30 secondes - lyrics and song discussions

[crazyaboutmika]

4 hours ago, kreacher said:

I didn’t think I could like the song even more and then he does this! 

 

im pretty hopeless at French, but thankfully, after listening to it 40 times I find this song much easier to follow along with and even sing along with a bit. 
 

@crazyaboutmika At the end he sings a few lines that don’t seem to be in your French transcription or the English translation and they don’t appear on the Spotify lyrics either. It sounds like embrasse moi (ouais) something I dunno (ouais) regardez moi (ouais) or something. I listened to it again just to be sure and he definitely doesn’t end with “Ce bout de paradis mis en enfer“. My French is bad but even I can tell that much xD

I used the official lyrics on the booklet that comes with the CDs and vinyls and they seem to have shortened them

I translated those but as we get the full lyrics (the mods are double checking with youtube then adding them in the comprehensive thread) I will adjust the translation as well. I will look up on youtube but maybe Mika added this out of the blue to puzzle us

But for now I using my ears  and let you know as soon as I can

He says "Embrasse moi , something I don't understand either but I will try to listen in my car with the loudspeakers the sound is better and at the end I think you understood well he says "regarde moi"

Maybe @carafon would hear the part we can't figure out or Nathalie (clipmika) 

[kreacher]

2 minutes ago, crazyaboutmika said:

I used the official lyrics on the booklet that comes with the CDs and vinyls and they seem to have shortened them

I translated those but as we get the full lyrics (the mods are double checking with youtube then adding them in the comprehensive thread) I will adjust the translation as well. I will look up on youtube but maybe Mika added this out of the blue to puzzle us

But for now I using my ears  and let you know as soon as I can

He says "Embrasse moi , something I don't understand either but I will try to listen in my car with the loudspeakers the sound is better and at the end I think you understood well he says "regarde moi"

Maybe @carafon would hear the part we can't figure out or Nathalie (clipmika) 

 Thank you so much!
And thank you for all your transcribing and translations. You’re doing an amazing service for the Mikafandom 

[crazyaboutmika]

5 minutes ago, kreacher said:

 Thank you so much!
And thank you for all your transcribing and translations. You’re doing an amazing service for the Mikafandom 

I'm so happy to do it  and so glad we are all in love with this album no matter the language. It is so mikaish  

 

Edited December 6, 2023 by crazyaboutmika

[carafon]

11 hours ago, crazyaboutmika said:

I used the official lyrics on the booklet that comes with the CDs and vinyls and they seem to have shortened them

I translated those but as we get the full lyrics (the mods are double checking with youtube then adding them in the comprehensive thread) I will adjust the translation as well. I will look up on youtube but maybe Mika added this out of the blue to puzzle us

But for now I using my ears  and let you know as soon as I can

He says "Embrasse moi , something I don't understand either but I will try to listen in my car with the loudspeakers the sound is better and at the end I think you understood well he says "regarde moi"

Maybe @carafon would hear the part we can't figure out or Nathalie (clipmika) 

They have cut the last one minute .

Here is what I understand at the very end , but I'm realy not sure of the second line 

I guess that's the one that you're also missing ....

 

 

Embrasse moi

Ne me  reviens pas ( or" Ne te retiens pas" ?)  

Regarde moi

Edited December 7, 2023 by carafon

[crazyaboutmika]

59 minutes ago, carafon said:

They have cut the last one minute .

Here is what I understand at the very end , but I'm realy not sure of the second line 

I guess that's the one that you're also missing ....

 

 

Embrasse moi

Ne me  reviens pas ( or" Ne te retiens pas" ?)  

Regarde moi

I asked clipmika and she hears:
"Embrasse moi
Te retiens pas 
Regarde moi"

So that must be it

Thanks a lot @carafon

@kreacher

[krysady]

2 hours ago, carafon said:

Ne te retiens pas"

This is what I hear as well

[mellody]

On 12/1/2023 at 3:54 PM, sarinaa said:

 

My first thought when I listened to it was, "It's like I See You, but make it French and 2023 Mika", and then I checked the lyrics, and he literally sings "Si tu me vois, moi je te vois" – "If you see me, I see you". It's like a response song to I See You, from the perspective of the person that's looked at for me! Absolutely in love with this song, probably my favorite alongside some others  

 

Yes, it feels like an enhanced version of I See You, a call to action... I see you, I never dared to say anything, but now I want more, let's not wait any longer but go for it!

