"tous les mêmes" has the narrator claiming her lover will be absent when their children are born. "Papaoutai" is the fulfillment of the woman's claims (fears?)—told from the perspective of the couple's son. The mother tries to put a positive spin on the situation for the sake of her child ("Mom says working is good..."), but she can't let go of her cynicism completely ("... much better than being in bad company, right?").
