Carmen by Stromae Lyrics Meaning – Decoding the Digital Age of Disposable Love
Lyrics
On est bleu de lui, seulement pour 48 heures
D’abord on s’affilie, ensuite on se follow
On en devient fêlé, et on finit solo
(Prends garde à toi)
Et à tous ceux qui vous like
Et les sourires en plastique sont souvent des coups d’hashtag
(Prends garde à toi)
Ah, les amis, les potes ou les followers
Vous faites erreurs, vous avez juste la côte
Prends garde à toi
Si tu t’aimes
Garde à moi
Si je m’aime
Garde à nous, garde à eux
Garde à vous, et puis chacun pour soi
Et c’est comme ça qu’on s’aime-s’aime-s’aime-s’aime
Comme ça consomme, ‘somme-‘somme-‘somme-‘somme
Et c’est comme ça qu’on s’aime-s’aime-s’aime-s’aime
Comme ça consomme, ‘somme-‘somme-‘somme-‘somme
Et c’est comme ça qu’on s’aime-s’aime-s’aime-s’aime
Comme ça consomme, ‘somme-‘somme-‘somme-‘somme
Et c’est comme ça qu’on s’aime-s’aime-s’aime-s’aime
Comme ça consomme, ‘somme-‘somme-‘somme-‘somme
L’amour est enfant de la consommation
Il voudra toujours-toujours-toujours plus de choix
Voulez-voulez-vous des sentiments tombés du camion?
L’offre et la demande pour unique et seule loi
(Prends garde à toi)
Mais j’en connais déjà les dangers
Moi, j’ai gardé mon ticket et s’il le faut, je vais l’échanger, moi
(Prends garde à toi)
Et s’il le faut, j’irais me venger, moi
Cet oiseau d’malheur, je le mets en cage
J’le fais chanter, moi
Prends garde à toi
Si tu t’aimes
Garde à moi
Si je m’aime
Garde à nous, garde à eux
Garde à vous, et puis chacun pour soi
Et c’est comme ça qu’on s’aime-s’aime-s’aime-s’aime
Comme ça consomme, ‘somme-‘somme-‘somme-‘somme
Et c’est comme ça qu’on s’aime-s’aime-s’aime-s’aime
Comme ça consomme, ‘somme-‘somme-‘somme-‘somme
Et c’est comme ça qu’on s’aime-s’aime-s’aime-s’aime
Comme ça consomme, ‘somme-‘somme-‘somme-‘somme
Et c’est comme ça qu’on s’aime-s’aime-s’aime-s’aime
Comme ça consomme, ‘somme-‘somme-‘somme-‘somme
Un jour t’achètes, un jour tu aimes
Un jour tu jettes, mais un jour, tu payes
Un jour tu verras, on s’aimera
Mais avant on crèvera tous, comme des rats
In a world incessantly scrolling through curated lives and superficial connections, Stromae’s ‘Carmen’ hits like a powerful tide, washing over the digital façade to reveal the undercurrents of modern love. A master of blending infectious melodies with profound commentary, Stromae has cemented his place as a musical savant, unafraid to delve into the complexities of contemporary society.
The song, which at first listen may come across as a catchy tune, upon closer inspection unravels layers of nuanced critique on consumerism’s insidious infiltration into our most personal of realms – love and relationships. Let’s take a journey through ‘Carmen’ and unpack the weighty messages embedded within its harmonies and verses.
A Love Bird Chained by Hashtags: The Metaphor of Twitter
Stromae creatively invokes the imagery of Twitter’s iconic blue bird to symbolize the fleeting and fickle nature of love in the age of social media. The verses paint a vivid picture of a love that is intense but temporary, a whirlwind affair with digital hearts that lasts only as long as the notifications keep ringing.
As the opening lines equate love with the social platform, we start to comprehend the song’s broader message: our emotions are becoming commodified, subject to the whims of social media engagement. We affiliate, we follow, and eventually, the fracture occurs, leaving us ‘solo,’ adrift in the digital sea.
Disposable Affections: The Hook that Captures Our Era
Through a powerful chorus, Stromae lays bare the transactional nature of modern relationships. ‘Love’ has become another item on the endless shelf of consumer choices, where demand dictates supply and the quest for more is unending.
Stromae’s repetition of ‘s’aime’ (love) and ‘consomme’ (consume) is more than a clever play on words; it’s a lament for a society where to love is to consume and to consume is to love. The warning in his words resonates deeply with a culture that’s trading lasting bonds for the instant gratification of ‘likes’ and fleeting validation.
The Plastic Smiles of a #Hashtagged Happiness
Acknowledging the duplicity of online personas, Stromae’s ‘Carmen’ uncovers the dark side of virtual accolades. What lies behind ‘plastic smiles’ and emojis are often strategic moves in the social media chess game, where a hashtag can strike as swiftly as a sword.
This verse acts as a caution, beckoning us to be wary of the artificial, curated facades that hide true emotions. It questions the depth and sincerity of relationships built in digital arenas, where ‘likes’ may very well be just another currency in the economy of attention.
Unveiling the Hidden Truth: A Cage for the Ominous Bird
In a defiant stance against the destructive forces of social media on our emotional lives, Stromae speaks of imprisoning the bird of misfortune. Symbolically caging the physical manifestation of Twitter hints at a desire to reclaim control over how we perceive and experience love.
By vowing to make the bird sing, Stromae is perhaps proposing that we can harmonize our online behaviors with our innate longing for genuine connection. The artist dares us to turn the tables on a platform that has conditioned us to view relationships as disposable commodities.
Memorable Lines That Echo the Soul of Society
‘Un jour t’achètes, un jour tu aimes / Un jour tu jettes, mais un jour tu payes’ – One day you buy, one day you love; one day you throw away, but one day you’ll pay. These lines distill the essence of ‘Carmen,’ predicting a dire cost for our transactional treatment of love.
‘Mais avant on crèvera tous, comme des rats’ – But before, we will all perish, like rats. This grim prophecy serves as a chilling reminder that if we continue down this path, the outcome is isolation and desolation – likening humanity’s fate to that of rodents, caught in a trap of our own making.