 

On 12/2/2023 at 12:02 AM, crazyaboutmika said:

 Enflamme-moi

 

 

It's interesting that they have different lyrics in the booklet than on youtube and spotify. I can't hear the difference, maybe to you it's clearer what he really sings, but I thought enferme-moi made a lot of sense. Firstly, because he already is in flames in that song, he obviously wants that other person (or rather the feeling he gets from them) and doesn't need to be set on fire. Secondly, because there's this contrast to the "vagabonde" and to his troubles in "Passager". Always just passing, my interpretation is that he is looking for stability, a relationship that will keep him in a place, emotionally, instead of having to keep looking and passing and searching for freedom. I think that's the change he hopes for, when he feels like life is passing him by. However, I don't think he will find this in another person, but only within himself, and then he'll be able to live it in his existing relationships. I'm digressing a bit from the song here, actually wanted to write this in the Passager thread, but it kinda feels to me like 30 Secondes is an attempt to answer to the troubles in Passager, so I can as well write it here.

 

Quoting this here from an interview translation in the Belgian Press thread:

 

On 12/11/2023 at 5:56 PM, Kumazzz said:

In "30 Seconds", you say: "Everything could end in thirty seconds". What exactly were you thinking?

There is nothing more romantic than someone who is fatalistic. And in this album, there is fatalism everywhere. It's the end of the world and at the end of the world, we make music and we make love. And we burn the money!

 

As I said on the other thread, I find it hard to bring this together with the song, because to me the definition of fatalistic is that you believe there's a predefined destiny. While in this song, he tells himself and the other person to change their destiny. "When we look at each other, it's in our hands to make something out of it and change our life for the better in 30 seconds, or not do anything and then it will stop before it even began". I guess you could see it a bit like in a fairytale, where two people kind of are meant for each other. I compared it to Romeo and Juliet in the other thread, but that's not a fairytale, that's a drama. That's fatalistic in the sense of "I can't do anything to change my destiny, so I'll rather die". While in a fairytale, it's a wonderful combination of destiny and action the characters take, to reach a happy ending. Like in this song. But well, the interviewer asked specifically about "everything could end in 30 seconds", so maybe Mika's reply refers specifically to that, and not to the general meaning of the song.

[Divera Zilvania]

Love this song...my fave🥰

The most romantic song I have heard, I wish I could listen to it in English version, it sounds beautiful!! 

[Hero]

So, I just had a phone call that upset me quite a bit. First thing I did afterwards? Put this song on. I wanted to hear his voice, and this song is so beautiful and soothing. It's comforting and hopeful. Thank you for the hug Mika, even if you don't know it! ❤️

[mellody]

Mika talks a bit about 30 secondes in a Swiss interview:

31 minutes ago, Kumazzz said:

In the title “30 seconds” you talk about this short moment when a life can change. Did this really happen?

 

The idea for this song came to me in a bar in Los Angeles. I was with my friend Skyler Stronestreet, who has written for Lady Gaga and Kesha, among others. We looked around and asked ourselves, “If we had thirty seconds, who would we fall in love with?” It's a little game that we do every time we go out for beers. It was called “Imaginary Loves”. Try it, it's funny!

If you had thirty seconds with anyone right now, who would it be with and to tell them what?

(He thinks for a long time.) Have you seen “Maestro” on Netflix? The film has great qualities, but it didn't make me dream. He's talking about Leonard Bernstein. He is a composer of incredible power. If I could, I would ask him where his melodies come from, which, in my opinion, are among the best pop melodies in our history. Why did his songs need to exist in a world like ours?

 

I like his reply to the 2nd question, but I must admit I'm a bit disappointed to hear this story behind the song. I guess for Touche Touche that setting would be perfect, but with 30 Secondes being one of the most romantic Mika songs (imo), thinking of how he plays a game with a friend in a bar, judging people around them by their looks, because that's all you have in a bar ... of course that's what people (especially guys) do, but there's nothing about this idea of destiny, about romance, about a special person that you can't forget. Well... as Mika wrote the song in English a long time ago,  maybe that's what the original idea was but it has evolved to what is now on the French album. Or maybe that's exactly what the song is about, but then I don't want to know, but prefer to keep my own interpretation of it being about a special person and not just some random good-looking stranger.

