Now playing on my French song playlist:

Title: J’étais pas là

Songwriters: Vincent Dinis, Florian Ordoñez, Olivio Ordoñez, Jesse Singer, Christopher Soper

Performed by: Bigflo & Oli

Lyrics I like:

Ils nous ont dit pas besoin de masque
Ensuite si, remettez le masque
Moi, j’avais pas d’masque mais
Pour aller acheter un masque, il m’fallait un masque…

J’étais pas là
Mais j’ai rien raté, mais j’ai rien raté
J’étais pas là
Qu’est-c’qui s’est passé?
Qu’est-c’qui s’est passé?
Ça fait deux ans qu’j’ai pas fait de story

Translation:

They told us no need for a mask
Then yes, put the mask back on
Me, I didn’t have a mask but
To go buy a mask, I needed a mask…

I was not here
But I didn’t miss anything, but I didn’t miss anything
I was not here
What happened?
What happened?
It’s been two years since I made a story…

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*music & lyrics | all rights reserved*

I like to listen to songs en français, so I won’t forget the French I learned in school! Are you studying French? I hope you’ll find this series entertaining and helpful, too!

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The first time I’d heard a Bigflo & Oli song was in a Supermarché G20 near Montmartre in Paris, and I was hooked! Their song, Papa, immediately piqued my interest in their style of hip-hop and rap in bilingual French-Spanish and French-English. In June 2022, they released their fourth album, which I currently have on repeat.

I like some of the humorous lyrics in J’étais pas là, especially the timely verse about wearing face masks due to the pandemic. Who can keep track of the face mask rules anyway?

For example, here in California, where I live, the face mask rules change so often (and vary by county!) that it’s hard to remember whether to keep them on or off! Depending on the setting, face masks are either strongly recommended, required, or optional regardless of one’s vaccination status.

I’m curious: what are the current rules about face masks where you live?

I, for one, have never stopped wearing face masks. Hear me out: I’m not virtue signaling here. You do you. I’m neither an anti-masker nor a nervous Nellie. Frankly, I’m just lazy. For me, it’s just easier to wear a mask whenever I leave my home. It’s become automatic, like taking my keys or my phone with me.

For me, there’s an added benefit. Apart from its intended purpose, the mask has given me more confidence to speak up. Before masks, people would look at my mouth while I spoke, which made me super self-conscious of my crooked teeth. As a result, I’d developed a nervous habit of covering my mouth, speaking too fast, and not enunciating my words. Wearing a face mask forces me to project my voice, speak slowly, and emote with my eyes! Ironically, now that a mask partially covers my face, I feel heard!

I got this fun red lips mask from French Wink, the New York-based boutique and online shop. Isn’t it glam? It’s double-layered with a filter pocket and it’s washable. You can get yours today: go to the French Wink website (this is an affiliate link) and search for “Face Mask Bisou Bisou.”

Until next Music Monday, have a good week ahead. ☀️ As always, tell me about French songs you like and I’ll add ‘em to my playlist. Merci !