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“Les Cactus” was a very popular rock/psychedelic song released by Jacques Dutronc in 1966. French music from the 1960s and 70s often borrowed from American and British styles, and some of it may remind listeners of The Kinks, because of its playful tone and tongue-in-cheek lyrics. The messages in Dutronc’s songs often made insightful remarks about (and for) 1960s youth, although his career never really took off outside of French-speaking countries, except for a cult following in the UK. When hearing “Les Cactus” for the first time, listeners will immediately feel a contrast between the insistently shouted lyrics and the music’s head-bopping and playful garage rock. This interplay is particularly felt by the regular refrain of, “Aïe aïe aïe, ouille, aïe aïe aïe.” Both “aïe” and “ouille” are typical French onomatopoeic terms for “pain,” suggesting the sensation of being hurt by cactus spikes.

The lyrics mention that cacti are pretty much everywhere: “Le monde entire est un cactus” (The entire world is a cactus). This does not literally mean that everything looks like a cactus, of course. Dutronc creates an apt metaphor for the aggression and greed he experiences in changing, capitalist France. He expressed the negative results of the economic boom, referring to the masses’ hearts and their wallets in direct succession: “Dans leurs coeurs il y a des cactus, Dans leurs porte-feuilles, il y a des cactus.” The lyrics then read, “Dans leur bonjou il y a des cactus.” There are cacti in people’s hellos, which metaphorically means that people greet each other in a passive-aggressive way. Dutronc feels “pained” – literaally “spiked” (pique) – to know that all around him there are negative intentions and soulless consumerism: “Moi je me pique de le savoir.”

"The messages in Dutronc’s songs often made insightful remarks about (and for) 1960s youth, although his career never really took off outside of French-speaking countries, except for a cult following in the UK."

Dutronc feels nervous. He is not able to relax in a world of mass consumerism and self-centered behavior. “Il est impossible de s’assoir dans la vie, il y a qu’des cactus,” meaning that it is impossible to sit down, because there are cacti everywhere. In reaction to this painful and “spiky” society, “a mon tour j’ai pris des cactus,” that is, he takes some cacti and puts it in his bed and underwear. In this world, you must “spike” yourself and others to survive. Dutronc’s message and music were a reaction to the “yéyés” movement, which adapted American songs with simple rhymes and created naïve romantic ballads that were, to Dutronc, “petit bourgeoisie,” middle class, and pseudo-revolutionary. Dutronc’s response was ironic, because he disguised his songs as light-hearted while always including lyrics that clearly criticized a consumerist middle class. “Les Cactus” seems jarring on a first listen. It makes listeners feel pushed around by jovial beats and a piercing message. Dutronc shouts back his discontentment at the greedy cacti of French society, making listeners want to shout, “Aïe aïe aïe, ouille, aïe aïe aïe!”

Lyrics:

Le monde entier est un cactus.
Il est impossible de s'asseoir. Dans la vie, Il y a qu'des cactus. Moi je me pique de le savoir. Aïe! Aïe! Aïe! Ouille! Aïe! Aïe! Aïe! Dans leur cœur il y a des cactus. Dans leur portefeuille il y a des cactus. Sous leurs pieds, Il y a des cactus. Dans leurs gilets y a des cactus. Aïe! Aïe! Aïe! Ouille! Ouille! Ouille! Aïe! Pour me défendre de leur cactus. A mon tour j'ai pris des cactus. Dans mon lit, J'ai mis des cactus. Dans mon slip j'ai mis des cactus. Aïe! Aïe! Aïe! Ouille! Aïe! Aïe! Aïe! Dans leur sourir' il y a des cactus. Dans leur ventr' il y a des cactus. Dans leur bonjour, Il y a des cactus. Dans leur cactus il y a des cactus. Aïe! Aïe! Aïe! Ouille! Aïe! Le monde entier est un cactus. Il est impossible de s'asseoir. Dans la vie, Y a des cactus. Moi j'm'pique de le savoir Aïe! Aïe! Aïe! Ouille! Aïe! Aïe! Aïe! Aïe! Aïe! Oui.