I was there, you see, he was next to me
We were six years old
We played doctor like children do
We played doctor
I was there, on his body, I could see
The wounds, the marks, the bruises
I couldn't believe my eyes
My eyes
And he was telling me
I'm tough, you see the burns there, on my arms?
I don't feel them
I don't feel them

I was there, I didn't say a thing
And then I left his house
Did I go back?
Never again
Never again
I was there, like him, I was barely 15 years old
We were in the basement at his parents' house
I loved him so much
I have to say he was handsome but he was shooting up
My hero, on heroin

I was there when his mother came by
To tell me "it's over, we're burying him on Monday"
Monday
I cried, of course, I cried
Then I started hanging out outside again
Outside
I was there in October 1980
After the Copernic bomb
Yes, I was at the protest
With all my friends

I was there, it's true
That we didn't understand a thing
But we thought it was good
It was good
Yes, I was there to help
For AIDS, the undocumented, I sang
Sang

Sure, I was there to party
And I raised my glass
To those who have nothing left
Another glass, we can't do anything about it
I was there, in front of my TV at 8 p.M
I saw a world in turmoil
In turmoil
I was there, I knew everything there was to know about Somalia
About Bangladesh and about Rwanda
I was there
I could see so clearly the fate that the North reserves for the South
I understood the contempt
I was there to count the dead
I was there and I didn't do a thing

And I didn't do a thing
I was there, yet, I was there
And I didn't do a thing
I didn't do a thing

CONSULTER LES PAROLES ORIGINALES