les échelles, Dans les culs-de-sac infestés de chats noirs: The sorcerers’ drums, under ladders, and black cats are all symbols of bad luck.
1) “oubliez pas les fleurs:” “don’t forget the flowers.” This expression invokes the custom of placing flowers on graves (the pre-fab plans that he discards). Here, as elsewhere, Le Forestier drops the negative “ne” before the verb.
2) “ces rétroviseurs-là:” a “rétroviseur” is a rear-view mirror. Here, it symbolizes memories and recollections tied to the past that he wants to ignore.
3) “J'ai du feu sur le gaz:” In saying that he has “fire on the gas,” Le Forestier means he’s ready to go (“pedal to the metal”) and alludes to a French expression “avoir le feu au cul” (“have one’s ass on fire”).
4) “j'm'attends ailleurs:” the active verb “attendre” (“to wait”) changes meaning when used as a reflexive verb “s’attendre” which means “to expect.” It can also (as here) convey a significant personal longing for something “look forward to” (being elsewhere in this case). It is usually followed by “à” as in “s’attendre à” something.
5) “Je fais que:” French has two ways to say “only:” 1) “seulement,” and 2) “ne...que.” When using “ne...que,” the “ne” comes before the verb and the “que” just before the “only” thing. Le Forestier uses an abbreviation by dropping “ne” before the verb “fais.” In spoken French negative constructions, the “ne” is often dropped and it is dropped here as well and throughout the song.
6) “Passer entre les gouttes:” this common expression means to “avoid the worst” by evoking an image of threading a delicate path through falling raindrops.
7) “Évadé belle:” “nice” or “narrow” escape, “close shave.”
8) “J'ai tourné sept fois ma clé dans ses menottes, Sept fois ma langue dans sa bouche et j'ai dit:” Le Forestier refers to a relationship with a woman that was tying him down. These two lines resurrect a classic French proverb that encourages caution and care: “Il faut tourner sa langue sept fois dans sa bouche avant de parler” (“turn your tongue in your mouth seven times before speaking”). This admonition is often thought to encourage cultural reserve and aversion to spontaneity. The close English equivalent (“look before you leap”) differs in two ways: it replaces a verbal reference with an action orientation and it lacks the exquisite precision (7 times) of the French proverb. Le Forestier also makes a subtle allusion to a “French Kiss” when he twists the proverb to say “ma langue dans sa bouche.”
9) “un marabout:” a sorcerer or witch doctor. Le Forestier invokes African images throughout this stanza. His sister Catherine spent 1971-78 in Morocco where she adopted the name Aziza.
10) “Un gri-gri:” a West African Voodoo good-luck charm, talisman or amulet.
11) Chez les tambours des sorciers, sous les échelles, Dans les culs-de-sac infestés de chats noirs: The sorcerers’ drums, under ladders, and black cats are all symbols of bad luck.
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