The Netherlands are ready for Eurovision 2025 in Basel, with Claude set to take the big stage, singing in both English and French. Since its release, his song “C’est La Vie” has become a fan favourite, and everyone is eager to see what kind of performance he will bring this May.
With a heartfelt music video and empowering lyrics, the Netherlands is capturing the audience’s hearts. Claude pays tribute to his African roots by incorporating French—one of the official languages of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where Claude is from.
The song beautifully reflects life’s diverse palette of colours—its ups and downs, joys, and challenges. Now, let’s explore the lyrics!
Scroll down to read the “C’est La Vie” lyrics
Netherlands at Eurovision 2025: Claude with “C’est La Vie”
Claude comes from the small port town of Boma in the Democratic Republic of Congo. At the age of nine, he moved with his family to the Netherlands, where they settled in an asylum seekers’ centre in Alkmaar, north of Amsterdam. Adjusting to Dutch language and society took time, as he had never attended school in Congo due to his family’s financial struggles.
From a young age, Claude loved singing, occasionally performing at school events. He even auditioned for the Dutch version of The Voice Kids at one point. However, his musical journey truly began when he took part in a casting for pop singers at the music label Cloud 9.
After signing with Cloud 9, Claude made his debut in 2022 with the French-language single “Ladada (Mon dernier mot).” The song became a massive hit in the Netherlands, topping airplay and sales charts and dominating the music scene for months. His following singles were just as successful. Riding on this commercial success, Claude released his debut album, Parler Français, in late 2024.
What do the “C’est La Vie” lyrics mean?
Claude’s song, titled “That’s Life” in English, is deeply autobiographical. It is sung in both English and French, the official language of his homeland.
He reflects on the period when he and his mother moved from the Democratic Republic of Congo to the Netherlands, a time when life was not always easy. However, he found strength in his mother’s voice—her singing comforted him and reassured him that, even when life brings you down, better days are always ahead.
That’s life
She sang to me
I remember
I was little
Oh I was just a little boy but I remember
The melody, the melody
Even as an adult, Claude still experiences days when he’s deeply in love with his life, savouring every moment. Yet, there are other days when he feels completely miserable. Despite these ups and downs, he still sees life as a great miracle. And whenever he faces a tough time, his mother’s voice echoes in his mind, reminding him: “That’s life.”
That’s life, and what a miracle
Sometimes in love, sometimes miserable
And I still hear my mama’s voice inside of me
The uplifting message is that life isn’t made up of just good days or bad days; it’s a mixture of both. So, when life seems challenging, you have to keep singing, make your voice heard, accept the reality, and continue singing until the hard times pass. Singing becomes a metaphor for pushing forward and not giving up.
Oh, that’s life
Life in pink
Life in black
Oh, this rollercoaster
And I will sing until it’s over
It goes la-la-la-la-la
“C’est La Vie” lyrics — Claude (Netherlands Eurovision 2025)
Songwriter (music and lyrics): Arno Krabman, Claude Kiambe, Joren van der Voort, Léon Palmen
Original textC’est la vie C’est comme ci, c’est comme ça C’est la-la-la-la la vie C’est la vie, et quel miracle C’est comme ci, c’est comme ça C’est la-la-la-la la vie Oui, c’est la-la-la-la la vie Oh c’est la vie C’est comme ci, c’est comme ça |
English translationThat’s life It’s like this, it’s like that That’s la-la-la-la life That’s life, and what a miracle It’s like this, it’s like that That’s la-la-la-la life Yes, that’s la-la-la-la life Oh, that’s life It’s like this, it’s like that |
What do you make of Claude’s “C’est La Vie”? Are you singing along? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
I love the “somtimes miserable” part, its so clichy (not Gael Clichy). But even clichy lyrics won the contest (2023) so why not could this win too.
Claude is not fluent in French himself. Important to keep in mind!
The lyrics are terrible, very childish if you’d ask me
Only if you don’t understand the (back)story
Off course it childish he was just a child when his mother sang to him and that’s what he remember the melody. At least this song can also resonate to child. What do you expect? Or maybe you prefer to sing to a child with lyrics like Serving Kant , Ich Komme or Milkshake man.
For those who might say the lyrics are all a tad basic – and then Iam not referring to native English speakers because I don’t hear them criticizing – Claude songs are usually an alliterating mixture of Dutch and French. He makes the French language accessible for his mostly non francophone homecrowd. There is a lot of love and appreciation for the french language which is reflected for instance by the massive success that Barbara Pravi still enjoys in the Netherlands since Voila up to date. I wish the French would see it from this point of view that Claude… Read more »
I’ve posted almost the similar comment to those navtive French speakers who criticize the French lyrics is A1 level. They like the song but they can’t accept the A1 level simple French . I mean what the heck it’s still French right, They just don’t know how to appreciate it. I would be honored, please and very welcome if any artist would sing a few phrases in simple Dutch. The bottom lines is you cannot please everyone
He seems very sympathetic and the song reflects his own story which maks it genuine after seeing the atmospheric live performance I’m curious about the staging.
I love our entry from Claude. I am so proud of him
Very nice lyrics.
This is such a glow up from last year, good luck Netherlands!!