The lyrics (in French) take the form of an open letter to the disease that has touched nearly everyone’s life, beginning:
“Oh yes, we know each other well,
You even tried to get my mother,
Starting with her breasts,
And my father’s lungs.”
In the video, Stromae’s lithe, expressive body resists cancer’s relentless attacks, depicted by roots and branches of some sinister tree that move like vultures. It’s terrifying and moving, a tour-de-force of music, movement and animation.
Watch: