Georges Brassens was a French singer and songwriter known for accompanying himself with his acoustic guitar. He wrote some extremely controversial, yet poetic songs. In doing so, he managed to change attitudes across France.
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. Read Full BioGeorges Brassens was a French singer and songwriter known for accompanying himself with his acoustic guitar. He wrote some extremely controversial, yet poetic songs. In doing so, he managed to change attitudes across France.
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
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. Read Full BioGeorges Brassens was a French singer and songwriter known for accompanying himself with his acoustic guitar. He wrote some extremely controversial, yet poetic songs. In doing so, he managed to change attitudes across France.
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
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Les trompettes de la renommée
Georges Brassens Lyrics
Je vivais à l'écart de la place publique,
Serein, contemplatif, ténébreux, bucolique
Refusant d'acquitter la rançon de la gloire,
Sur mon brin de laurier je dormais comme un loir.
Les gens de bon conseil ont su me faire comprendre
Qu'à l'homme de la rue j'avais des comptes à rendre
Et que, sous peine de choir dans un oubli complet,
Je devais mettre au grand jour tous mes petits secrets.
Trompettes
De la Renommée,
Vous êtes
Bien mal embouchées!
Manquant à la pudeur la plus élémentaire,
Dois-je, pour les besoins d' la cause publicitaire,
Divulguer avec qui, et dans quelle position
Je plonge dans le stupre et la fornication?
Si je publie des noms, combien de Pénélopes
Passeront illico pour de fieffées salopes,
Combien de bons amis me regarderont de travers,
Combien je recevrai de coups de revolver!
A toute exhibition, ma nature est rétive,
Souffrant d'un' modestie quasiment maladive,
Je ne fais voir mes organes procréateurs
A personne, excepté mes femmes et mes docteurs.
Dois-je, pour défrayer la chronique des scandales,
Battre l' tambour avec mes parties génitales,
Dois-je les arborer plus ostensiblement,
Comme un enfant de chœur porte un saint sacrement?
Une femme du monde, et qui souvent me laisse
Faire mes quat' voluptés dans ses quartiers d' noblesse,
M'a sournoisement passé, sur son divan de soie,
Des parasites du plus bas étage qui soit
Sous prétexte de bruit, sous couleur de réclame,
Ai-j' le droit de ternir l'honneur de cette dame
En criant sur les toits, et sur l'air des lampions
"Madame la marquis' m'a foutu des morpions!"?
Le ciel en soit loué, je vis en bonne entente
Avec le Père Duval, la calotte chantante,
Lui, le catéchumène, et moi, l'énergumène,
Il me laisse dire merde, je lui laisse dire amen,
En accord avec lui, dois-je écrire dans la presse
Qu'un soir je l'ai surpris aux genoux d' ma maîtresse,
Chantant la mélopée d'une voix qui susurre,
Tandis qu'elle lui cherchait des poux dans la tonsure?
Avec qui, ventrebleu! faut-il que je couche
Pour faire parler un peu la déesse aux cent bouches?
Faut-il qu'un' femme célèbre, une étoile, une star,
Vienne prendre entre mes bras la place de ma guitare?
Pour exciter le peuple et les folliculaires,
Qui est-ce qui veut me prêter sa croupe populaire,
Qui est-ce qui veut m' laisser faire, in naturalibus,
Un petit peu d'alpinisme sur son mont de Vénus?
Sonneraient-elles plus fort, ces divines trompettes,
Si, comme tout un chacun, j'étais un peu tapette,
Si je me déhanchais comme une demoiselle
Et prenais tout à coup des allumes de gazelle?
Mais je ne sache pas que ça profite à ces drôles
De jouer le jeu d' l'amour en inversant les rôles,
Que ça confère à ma gloire un' once de plus-valu',
Le crime pédérastique, aujourd'hui, ne paie plus.
Après ce tour d'horizon des mille et un' recettes
Qui vous valent à coup sûr les honneurs des gazettes,
J'aime mieux m'en tenir à ma première façon
Et me gratter le ventre en chantant des chansons.
Si le public en veut, je les sors dare-dare,
S'il n'en veut pas je les remets dans ma guitare.
Refusant d'acquitter la rançon de la gloire,
Sur mon brin de laurier je m'endors comme un loir.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GEORGES CHARLES BRASSENS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on specific lyrics, highlight them
Thibault M3str-t
La meilleure de Brassens, simplement exceptionnelle. Un véritable doigt d'honneur poétique et musical ! Brassens démontre ici avec brio et humilité qu'il est le seul maître de ses chansons, et rembarre tout ceux qui ne se sentent plus.
Ian Moro
cette chanson est géniale..c'est certainement la meilleure de tonton Georges.. moi ma préférée est toute simple et peu connue,c'est la Marguerite.Ian
Dereck Lunar
Un vrai auteur subversif qui n'avait peur de rien. Son nom devrait être à côté de sagesse et liberté d'expression dans le dictionnaire :P
Oliver Cassin
Chanson plus que jamais d'actualité , je n'en dirai pas plus
Jean Pierre Zutter
Un brillant plaidoyer pour la protection de la vie privée avec des mots forts et sincères !!
Bernard Leterrier
Toujours trop bon mon tonton!
charles gabin
QUEL DOMMAGE QU IL NE SOIT PLUS ICI .......JE SUIS TOUJOURS UN PEU TRISTE DE L ECOUTER ENCORE ET ENC ORE
Jude
Un génie.
benoist romain
Une pensée pour toi mon ami Georges.
Sylvianne Crucifix
J adore