Papaoutai (Afro Soul) is an AI-generated cover by mikeeysmind and Chill77 via the Swedish label Unjaps AB. It reimagines “Papaoutai” originally written and performed by Stromae, from his 2013 album Racine Carrée.
Meaning of “Papaoutai”
“Papaoutai” is a wordplay on the French phrase “Papa, où t’es ?”, which means “Dad, where are you?”. The invented word represents a child repeatedly asking where his father is – physically, emotionally, and symbolically, without ever receiving a clear answer. Stromae wrote Papaoutai drawing from personal experience. His father was killed during the 1994 Rwandan genocide, and he grew up largely without him. Rather than telling this story directly, the song speaks from a child’s perspective, using simple questions and repetition to express confusion and longing.
Papaoutai lyrics in English
Deet mwa du il vee-an
On-fan jhe so-ray oo jhe vay
Ma-man dee ke lor-skon shersh byan
On fee-nee too-zhoor par troo-vay
El dee keel nay ja-may tray lwan
Keel par tray soo-von tra-va-yay
Ma-man dee “tra-va-yay say byan”
Byan myuh ke-tr ma-la kom-pa-nyay
Pa vray?
Oo ay ton pa-pa?
Dee mwa oo ay ton pa-pa?
Son mem doo-vwar loo-ee par-lay
Il say s’kee ki nu va pa
Aa sak-ray pa-pa
Dee mwa oo ay too ka-shay? sa dwa
Fair o mwan meel fwa ke jhay
Kom-tay may dwa, hey
Oo tay, pa-pa-oo-tay?
Oo tay, pa-pa-oo-tay?
Oo tay, pa-pa-oo-tay?
Oo tay, oo tay oo, pa-pa-oo-tay?
Oo tay, pa-pa-oo-tay?
Oo tay, pa-pa-oo-tay?
Oo tay, pa-pa-oo-tay?
Oo tay, oo tay oo, pa-pa-oo-tay?
Kwa, kon ee krwar oo pa
Ya o-ra byan un joor oo on nee krwar plu
Un joor oo lo-tr on sra too pa-pa
Ay dun joor a lo-tr on o-ra dee-spa-roo
Se-ron noo day-tes-tab?
Se-ron noo ad-mee-ra-b?
Day zhay-nee-ter oo day zhay-nee?
Deet noo kee don nay non-sans o-ree-ray-spo-nsa-b?
Aa deet noo kee, tyan
Too luh mond say ko-mon on fay day bay-bay
May par-son nay say ko-mon on fay day pa-pa
Mu-syuh zhe-say-too on no-ray ay-ray-tay, say sa
Fo l’su-say d’son poos oo kwa?
Deet noo oo say ka-shay, sa dwa
Fair o mwan meel fwa kon a
Boo-fay no dwa, hey
Oo tay, pa-pa-oo-tay?
Oo tay, pa-pa-oo-tay?
Oo tay, pa-pa-oo-tay?
Oo tay, oo tay oo, pa-pa-oo-tay?
Oo tay, pa-pa-oo-tay?
Oo tay, pa-pa-oo-tay?
Oo tay, pa-pa-oo-tay?
Oo tay, oo tay oo, pa-pa-oo-tay?
Papaoutai English translation
Tell me where he comes from
Then I’ll finally know where I’m going
Mom says that when you search properly
You always end up finding
She says he’s never very far
That he often leaves to work
Mom says “working is good”
Much better than being in bad company
Right?
Where is your dad?
Tell me, where is your dad?
Without even having to speak to him
He knows what’s wrong
Ah, damn dad
Tell me, where are you hiding? It must be
At least a thousand times that I’ve
Counted my fingers, hey
Where are you, papaoutai?
Where are you, papaoutai?
Where are you, where are you, where, papaoutai?
Where are you, papaoutai?
Where are you, papaoutai?
Where are you, where are you, where, papaoutai?
What? Whether we believe it or not
There will come a day when we won’t believe anymore
One day or another, we’ll all be fathers
And from one day to the next, we’ll be gone
Will we be hateful?
Will we be admirable?
Fathers or geniuses?
Tell us, who gives birth to irresponsible people?
Ah, tell us who it is, come on
Everyone knows how babies are made
But nobody knows how fathers are made
Mr. Know-it-all would have inherited it, is that it?
Do you have to suck your thumb or what?