[CharlotteL]

1 hour ago, mellody said:

Mika talks a bit about 30 secondes in a Swiss interview:

 

I like his reply to the 2nd question, but I must admit I'm a bit disappointed to hear this story behind the song. I guess for Touche Touche that setting would be perfect, but with 30 Secondes being one of the most romantic Mika songs (imo), thinking of how he plays a game with a friend in a bar, judging people around them by their looks, because that's all you have in a bar ... of course that's what people (especially guys) do, but there's nothing about this idea of destiny, about romance, about a special person that you can't forget. Well... as Mika wrote the song in English a long time ago,  maybe that's what the original idea was but it has evolved to what is now on the French album. Or maybe that's exactly what the song is about, but then I don't want to know, but prefer to keep my own interpretation of it being about a special person and not just some random good-looking stranger.

Oh it's interesting that you feel this way. Why does the setting make it feel less romantic to you?

 

To me it makes perfect sense and is exactly the scene I picture when listening to the song.

It's about potential so the moment when you see someone (for example in a bar) and just get hit by a feeling and within seconds you create a whole story in your mind and a million possibilities flash before your eyes. Of course that has to do with physical attraction but it's also a feeling you get when someone smiles at you kindly or expresses a common interest or whatever.

And what makes it so thrilling but also nerve-wrecking is that you don't know what's gonna happen. You have to take those 30 seconds of risk just in the faint hope that they might change your life. But you don't know if you're gonna spend the rest of your life with that person or have an awkward one night stand with them or they're just gonna laugh in your face or anything else in between.

Basically you don't know if that random good-looking stranger might potentially become a special person but just the prospect of it is so wonderful that it makes taking that risk worth it. That's very romantic to me 

[mellody]

4 minutes ago, CharlotteL said:

it's also a feeling you get when someone smiles at you kindly or expresses a common interest or whatever.

 

I think that's the point to me - to feel that strongly about someone, as Mika sings in this song, there has to be more for me than just physical attraction. You might make eye contact with someone in a bar, feel attracted to the way they look at you, or the way they shyly look away, AT LEAST something like that. But this game that Mika describes doesn't sound like getting in contact with any of these people, but just looking and judging by the looks of someone, could I fall in love with them? It might be a fine difference, but exactly this tension, this potential that you talk about is missing to me in the scenario that Mika describes. And when you make eye contact with someone and you feel that strongly about them as Mika sings, would you talk about it with your friend right in this moment? If there's this tension in the air, saying to your friend "oh that guy over there is gorgeous, I could fall in love with him!" and they look over, would probably destroy it all. I mean, there's nothing wrong about either - the situation in the bar and the situation in the song, but I just can't bring them together, something doesn't feel quite right about it. Maybe Mika just described the initial idea, and then he really made eye contact with someone where this tension happened, and wrote the song about THAT, but he didn't want to go as far as saying that in an interview. But you know, thinking about it... maybe I just haven't flirted with anyone for too long and that's the only reason why the reality of it isn't familiar to me anymore.

[CharlotteL]

3 minutes ago, mellody said:

I mean, there's nothing wrong about either - the situation in the bar and the situation in the song, but I just can't bring them together, something doesn't feel quite right about it.

Ahh ok that makes sense, I get it.

I mean by the way he phrased it I just assumed the game involved some wild imagining where you really think about what it would be like falling in love with the other person (whether you describe it out loud or not). It's not just "hey that guy is hot". But that's an assumption from my side

And even if you don't act on it it still creates a sort of tension in your mind, a "what if" scenario.

To me it even makes more sense in the context of the song if the idea came from a moment of vague, one sided attraction as it feels similar to "I see you". Although it goes a step further because I see you is just "Oh I like you but I could never tell you" and 30 Secondes at least goes "I like you, what if I actually did something about it". But it still lives in that uncertain in between stage.

But like I said, I definitely know what you mean! And I do think that his songs are often inspired by several things and he just picks the ones that he feels most comfortable sharing which is fair enough.

[Anna Ko Kolkowska]

11 hours ago, CharlotteL said:

Oh it's interesting that you feel this way. Why does the setting make it feel less romantic to you?

 

To me it makes perfect sense and is exactly the scene I picture when listening to the song.

It's about potential so the moment when you see someone (for example in a bar) and just get hit by a feeling and within seconds you create a whole story in your mind and a million possibilities flash before your eyes. Of course that has to do with physical attraction but it's also a feeling you get when someone smiles at you kindly or expresses a common interest or whatever.

And what makes it so thrilling but also nerve-wrecking is that you don't know what's gonna happen. You have to take those 30 seconds of risk just in the faint hope that they might change your life. But you don't know if you're gonna spend the rest of your life with that person or have an awkward one night stand with them or they're just gonna laugh in your face or anything else in between.

Basically you don't know if that random good-looking stranger might potentially become a special person but just the prospect of it is so wonderful that it makes taking that risk worth it. That's very romantic to me 

 

 

And me, when I am listening to this song it reminds me Mika and Andy in a bar when they met (well I don't think it was their first meeting) when Mika was dumped by this crazy guy in Shepherd'd Bush and Andy took his chance asking Mika if he could stay. And when Mika asked if he ment for a night and Andy answered "no, for life". And we know the story. Maybe this was this 30 seconds which changed their lives?

[holdingyourdrink]

 

13 hours ago, CharlotteL said:

It's about potential so the moment when you see someone (for example in a bar) and just get hit by a feeling and within seconds you create a whole story in your mind and a million possibilities flash before your eyes. Of course that has to do with physical attraction but it's also a feeling you get when someone smiles at you kindly or expresses a common interest or whatever.

I have the same feeling as you now reading his answer for the interview. It’s about potential and also: the greatest love stories are in our mind, not necessarily what actually happened. To let your mind go and fantasize about what could be, is something thrilling and romantic. Especially if you’ve been in a relationship for a long time, you know that both of you once made a decision based on merely seconds of looking at eachother. And the decision was maybe not romantic at first, but it’s about being open to eachother and exploring the potential. And realizing that if you have had that moment with anyone else, your life would’ve been different now. Your destiny would’ve changed, if you may. The thought you could’ve had a parallel life with someone else is an exciting and in a way a very romantic thought. 

[Paoletta]

On 11/23/2023 at 8:57 PM, Anna Ko Kolkowska said:

I don't catch all words yet.

 

Here it it:

 

allez, vas-y embrasse-moi

mon coeur n'est libre  que pour toi

vas-y devant tout le monde 

change nos vies en 30 secondes

forçons  la main  au destin

qui sait ou on sera demain 

vas-y devant tout le monde 

change nos vies en 30 secondes

 

tout pourrait commencer en 30 secondes

tout (on ?) pourrait s'arreter en 30 secondes

 

 

j'adore.. i love... super 

 

[holdingyourdrink]

23 hours ago, holdingyourdrink said:

 

I have the same feeling as you now reading his answer for the interview. It’s about potential and also: the greatest love stories are in our mind, not necessarily what actually happened. To let your mind go and fantasize about what could be, is something thrilling and romantic. Especially if you’ve been in a relationship for a long time, you know that both of you once made a decision based on merely seconds of looking at eachother. And the decision was maybe not romantic at first, but it’s about being open to eachother and exploring the potential. And realizing that if you have had that moment with anyone else, your life would’ve been different now. Your destiny would’ve changed, if you may. The thought you could’ve had a parallel life with someone else is an exciting and in a way a very romantic thought. 

I found this in my son’s English book. It reminded me of 30 secondes and the potential: 

 

[mellody]

On 2/24/2024 at 1:27 PM, holdingyourdrink said:

the greatest love stories are in our mind, not necessarily what actually happened.

 

True, but to me there's still the question of what the difference is to Touche Touche, with the bar scenario Mika describes. Both is a dream, but in one case you dream of someone's body and a hot night, in the other case you dream of someone being your soulmate and a life-changing 30 seconds. That's why I said, the scenario Mika describes sounds more like for Touche Touche.

 

On 2/24/2024 at 1:27 PM, holdingyourdrink said:

Especially if you’ve been in a relationship for a long time, you know that both of you once made a decision based on merely seconds of looking at eachother. And the decision was maybe not romantic at first, but it’s about being open to eachother and exploring the potential.

