He was uncompromising when composing his songs. His tactical method of addressing issues was profound and often humorous, making him a unique and effective figure in the French community.
Brassens, born in 1921 in the small Mediterrenean port of Sete, wanted to be a poet. He realized very early however that poetry in the 20th century could hardly put bread on the table and instead set himself to become a singer.
He is much less famous internationally than contemporaries like Charles Aznavour, Edith Piaf and Yves Montand, as much of the impact of his songs came from the lyrics, which proved difficult to translate into other languages. He loved the Middle Ages and used a great deal of Old French vocabulary, as well as many classical - ie., Latin and Greek - references. Few people, even in France, possess the background to fully understand his songs.
Yet he was at the same time a hugely popular singer and many of his songs still carry a lot of appeal and relevance. In this sense, he can be compared to Boris Vian, to Jacques Brel, and to a lesser extent to Serge Gainsbourg.
He was very sophisticated, yet at the same time used profanity liberally. While he wasn't politically engaged, he was nevertheless unambiguously a leftist, many of his songs carrying blatant and buoyant anarchist overtones.
While his music was initially quite primitive, the 1950's St-Germain-des-Pres influence quickly made itself felt and while subdued and - in his mind - always secondary to the lyrics, it became increasingly sophisticated - to the point that many of his songs have been covered and reinterpretated by jazzmen (see for instance this UK site: www.projetbrassens.eclipse.co.uk)
He died in 1981, but up to this date (2006) there are few French people - including most of those born since - who can't sing along to his most famous song, Les Copains d'abord ("Friends foremost") or his "Bancs public" ("Public Benches").
For those interested, this site carries a number of (quite good) English tranlations of his songs: www.brassens.org
Le cocu
Georges Brassens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cependant que je pêche et que je m'ennoblis
Ma femme sacrifie à sa vieille habitude
De faire, à tout venant, les honneurs de mon lit
De faire, à tout venant, les honneurs de mon lit
Eh, oui, je suis cocu, j'ai du cerf sur la tête
On fait force de trous dans ma lune de miel
Ma bien-aimée ne m'invite plus à la fête
Quand elle va faire un tour jusqu'au septième ciel
Quand elle va faire un tour jusqu'au septième ciel
Au péril de mon cœur, la malheureuse écorne
Le pacte conjugal et me le déprécie
Que je ne sache plus où donner de la corne
Semble bien être le cadet de ses soucis
Semble bien être le cadet de ses soucis
Les galants de tout poil viennent boire en mon verre
Je suis la providence des écornifleurs
On cueille dans mon dos la tendre primevère
Qui tenait le dessus de mon panier de fleurs
Qui tenait le dessus de mon panier de fleurs
En revenant fourbu de la pêche à la ligne
Je les surprends tout nus dans leurs débordements
Conseillez-leur le port de la feuille de vigne
Ils s'y refuseront avec entêtement
Ils s'y refuseront avec entêtement
Souiller mon lit nuptial, est-c' que ça les empêche
De garder les dehors de la civilité?
Qu'on me demande au moins si j'ai fait bonne pêche
Qu'on daigne s'enquérir enfin de ma santé
Qu'on daigne s'enquérir enfin de ma santé
De grâce, un minimum d'attentions délicates
Pour ce pauvre mari qu'on couvre de safran
Le cocu, d'ordinaire, on le choie, on le gâte
On est en fin de compte un peu de ses parents
On est en fin de compte un peu de ses parents
À l'heure du repas, mes rivaux détestables
Ont encor ce toupet de lorgner ma portion
Ça leur ferait pas peur de s'asseoir à ma table
Cocu, tant qu'on voudra, mais pas amphitryon
Cocu, tant qu'on voudra, mais pas amphitryon
Partager sa moitié, est-c' que cela comporte
Que l'on partage aussi la chair et la boisson?
Je suis presque obligé de les mettre à la porte
Et bien content s'ils n'emportent pas mes poissons
Et bien content s'ils n'emportent pas mes poissons
Bien content qu'en partant ces mufles ne s'égarent
Pas à mettre le comble à leur ignominie
En sifflotant "il est cocu, le chef de gare"
Parce que, le chef de gar', c'est mon meilleur ami
Parce que, le chef de gar', c'est mon meilleur ami
The song Le cocu by Georges Brassens tells the story of a man who is being cheated on by his wife. Despite knowing that his wife is unfaithful, he still loves her and continues to let her entertain her lovers in their bed. He is resigned to his fate as a cuckold and feels that he is being disrespected and taken advantage of by both his wife and her lovers. The man is frustrated and feels like he is not getting any attention or affection from his wife, who seems to only care about her own desires.
