“Bonne journée” (Meaning: Have a nice day; Pronunciation: bɔn ʒuʀne) is a hit song by Belgian singer Stromae. The song was released in 2022 and appeared on Stromae’s album Multitude. This post provides the complete French lyrics, English translation and line-by-line lyrics analysis.
Song synopsis
In the song Bonne journée, Stromae addresses the issue of mental health issues. He opens the song expressing what a wonderful time or day he’s having with lyrics such as “Mais qu’est-ce que ma journée est bonne! (What a good day I’m having).
The overall theme of the song is that life is good and it’s meant to be enjoyed. Stromae sings, “Non merci, Mon verre est à moitié rempli” (No thanks, my cup is half full).
Later in the song he addresses specific aspects of depression such as the inability to enjoy the present moment (Tu profites jamais vraiment de ce moment présent; You’re never able to enjoy hte present moment) and being frustrated with other peoples’ happiness (Si l’bonheur des autres te rend malheureux, C’est qu’t’es un rageux; If other peoples’ happiness makes you unhappy, it means you’re full of rage).
Stromae dealt with the issues of mental health and suicide in a separate song released in 2022 on the same album called l’Enfer (meaning hell).
Bonne journée lyrics analysis
Meaning of the song title “Bonne journée”
“Bonne journée” in French specifically means “have a nice to” or “enjoy your day”. The word journée refers to the duration of a day, while the word jour also means day but refers to a unit of time; cinq jours (fives days), for example.
To clarify, bonjour is similar to bonne journée but is used as a greeting to mean both good morning and hello. This page on our site covers the meaning of bonour in detail.
Line-by-line commentary
In the following section we’ve gone through the lines of the song and selected vocabulary and verbs which we feel offer interesting insights into learning French.
Mais qu’est-ce que ma journée est bonne!
This line means “What a good day I’m having!“. Qu’est-ce que is a way of saying what in French. Est is the third-person singular (il/elle) form of être (to be).
Ma is is a possessive adjective and means “my”. Bon/bonne means good in French.
Me suis levé du bon pied
This line means “I got up on the right foot“. The reflexive verb se lever means to get up or out of bed. The expression se lever du bon pied (literally to get up on the right foot) means to get out of bed on the right foot or to start your day well.
Oui j’vais l’prendre mon pied
This line means “Yes I’m going to have a great time“. Oui means yes in French. The expression prendre son pied means to have a blast or great time.
In these two lines Stromae is playing with expressions which use the word pied (foot).
Et je l’lèverai seulement
This line translates to “And I’ll only raise it“. The l’ is a shortening of le which in this line is a direct object pronoun and means “it”, referring back to the foot.
Pour la danse de la joie, C’est la danse de la joie
These two lines translate to “For the dance of joy, It’s the dance of joy“. Pour means for in French and c’est means “it’s”. This page on our site covers various ways to use c’est.
Le réveil est facile (wouh)
This line translates to “Waking up is easy“. The noun réveil translates to both the act of waking up and an alarm clock.
Le caca est parfait
This line translates to “The poop is perfect“. Just like English, caca is considered both slang and kids languages.
Même pas besoin qu’je l’essuie
This line translates to “Don’t even have to wipe it“. Même means “even” in French and pas means “not” the most basic word in French negation.
Sentiment universel
This line translates to “Universal feeling“. Sentiment means feeling and is relate to the verb sentir, which means both to feel and to smell.
Dehors il fait soleil, Et dedans aussi
This line translate to “It’s sunny outside, And inside too“. Dehors means outside or “out” in French and dedans translates to either inside or within. Il fait (du) soleil (it’s sunny out) is a common French weather expression.
Comme une journéе d’anniversaire, De zéro à ses 35 ans
These two lines translates to “Like a birthday day, From zero to 35 years-old“. The word comme means both like and as in French.
Anniversaire means birthday and bon anniversaire means happy birthday in French. An translates to year and is used when describing one’s age in French.
Mon style est clinquant
This line translates to “My style is flashy“. The best translation for clinquant if “flashy”.
J’sais même plus trop comment j’ai fait
This line translates to “I really don’t know how I did it“. The negation form ne + verb + plus translates to anymore. Sais is the first-person singular form of savoir (to know). Direct translations for trop include “too” and “too much”.
J’ai fait translates to I did. This is the passé composé (a commonly used French past tense) of the verb faire (to make or to do).
J’suis frais comme si j’avais 20 ans
This line translates to “I’m fresh as if I were 20 years-old“. Je suis means “I am” in French. Si j’avais means “as I had”. This is the verb avoir (to have) conjugated in the imparfait, another commonly used French past tense.
The adjective frais has many meanings including fresh (as in food or vegetables) and cool (as in the weather).
