Fabien Marsaud (1977-), better known by his stage name Grand Corps Malade (also abbreviated GCM), is a French slam poet and lyricist, known for his low voice and for releasing songs and albums on which he slams over music. His stage name means “Tall Sick Body” in French, a reference to his height (1.95m) and to a spine injury that forces him to walk with a crutch, due to a 1997 accident that originally had doctors tell him he would never walk again.

He signed with AZ, the French label on which his debut album, Midi 20, was released in 2006 becoming a top 10 selling album for the year in France. A grand tour with 120 dates was immensely successful and led him to win two Victoires de la Musique awards. In 2008, he released his second album Enfant de la ville. The same year he performed in the Festival d’été international de Québec, that signified his recognition and appeal throughout the French-language speaking world. He also conducted many workshops to introduce youngsters in his community to slam poetry in Saint Denis and elsewhere. The result was a release of Génération Slam, a 9-track album in November 2008 by a diversified set of amateur slam artists.

 

Veuillez accepter, mesdames, ces quelques mots comme un hommage
À votre gente que j’admire, qui crée en chaque homme un orage
Au cinéma ou dans la vie, vous êtes les plus beaux personnages
Et sans l’vouloir, vous tenez nos cœurs et nos pensées en otages
Veuillez accepter, mesdames, cette déclaration
Comme une tentative honnête de réparation
Face au profond machisme de nos coutumes, de nos cultures
Dans le Grand Livre des humains, place au chapitre de la rupture

Please accept, ladies, these few words as a tribute
To your gender I admire, which creates in every man a storm
At the cinema or in life, you are the most beautiful characters
And without wanting it, you hold our hearts and our thoughts hostage
Please accept, ladies, this statement
As an honest attempt to redress
The deep male chauvinism of our customs, of our cultures
In the Great Book of Humanity, time for the chapter of the rupture

Vous êtes infiniment plus subtiles, plus élégantes et plus classes
Que la gente masculine qui parle fort, prend toute la place
Et si j’apprécie des deux yeux quand tu balances ton corps
J’applaudis aussi des deux mains quand tu balances ton port
Derrière chaque homme important se cache une femme qui l’inspire
Derrière chaque grand être humain précède une mère qui respire
La femme est l’avenir de l’homme écrivait l’poète
Eh bien, l’avenir s’est installé et depuis belle lurette

You are infinitely more subtle, more elegant and more classy
Thank the men who speak loudly, take all the space
And if I appreciate with both eyes how you move your body
I also clap with both hands when you stand together in solidarity
Behind every important man hides a woman who inspires him
Behind every great human being precedes a mother who breathes
“Woman is the future of Man” wrote the poet [Louis Aragon]
Well, the future is now here and has been for a long time

Refrain
Vous êtes nos muses, nos influences, notre motivation et nos vices
Vous êtes Simone Veil, Marie Curie, Rosa Parks, Angela Davis
Vous êtes nos mères, vous êtes nos sœurs, vous êtes caissières, vous êtes docteurs
Vous êtes nos filles et puis nos femmes, nous, on vacille pour votre flamme

You are our muses, our influences, our motivation and our vices
You are Simone Veil, Marie Curie, Rosa Parks, Angela Davis
You are our mothers, you are our sisters, you are cashiers, you are doctors
You are our daughters and then our women, we tremble for your flame

Comment ne pas être en admiration et sans commune mesure
Pour celles qui portent et fabriquent pendant neuf mois notre futur
Pour celles qui cumulent plusieurs emplois et ce, sans sourciller
Celui qu’elles ont dans la journée et le plus grand: mère au foyer
Veuillez accepter, mesdames, cette réelle admiration
De votre force, votre courage et votre determination

How not to be in awe and beyond measure
For those who carry and create our future for nine months.
For those who hold multiple jobs without batting an eyelid
The one they have in the day and the most important: being a mum
Please accept, ladies, this real admiration
Of your strength, courage and determination

Veuillez accepter, mesdames, mon aimable faiblesse
Face à votre fragilité, votre empathie, votre tendresse
Veuillez accepter, mesdames, cette petite intro
Car l’avenir appartient à celles qu’on aime trop
Et pour ne pas être taxé de premier degré d’anthologie
Veuillez accepter mesdames cette délicate démagogie

Please accept, ladies, my kind weakness
Faced with your fragility, your empathy, your tenderness
Please accept, ladies, this little intro
Because the future belongs to those we love too much
And not to be accused of first degree of anthology
Please accept, ladies, this delicate demagoguery
[Pont : Mosimann]
You are the only one, you are the only
You are the only one, the only
You are the only one, you are the only one
You are, yes, you are

Refrain