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“Je suis un homme” (I Am a Man) is a song written and sung by Zazie, from her sixth album, Totem, released in 2007. It is about the mistakes made by mankind during evolution, dealing in a critical and pessimistic way with environmental issues and consumer society. Zazie condemns consumerism in a world where men are both consumers and consumer products, where human injustice and poor distribution of wealth thrive.

"This song is about the mistakes made by mankind during evolution, dealing in a critical and pessimistic way with environmental issues and consumer society."

In the song, Zazie says that men are in perpetual war against each other. Without a clear idea of the meaning of life, “on tourne en rond” (we go round and round in circles), which means we never evolve. She uses this expression twelve times, to make sure listeners understand. She also talks about evolution, reminding listeners that the first life forms were not human, and that fishes and monkeys existed before men: “Je suis un singe ou un poisson” (I am a monkey or a fish). Nowadays, our only ambition is to own goods. We are not the kings of the Earth, but rather “les rois des cons,” the kings of idiots and of illusion. It is time to find the real meaning of life, says Zazie, and find our mission, which is helping other people by treating them as we would treat ourselves.

Zazie uses other expressions: “Je suis un homme au cœur de lion” (I am a man with a lion’s heart) means that she is a very courageous man who makes war, which is a very ironic line in this context. “J’avance à reculons” (To walk backwards) means we are not evolving at all. On the contrary, we are declining. “Un monde coulé dans l’or et le béton” (A world cast in gold and concrete) emphasizes that men are ruled by wealth and not by the environment, while the expression “mon compte est bon” means that our fate is sealed and that we cannot avoid what awaits us. “Le maître du feu, du jeu, du monde,” says Zazie. That is, we are masters of fire, of the game, and of the world, also an ironic line, since, thanks to us, the Earth has been both burned and frozen. In the end, we are still Cro-Magnon men.