Salutaire translates to "beneficial" or "salutary". It's a formal and thought-provoking word that carries a deeper meaning than a simple "good" or "helpful".
In the context of the song, Grand Corps Malade uses it to question whether the deaths and losses experienced during the pandemic will ultimately have a "salutary" or beneficial destiny, implying a hope that the suffering might lead to positive change or lessons learned. This makes it a poignant and memorable word.
Effets Secondaires is Grand Corps Malade’s spoken-word postcard from the first COVID lockdown. With his signature mix of poetry and social commentary, he turns confinement into a magnifying glass: family chaos, government confusion, rubber gloves, and children’s laughter swirl together while the planet quietly heals outside. The virus is pictured as a stern teacher, forcing adults to slow down, question consumer habits, and recognize the fragility hidden beneath everyday routines.
The song keeps asking “Et maintenant?” (And now?) as it salutes overlooked heroes—nurses, cleaners, delivery drivers—who finally step into the spotlight while stock-market giants sit in quarantine. Environmental wake-up call, crash course in solidarity, and moral reset all meet in three and a half minutes of slam poetry. By the end, the listener is left wondering what will remain once the virus departs: Will society keep the empathy, humility, and rediscovered priorities, or slip back into old habits?