Les filles d’aujourd’hui

Song Meaning

The lyrics for "Les filles d'aujourd'hui" offer a sharp, observational portrait of modern young women. They describe specific romantic preferences and social behaviors, painting a picture that feels both critical and a little melancholic. There's an immediate sense of a perceived shift in contemporary femininity. A central tension emerges from the description of these women seeking love, yet finding it "conjugated to the saddest." They appear drawn to boys with a "pale and feminine" complexion, while the speaker notes that "the virile no longer has currency." This suggests a shift in desired masculinity that, paradoxically, seems to lead to boredom or dissatisfaction in their romantic lives. The lyrics cleverly use paradox to underscore this emotional landscape. Phrases like "they get bored when they love love" and "cling to society while shouting that everything has changed" reveal a generation caught between traditional desires and a proclaimed new freedom. This internal conflict is further emphasized by the repeated refrain "Today, today," grounding these observations firmly in the present moment. Ultimately, these lyrics resonate by capturing a sense of modern ennui and the coping mechanisms employed. The lines suggesting one must "drink a lot to love existence" and "laugh to not cry" powerfully distill a feeling of forced cheerfulness masking deeper discontent. The repetition of the opening stanza at the close reinforces the cyclical nature of these observations, suggesting a persistent, perhaps inescapable, reality for "girls today."