When Alain Bashung was one year old he was sent to the Strasbourg area, in Wingersheim, to stay with his grandparents. He spent his childhood in the country in a conservative environment. When he was five years old he discovered Music most notably Kurt Weill, as he played harmonica. He was also a Choirboy in the church at Wingersheim and played basket-ball. At School he was regarded serious child.
He returned to Paris in 1959, where he discovered the great names of Chanson Française, the radio, American Rock with Gene Vincent, Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley. Whilst studying to become an accountant, he started a short lived Band with friends “les Dunces” whose style swong between Folk and Rockabilly. He quickly dropped his studies.
Bashung started a band with musicians met in Royan, a new band playing in Restaurants, Hotels and most of all the American bases. his career started with some difficulties with the release of his first single at 19 years of age “Pourquoi rêvez-vous des États-Unis ?” in 1966. He released a dozen singles, one using the pseudonym David Bergen, and two others. In 1971/1972 under the pseudonym "Hendrick Darmen" compositor and singer of the band “Monkey Bizness”. He wrote a number of songs for stars of the time like Noël Deschamps, but doesn't appear to have reached success.
In 1973, he played Robespierre in the Musical “La Révolution française” written by Claude-Michel Schönberg. He met Dick Rivers the singer of Les Chats Sauvages, for whom he composed and produced music.
He met musician Andy Scott and the songwriter Boris Bergman, and in 1977 wrote his first innovative LP “Romans photos”, though it was a Commercial failure in the context of Punk storming music.
In 1979, he released “Roulette russe”, a very dark and more Rock orientated album.
He confirmed his talent with critical acclaim and public success in 1981, with the rock influenced album “pizza”, mainly with one single from the album “Gaby, oh Gaby” that finally got Bashung success in the charts in 1981 followed by the single “Vertige de l'amour”, and started touring the bigger venues Notably “l'Olympia” in Paris.
In 1982, Bashung collaborated with Serge Gainsbourg on the complex album “Play blessures”, that did not achieve commercial success.
In 1983, he confused his fan base with an album deviating from the previous rock style, “Figure imposée”. In 1985, he came back with a number of titles written for “SOS Racisme” (anti-racism organisation).
In 1986, he released “Passé le Rio Grande”, which won him a “Victoire de la Musique”. Two singles achieved some success over the airwaves: “Malédiction” and “L'arrivée du tour”. However the album itself did not sell much.
In 1992, he started a long partnership with writer Jean Fauque, for “Osez Joséphine”, an album which also contains some cover of classic Rock such as “Night in White Satin”. His fan base grew and the album sold 350 000 copies. In 1994, he followed up with “Chatterton,” collaborating with Sonny Landreth, Ally McErlaine, Link Wray, Marc Ribot and Stéphane Belmondo. The key single extracted from this album is “Ma petite entreprise.” He started a two-year tour that results in the 1995 live album, “Confessions publiques.”
After recording a duet with Brigitte Fontaine "City" for her album "Les Palaces", Bashung returned to the musical world following a stint acting and in 1998 with “Fantaisie militaire”. While making this album in collaboration with Rodolphe Burger, Les Valentins and Jean-Marc Lederman. He will receive three Victoires de la Musique for the Album in 1999.
In 2002, he released the “L'imprudence” album to further critical acclaim. During the same year, he recorded with his wife, actress and comedian Chloé Mons “le Cantique des cantiques”. They created this title for their wedding in 2001, on a music written by Rodolphe Burger and on the basis a a new translation of the “Cantique des cantiques” from the Bible by the Author Olivier Cadiot.
In 2004, he released live double album “La tournée des grands espaces."
In 2005, for the twentieth Victoires de la Musique, he received an award for the best album of the last 20 years for “Fantaisie militaire.”
In the beginning of 2007, he participates in the tour “Les Aventuriers d'un autre Monde” with Jean-Louis Aubert (Téléphone), Cali, Daniel Darc, Richard Kolinka (Téléphone) and Raphaeël.
In March 2009, he recieved three Victoires de la Musique for his last album "Bleu Pétrol".
He passed away on March 14th, 2009 of complications of metastatic lung cancer.
C
Alain BASHUNG Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ça fait jamais qu'une borne que tu m'aimes
Je sais pas si je veux te connaître plus loin
Arrête de me dire que je vais pas bien
C'est comment qu'on freine
Je voudrai descendre de là
C'est comment qu'on freine
Cascadeur sous Ponce-Pilate
J'cherche un circuit pour que j'm'éclate
L'allume-cigare, je peux contrôler
Les vitesses, c'est déjà plus calé
C'est comment qu'on freine
Je voudrai descendre de là
C'est comment qu'on freine
Tous ces cosaques me rayent le canon
Je nage dans le goulag, je rêve d'évasion
Caractériel, je sais pas dire oui
Dans ma pauvre cervelle, carton bouillie
C'est comment qu'on freine
Je voudrai descendre de là
C'est comment qu'on freine
Je m'acolyte trop avec moi-même
Je me colle au pare-brise, ça me gêne
Ça sent le cramé sous les projos
Regarde où j'en suis, je tringle aux rideaux
C'est comment qu'on freine
Je voudrai descendre de là
C'est comment qu'on freine
Je voudrai descendre de là
Freine
" C " by Alain BASHUNG is a song about a turbulent and dissociated relationship, told using vivid imagery and metaphors. The first verse begins with the singer urging his partner to push the pedal further, despite being in love for only a short while. He is unsure if he wants to get to know her any better, as she constantly tells him that he is not doing well, which further complicates things. The chorus "C'est comment qu'on freine" translates to "How do we brake?", implying that things are moving too fast, and they need to slow down.
