Déguiser means "to disguise" or "to dress up". It's a word that evokes imagery of costumes and hidden identities, which is central to the song's theme.
In "La Vie D'artiste", Christophe Maé uses this word to explore the idea that everyone, especially artists, often puts on a facade or a "disguise" to hide their true feelings and struggles. He sings, "On peut se déguiser, on est tous des artistes" (We can disguise ourselves, we are all artists), suggesting that life itself is a performance where we often hide our sadness behind a smile.
La Vie d'Artiste paints life as one big stage where we are all performers, switching masks to fit the scene. Christophe Maé sings about saying “Everything’s fine” even when tears fall in the dark. He moves from clown to gangsta, filters his thoughts like an Instagram photo, and remembers his mother’s advice: keep some feelings inside, yet stay true to yourself because everyone else is already taken. Behind every bright grin there might be hidden sadness, so the song gently reminds us to look after those who smile the most.
The chorus turns this bittersweet truth into an anthem of resilience. We smile to chase away the blues, we dance in the rain, and we improvise our way through obstacles because, in the end, we are all artists. By revealing the tension between public performance and private emotion, Maé invites listeners to embrace authenticity while still enjoying the playful costumes that make life’s show so colorful.