 

For me it was rather a series of many small decisions, and not about looks at all at first. Anyway, I guess it just shows that everyone, and every relationship, is different. No matter if real or imagined.  

[CharlotteL]

54 minutes ago, mellody said:

Both is a dream, but in one case you dream of someone's body and a hot night, in the other case you dream of someone being your soulmate and a life-changing 30 seconds.

Well to me this sums up the difference perfectly!  One is about sexual attraction, the other about romantic possibility.

And I think in that bar scenario both could happen. You can see someone in a bar and feel sexually attracted to them or start fantasizing about your wedding to them (or is that just me :D).

 

But the vibe is also completely different I think. 30 Secondes is very gentle and careful and overthinking almost. Like he is trying to be brave and just go for it but his brain is thinking about all the consequences. And he is hyping himself up with "Hey let's go in front of the whole world, it's worth it" but in reality he is worried about judgement of others or rejection.

While Touche Touche is a completely free expression of desire. He really doesn't care if other people see or judge ("too bad for those who are envious").

 

I also have this image that Touche Touche is about someone you've been with for a long time. That's just a personal feeling though, there's nothing in the lyrics that indicates this. Maybe because it reminds me of BBB so I have this image of two lovers sneaking away together instead of two strangers meeting for the first time.

I just realized maybe it's also because there is not shyness or fear of rejection in it. He is sure the other person is gonna want the same thing

[mellody]

41 minutes ago, CharlotteL said:

30 Secondes is very gentle and careful and overthinking almost.

 

Well ok, that explains why I can relate to it so much.

 

42 minutes ago, CharlotteL said:

also have this image that Touche Touche is about someone you've been with for a long time. That's just a personal feeling though, there's nothing in the lyrics that indicates this

Yeah, I think it's rather the opposite, cheating on your partner (re. jealousy in the 2nd verse). Or at least about an open relationship, although I guess there shouldn't be jealousy in that case? Well... I guess it's the detailed description of the first lines of LYWID.  Just without the overthinking.

[CharlotteL]

3 minutes ago, mellody said:

Yeah, I think it's rather the opposite, cheating on your partner (re. jealousy in the 2nd verse). Or at least about an open relationship, although I guess there shouldn't be jealousy in that case? Well... I guess it's the detailed description of the first lines of LYWID.  Just without the overthinking.

Ohhh spicy!! I love it! 

[carafon]

On 12/6/2023 at 11:04 PM, crazyaboutmika said:

I used the official lyrics on the booklet that comes with the CDs and vinyls and they seem to have shortened them

I translated those but as we get the full lyrics (the mods are double checking with youtube then adding them in the comprehensive thread) I will adjust the translation as well. I will look up on youtube but maybe Mika added this out of the blue to puzzle us

But for now I using my ears  and let you know as soon as I can

He says "Embrasse moi , something I don't understand either but I will try to listen in my car with the loudspeakers the sound is better and at the end I think you understood well he says "regarde moi"

Maybe @carafon would hear the part we can't figure out or Nathalie (clipmika) 

 

On 12/7/2023 at 10:18 AM, carafon said:

They have cut the last one minute .

Here is what I understand at the very end , but I'm realy not sure of the second line 

I guess that's the one that you're also missing ....

 

 

Embrasse moi

Ne me  reviens pas ( or" Ne te retiens pas" ?)  

Regarde moi

 

On 12/7/2023 at 11:19 AM, crazyaboutmika said:

I asked clipmika and she hears:
"Embrasse moi
Te retiens pas 
Regarde moi"

So that must be it

Thanks a lot @carafon

@kreacher

From the live in Nancy I now understand :

??????????

"Ne les regarde pas"  

"Regarde moi"

 

Edited March 11 by carafon

[Anna Ko Kolkowska]

14 hours ago, carafon said:

From the live in Nancy I now understand :

??????????

"Ne les regarde pas" 

Yes, it was the same in Rouen I think.

Anyway he sings what he wants 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[holdingyourdrink]

Same in Strasbourg! 

[crazyaboutmika]

12 hours ago, Anna Ko Kolkowska said:

Yes, it was the same in Rouen I think.

Anyway he sings what he wants 🤣🤣🤣🤣

He often changes his own lyrics

In Rennes we were all singing with him (since he asked but I always do as I can't help it )  so it was harder for him  to change them with all of us singing them right     I loved it