Tu sais c’que ça fait? Non?
This line translates to “You know what that does, right?“. Ce que is an indefinite relative pronoun meaning “what”. The word ça means both “it” and “that” has many usages in French.
Non means no in French. When it appears at the end of a phrase or sentence with a question mark it’s considered a “tag” and means “right?”.
C’est indécent
This line translates to “It’s shameless“. The adjective indécent has many meanings including indecent, shameless and immodest.
J’rigole pour rien, j’souris bêtement
This line translates to “I’m joking kidding for no reason, I smile foolishly“. The verb rigoler means to kid or joke around. Bêtement means stupidly or foolishly.
La vie est biscuit
This line translates to “Life is great“. The noun biscuit translates to cookie. We had a hard time translating this line and translated it based on the context of the song’s lyrics.
Comme une journée d’déconfinement
This line translates to “Like a day out of lockdown“. The noun confinement refers to the lockdowns during the Covid 19 pandemic. When preceded by the prefix dé, “déconfinement” refers to the end of or lifting of the lockdown.
Non merci, Mon verre est à moitié rempli
These to lines mean “No thanks, My cup is half-full“. Non merci means no thanks in French. This page on our site covers various French ways to say thank you. The quote for “my glass is half-full” also appears as “Mon verre est à moitié plein”. The adjective plein also means full.
Y a les jours sans, Les jours avec
These two lines translate to “There are days without, There are days with“. Y a is a shortening of il y a which means there is, there are and ago. This page on our site covers avec (with) in detail.
Ce s’ra avec, ce coup-ci
This line translate to “It will be with, this time“. S’ra is a shortening of sera which is être (to be) conjugated in the futur simple, a commonly used French future tense.
The noun coup translates literally to a strike or hit. In this line and in the context of the lyrics, we translated it to “time”. This page on demonstrative adjectives covers the hyphenated suffix -ci (this).
Le bonheur est bien la seule chose, Qui quand on la partage se multiplie
This line translates to “Happiness is the only thing, That multiplies when you share it“. The adverb bien means “well”. It is often included in sentences but not directly translatable.
The personal pronoun on translates literally to “one”. However, its usages vary a lot and it can also mean “you” as in “people in general”.
Je vois la vie en rose
This line translates to “I see life through pink shaded glasses“. La vie en rose has many translations including “life in rosy hues”. This page covers the song La Vie en Rose by Edith Piaf, one of the most famous French songs of all time.
Dis moi, est-ce que tu la vois aussi?
This line translates to “Tell me, do you see it too?“. Est-ce que means is, are, do and does and is used for French yes-no questions. The word la in this line is a direct object pronoun meaning “it”, referring back to la vie (life).
Si l’bonheur des autres te rend malheureux, C’est qu’t’es un rageux
These two lines translate to “If other peoples’ happiness make you unhappy, It’s that you are full of rage“. Rend in this line is the third-person singular form of rendre when means to make or to render. Un rageux translates to a person full of rage. In our translation we used an adjective, “full of rage”.
T’as peur d’être triste quand t’es joyeux
This line translates to “You’re afraid of being sad when you’re happy“. The expression avoir peur literally translates to “to have fear” and means “to be afraid”.
Et tu veux être joyeux quand t’es triste
This line translates to “And you wan to be happy when you’re sad“. Veux is the second-person singular form of the verb vouloir (to want). Quand means when in French.
Tu profites jamais vraiment de ce moment présent
This line translates to “You never really enjoy the present moment“. The verb profiter in French means to take advantage of or to enjoy. Jamais is used in the negation construction ne + verb jamais to mean “never”.
En fait, t’es juste dépressif
This line translates to “In fact, you’re just depressive“. Translations for en fait include in fact and actually.
Tout ce que j’sais, c’est qu’s’il s’tourne vers le soleil, L’ombre est derrière lui
These two lines translate to “All I know if that if he turns towards the sun, The shadow is behind him“. Stromae makes reference to a person (il or he) in these lines but we don’t know the identity of the person. The word lui is a stressed pronoun and means him.
Et s’il est pas né de la dernière pluie, Il sait qu’après l’orage viennent les éclaircies
These two lines translate to “And he’s not born from the last rain, He knows that after the storm comes the sun“. The noun éclaircie refers to a sunny spell after a storm.
L’humeur ce n’est qu’un point de vue
This line translates to “A mood is only a point of view“. The construction ne + verb + que means “only”. Humeur has several translations including mood, spirits and humor.
Tu choisis pas si tu vois le bon côté des choses ou pas
This line translates to “You don’t chose if you see the good side of things or not“. Choisir is a regular verb in the -ir group and means to choose. The adjective bon means good in French. However, when preceding a noun it means “the right”.
C’est parce qu’y a des bas qu’y a des hauts
This line translates to “It’s because there are lows and highs“. The nouns bas (lows) and hauts (highs) are also the adjectives for high and low.
Y a pas d’débats d’idéaux, non
This line translates to “There are no debates in ideals, right?“. The noun idéal translates to an ideal or dream.
Comme un idiot, fais les pas de la danse de la joie
This line translates to “Like an idiot, do the steps of the dance of joy“. In addition to meaning “not”, the noun pas means step as in “dance step”.
Bonne journée French Lyrics & English Translation
Mais qu’est-ce que ma journée est bonne!
Me suis levé du bon pied
Oui j’vais l’prendre mon pied
Et je l’lèverai seulement
Pour la danse de la joie
C’est la danse de la joie
What a good day I’m having!
I got up on the right foot
Yes I’m going to have a great time
And I’ll only raise it
For the dance of joy
It’s the dance of joy
Le réveil est facile (wouh)
Le caca est parfait
Même pas besoin qu’je l’essuie
Sentiment universel
Dehors il fait soleil
Et dedans aussi
Comme une journéе d’anniversaire
De zéro à ses 35 ans
Waking up is easy
The poop is perfect
Don’t even have to wipe it
Universal feeling
It’s sunny outside
And inside too
Like a birthday day
From zero to 35 years-old
Mon style est clinquant
J’sais même plus trop comment j’ai fait
J’suis frais comme si j’avais 20 ans
Tu sais c’que ça fait? Non?
C’est indécent
J’rigole pour rien, j’souris bêtement
My style is flashy
I really don’t know how I did it
I’m fresh as if I were 20 years-old
You know what that does, right?
It’s shameless
I’m joking kidding for no reason, I smile foolishly
La vie est biscuit
Comme une journée d’déconfinement
Non merci
Mon verre est à moitié rempli
Y a les jours sans
Les jours avec
Ce s’ra avec, ce coup-ci
Life is great
Like a day out of lockdown
No thanks
My cup is half-full
There are days without
There are days with
It will be with, this time
Mais qu’est ce que ma journée est bonne!
Me suis levé du bon pied
Oui j’vais l’prendre mon pied
Et je l’lèverai seulement
Pour la danse de la joie
C’est la danse de la joie
What a good day I’m having!
I got up on the right foot
Yes I’m going to have a great time
And I’ll only raise it
For the dance of joy
It’s the dance of joy
Le bonheur est bien la seule chose
Qui quand on la partage se multiplie
Je vois la vie en rose
Dis moi, est-ce que tu la vois aussi?
Si l’bonheur des autres te rend malheureux
C’est qu’t’es un rageux
Et si l’malheur des autres te rend heureux
C’est qu’t’es un rageux
Happiness is the only thing
That multiplies when you share it
I see life through pink shaded glasses
Tell me, do you see it too?
If other peoples’ happiness make you unhappy
It’s that you are full of rage
And if other peoples’ unhappiness makes you happy
It’s that you’re full of rage
T’as peur d’être triste quand t’es joyeux
Et tu veux être joyeux quand t’es triste
Tu profites jamais vraiment de ce moment présent
En fait, t’es juste dépressif
Tout ce que j’sais, c’est qu’s’il s’tourne vers le soleil
L’ombre est derrière lui
Et s’il est pas né de la dernière pluie
Il sait qu’après l’orage viennent les éclaircies
You’re afraid of being sad when you’re happy
And you wan to be happy when you’re sad
You never really enjoy the present moment
In fact, you’re just depressive
All I know if that if he turns towards the sun
The shadow is behind him
And he’s not born from the last rain
He knows that after the storm comes the sun
Mais qu’est-ce que ma journée est bonne!
Me suis levé du bon pied
Oui j’vais l’prendre mon pied
Et je l’lèverai seulement
Pour la danse de la joie
C’est la danse de la joie
What a good day I’m having!
I got up on the right foot
Yes I’m going to have a great time
And I’ll only raise it
For the dance of joy
It’s the dance of joy
L’humeur ce n’est qu’un point de vue
Tu choisis pas si tu vois le bon côté des choses ou pas
C’est parce qu’y a des bas qu’y a des hauts
Et parce qu’y a des hauts qu’y a des bas
Y a pas d’débats d’idéaux, non
Comme un idiot, fais les pas de la danse de la joie
A mood is only a point of view
You don’t chose if you see the good side of things or not
It’s because there are lows and highs
And because there are highs and lows
There are no debates in ideals, right?
Like an idiot, do the steps of the dance of joy
C’est la danse de la joie
It’s the dance of joy
Listen to Bonne journée
The official YouTube video for Bonne journée has over 2.5 million views.
You can also listen on Spotify.