In the song, Brassens uses vivid imagery and metaphors to describe the situation. He compares himself to a deer with horns on his head, being hunted by his wife and her lovers. He also talks about the primeval flower that he had worked hard to cultivate, which was taken by his wife's lovers. The song is full of irony and sarcasm as Brassens highlights the absurdity of the situation.
Le cocu is one of Brassens's most famous songs, and it is known for its humor and wit. The song was released in 1953 on Brassens's first studio album, La Mauvaise Réputation. It has since become a classic of French chanson and has been covered by many artists.
Line by Line Meaning
Comme elle n'aime pas beaucoup la solitude
My wife doesn't like being alone much
Cependant que je pêche et que je m'ennoblis
While I fish and elevate myself
Ma femme sacrifie à sa vieille habitude
My wife indulges her old habit
De faire, à tout venant, les honneurs de mon lit
Of showing off my bed to anyone and everyone
Eh, oui, je suis cocu, j'ai du cerf sur la tête
Yes, I'm a cuckold, I have antlers on my head
On fait force de trous dans ma lune de miel
They make a lot of holes in my honeymoon
Ma bien-aimée ne m'invite plus à la fête
My beloved no longer invites me to the party
Quand elle va faire un tour jusqu'au septième ciel
When she goes for a ride all the way to the seventh heaven
Au péril de mon cœur, la malheureuse écorne
At the risk of my heart, the unfortunate woman horns
Le pacte conjugal et me le déprécie
The marital pact and makes me look bad
Que je ne sache plus où donner de la corne
That I don't know where to turn with my horn anymore
Semble bien être le cadet de ses soucis
Seems to be the least of her worries
Les galants de tout poil viennent boire en mon verre
Suitors of all stripes come to drink from my glass
Je suis la providence des écornifleurs
I am the benefactor of the horned beasts
On cueille dans mon dos la tendre primevère
They pick the tender primrose behind my back
Qui tenait le dessus de mon panier de fleurs
That held the top of my flower basket
En revenant fourbu de la pêche à la ligne
Returning exhausted from fishing
Je les surprends tout nus dans leurs débordements
I catch them all naked in their excesses
Conseillez-leur le port de la feuille de vigne
Advise them to wear the vine leaf
Ils s'y refuseront avec entêtement
They will stubbornly refuse to do so
Souiller mon lit nuptial, est-c' que ça les empêche
Does sullying my marriage bed stop them
De garder les dehors de la civilité?
From keeping up appearances of civility?
Qu'on me demande au moins si j'ai fait bonne pêche
At least ask me if I caught anything worth keeping
Qu'on daigne s'enquérir enfin de ma santé
That they deign to finally inquire about my health
De grâce, un minimum d'attentions délicates
For goodness' sake, a minimum of delicate attention
Pour ce pauvre mari qu'on couvre de safran
For this poor husband who is being made fun of
Le cocu, d'ordinaire, on le choie, on le gâte
Usually, the cuckold is pampered and spoiled
On est en fin de compte un peu de ses parents
In the end, we're all a bit related
À l'heure du repas, mes rivaux détestables
At mealtime, my detestable rivals
Ont encor ce toupet de lorgner ma portion
Still have the nerve to eye my share
Ça leur ferait pas peur de s'asseoir à ma table
Wouldn't they be afraid to sit at my table
Cocu, tant qu'on voudra, mais pas amphitryon
Cuckold as much as you like, but not a good host
Partager sa moitié, est-c' que cela comporte
Sharing one's half, does that imply
Que l'on partage aussi la chair et la boisson?
That we also share food and drink?
Je suis presque obligé de les mettre à la porte
I'm almost obliged to kick them out
Et bien content s'ils n'emportent pas mes poissons
And happy if they don't take my fish with them
Bien content qu'en partant ces mufles ne s'égarent
Quite content that these brutes don't lose their way when leaving
Pas à mettre le comble à leur ignominie
Not to add to their ignominy
En sifflotant "il est cocu, le chef de gare"
Whistling "he's a cuckold, the station master"
Parce que, le chef de gar', c'est mon meilleur ami
Because the station master is my best friend
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Georges Brassens
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind