Je Veux Lyrics in English by ZAZ
Langues de bois literally translates to "wooden tongues". It's a fantastic French idiom for insincere, clichéd, or evasive talk, often used by politicians or public figures.
In her rebellious anthem "Je Veux," ZAZ sings, "J'en ai marre des langues de bois!" (I'm sick of the doublespeak!). She's rejecting the empty, superficial language of high society and embracing a life of raw honesty and authenticity.
Ever felt like turning down a luxury suite just to eat dinner with your bare hands? That is the exact energy French singer ZAZ brings to this breezy gypsy-jazz track. Right from the start, she reels off fancy status symbols only to scoff at them: "Donnez-moi une suite au Ritz / Je n'en veux pas!" (Give me a suite at the Ritz / I don't want it!) and "Des bijoux de chez CHANEL / Je n'en veux pas!" (Jewels from Chanel / I don't want them!). She even asks what on earth she would do with a mansion in Switzerland ("Un manoir à Neuchâtel") or the Eiffel Tower itself. Her point is simple: money will not buy her happiness ("C' n'est pas votre argent qui f'ra mon bonheur"). Instead, she demands basic warmth, joy, and good humor, declaring she wants to die with her hand over her heart ("Moi j'veux crever la main sur le coeur").
What makes this track so fun to sing along to is her blunt rejection of high-society etiquette. She flat-out tells the listener she is fed up with stiff manners ("J'en ai marre d'vos bonnes manières"), loud-mouthed, and completely honest. She even drops some everyday French slang: "j'me casse de là!" (a casual, punchy way to say "I'm getting out of here!") and complains about "langues de bois" (wooden talk, a French idiom for empty political speak or hypocritical small talk). ZAZ tosses away all polite clichés and asks you to meet her in her real world, where eating with your fingers ("Moi je mange avec les mains") beats a stiff dinner at the Ritz every single day.