Tell us where it’s hidden, it must be
At least a thousand times that we’ve
Chewed our fingers, hey
Where are you, papaoutai?
Where are you, papaoutai?
Where are you, where are you, where, papaoutai?
Where are you, papaoutai?
Where are you, papaoutai?
Where are you, where are you, where, papaoutai?
Papaoutai Lyrics Meaning
Deet mwa du il vee-an
Tell me where he comes from
On-fan jhe so-ray oo jhe vay
Then I’ll finally know where I’m going
Ma-man dee ke lor-skon shersh byan
Mom says that when you search properly
On fee-nee too-zhoor par troo-vay
You always end up finding
El dee keel nay ja-may tray lwan
She says he’s never very far
Keel par tray soo-von tra-va-yay
That he often leaves to work
Ma-man dee “tra-va-yay say byan”
Mom says “working is good”
Byan myuh ke-tr ma-la kom-pa-nyay
Much better than being in bad company
Pa vray?
Right?
Oo ay ton pa-pa?
Where is your dad?
Dee mwa oo ay ton pa-pa?
Tell me, where is your dad?
Son mem doo-vwar loo-ee par-lay
Without even having to speak to him
Il say s’kee ki nu va pa
He knows what’s wrong
Aa sak-ray pa-pa
Ah, damn dad
Dee mwa oo ay too ka-shay? sa dwa
Tell me, where are you hiding? It must be
Fair o mwan meel fwa ke jhay
At least a thousand times that I’ve
Kom-tay may dwa, hey
Counted my fingers, hey
Oo tay, pa-pa-oo-tay?
Where are you, papaoutai?
Oo tay, pa-pa-oo-tay?
Where are you, papaoutai?
Oo tay, pa-pa-oo-tay?
Where are you, papaoutai?
Oo tay, oo tay oo, pa-pa-oo-tay?
Where are you, where are you, where, papaoutai?
Oo tay, pa-pa-oo-tay?
Where are you, papaoutai?
Oo tay, pa-pa-oo-tay?
Where are you, papaoutai?
Oo tay, pa-pa-oo-tay?
Where are you, papaoutai?
Oo tay, oo tay oo, pa-pa-oo-tay?
Where are you, where are you, where, papaoutai?
Kwa, kon ee krwar oo pa
What? Whether we believe it or not
Ya o-ra byan un joor oo on nee krwar plu
There will come a day when we won’t believe anymore
Un joor oo lo-tr on sra too pa-pa
One day or another, we’ll all be fathers
Ay dun joor a lo-tr on o-ra dee-spa-roo
And from one day to the next, we’ll be gone
Se-ron noo day-tes-tab?
Will we be hateful?
Se-ron noo ad-mee-ra-b?
Will we be admirable?
Day zhay-nee-ter oo day zhay-nee?
Fathers or geniuses?
Deet noo kee don nay non-sans o-ree-ray-spo-nsa-b?
Tell us, who gives birth to irresponsible people?
Aa deet noo kee, tyan
Ah, tell us who it is, come on
Too luh mond say ko-mon on fay day bay-bay
Everyone knows how babies are made
May par-son nay say ko-mon on fay day pa-pa
But nobody knows how fathers are made
Mu-syuh zhe-say-too on no-ray ay-ray-tay, say sa
Mr. Know-it-all would have inherited it, is that it?
Fo l’su-say d’son poos oo kwa?
Do you have to suck your thumb or what?
Deet noo oo say ka-shay, sa dwa
Tell us where it’s hidden, it must be
Fair o mwan meel fwa kon a
At least a thousand times that we’ve
Boo-fay no dwa, hey
Chewed our fingers, hey
Oo tay, pa-pa-oo-tay?
Where are you, papaoutai?
Oo tay, pa-pa-oo-tay?
Where are you, papaoutai?
Oo tay, pa-pa-oo-tay?
Where are you, papaoutai?
Oo tay, oo tay oo, pa-pa-oo-tay?
Where are you, where are you, where, papaoutai?
Oo tay, pa-pa-oo-tay?
Where are you, papaoutai?
Oo tay, pa-pa-oo-tay?
Where are you, papaoutai?
Oo tay, pa-pa-oo-tay?
Where are you, papaoutai?
Oo tay, oo tay oo, pa-pa-oo-tay?
Where are you, where are you, where, papaoutai?