The second verse starts with the singer aspiring to be like a stuntman under Ponce-Pilate. He is seeking an outlet (a circuit) to enjoy his life while being able to control the pace (via the cigarette lighter - a metaphor for making progress). The chorus resurfaces to remind the listener of the need to halt the relationship or situation.
In the third verse, the lyrics allude to the hardships in a relationship. Bashung uses the imagery of being in a gulag and dreaming of escape to symbolize feeling trapped. The singer states that he cannot say yes due to his temperament, and his mind feels like boiled cardboard. The chorus makes another appearance, inciting a desire to brake.
The final verse features the singer withdrawing from the situation, reflecting upon himself, and getting lost in his thoughts (acolyte avec moi-même). He compares himself to being stuck to the windshield, and it bothers him. The scent of burning under the scrutiny of headlights. He concludes the song reiterating his need to stop (freine).
Line by Line Meaning
Pousse ton genou, j'passe la troisième
Accelerate, I'm shifting gears into third.
Ça fait jamais qu'une borne que tu m'aimes
You've only loved me for a short while.
Je sais pas si je veux te connaître plus loin
I'm not sure I want to know you any further.
Arrête de me dire que je vais pas bien
Stop telling me I'm not okay.
C'est comment qu'on freine
How do we brake?
Je voudrai descendre de là
I want to get off.
Cascadeur sous Ponce-Pilate
Stuntman under Pontius Pilate.
J'cherche un circuit pour que j'm'éclate
I'm looking for a track to have fun.
L'allume-cigare, je peux contrôler
With the cigarette lighter, I can control.
Les vitesses, c'est déjà plus calé
The gears are already more settled.
Tous ces cosaques me rayent le canon
All these Cossacks are scratching my cannon.
Je nage dans le goulag, je rêve d'évasion
I swim in the gulag, dreaming of escape.
Caractériel, je sais pas dire oui
Stubborn, I can't say yes.
Dans ma pauvre cervelle, carton bouillie
In my poor brain, it's like soggy cardboard.
Je m'acolyte trop avec moi-même
I'm too close to myself.
Je me colle au pare-brise, ça me gêne
I stick to the windshield, it bothers me.
Ça sent le cramé sous les projos
It smells burnt under the spotlights.
Regarde où j'en suis, je tringle aux rideaux
Look at where I am, I'm hanging on the curtains.
Je voudrai descendre de là
I want to get off.
C'est comment qu'on freine
How do we brake?
Lyrics © SM PUBLISHING FRANCE
Written by: Alain Bashung, Serge Gainsbourg
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@stephaniesuchetet3629
J ai été à son à ses funérailles ...Église de St.germain des prés... je travaillais et j ai dit à ma patronne, je vais faire mes adieux à bashung...
@stephaniesuchetet3629
Pour moi Bashung Brigitte Fontaine ce sont les dieux
@AndreW-qj9yc
A chaque fois que je vois cette prestation d'Alain Baschung, cela me prend aux tripes, une émotion intense. Ton étoile brillera toujours
@bargolyr8660
les Schtroumpfs et Max Schmeling ...
@cyriljars5046
111❤1😊❤❤¹1❤❤¹❤❤❤❤❤¹¹1❤❤1❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤¹111111🙂🙂🙂😀😀😀🙂😀🧐😩😩😩😩😩😩😩😩😩😽😽😽😽😽😽😽❤
@johnwest22
Quel honneur ça a dû être de jouer à ses côtés !! Un des rares artistes pour lequel j’ai pleuré quand j’ai appris sa disparition… tellement d’émotion 😊
@metalzik-video-damien4362
En beauté que dis-je.
@karinederuyck9948
Je t qid
@ostfron1942
Toujours une pensée pour toi Alain . de la part d'un ancien de tes musicien.
@amk5371
Je viens de partager cette vidéo sur mon profil Fb... pourtant je n'étais pas née qu'il chantait déjà depuis bien longtemps... mais cette chanson je l'écoute depuis 2009... l'ayant vu l'interpréter à Paris à la fête de l'humanité...
J'ai été subjugué par toute la performance dont il a fait preuve ainsi que ses musiciens....
Il était un artiste comme on n'en fait plus...
Son passage m'a marqué et émue ..
Alors je n'imagine pas pour vous...
Puisse t'il reposé en paix