The clock is watching me, wanting to lock me up
S’en aller is translated to Going away in English, and is our track of the week from French artist Swing and Belgium artist Angéle. Jacques Cousteau’s internet translated the lyrics for me, and if it’s to be believed, this song feels custom made for this playlist. You don’t have to know any more French than “petite pooch” to make the interpretation that this is an absolutely insane track. The vibe alone makes it one of my favorites of 2020. Creamy and rich, at the same time light and simple, like a crème brûleé. Music noir, simultaneously timeless and trendy, with a sparse piano loop that blends perfectly with the vocals of Swing and Angéle.
When you dive into the lyrics, it’s impressive that the English version is so well written. Usually, a lot of the poetry and lyricism is lost, well, in translation. Not here.
How do I keep track / Keep what’s good, throw away the bad / Speak without filling our silences / Of the things we forget to say to each other / How do I fill the void?
Those aren’t finger snapping lyrics? Ok, and Victor Hugo was just an average writer (author of Les Misérables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, by the way)? France is the biggest producer of hip hop outside of the U.S., and everyone associates France with romance and cool. This song, grounded in hip hop, is both romantic and cool, yet the lyrics speak to getting out of a rut and sidestepping negativity. Quitting your job is not limited to Americans.
