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.
2043
Alain Bashung Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A fermé les écoutilles
Elle hiberne
Elle hiberne
La réveillez pas
Laissez-la
La réveillez pas
D'ici là jailliront des cascades
D'ici là vogueront les obscurs
D'ici là glisseront les combats
D'ici là j'aurai découvert
Lequel de mes plusieurs
Sera à même de la sauver
D'ici là je l'ai
D'ici là j'attendrai
La réveillez pas
Laissez-la
La réveillez pas
Ses congénères l'ont refroidie
Ses congénères crient au génie
Dans le doute ils se vantent
Réinventent la valériane
La réveillez pas
Laissez-la
La réveillez pas
Pas avant 2043
D'ici là j'aurai découvert
Lequel de mes autres oubliés
Aura l'aplomb de l'aimer
D'ici là je ferai flèche de tout bois
D'ici là je me serai consumé
D'ici là j'aurai balayé les cendres
Et tout ce qui s'ensuit
Je suis pas prêt
J'ai les pièces détachées
Quant à l'horloger
Ses minutes sont comptées
La réveillez pas
Laissez-la
La réveillez pas
Pas avant 2043
Pas avant 2043
Pas avant
D'ici là j'aurai découvert
Lequel de mes plusieurs
Sera à même de la sauver
D'ici là j'attendrai
J'attendrai
La réveillez pas
Laissez-la
La réveillez pas
Pas avant 2043
Pas avant 2043
La réveillez pas
Laissez-la
La réveillez pas
Pas avant 2043
In Alain Bashung's song "2043", the "belle au bois dormant" or Sleeping Beauty has closed her ears to the world and goes into hibernation. The singer pleads for her to be left alone and not to be woken up before 2043. He envisions a time when battles will end, cascades will emerge, and "les obscurs" or the obscure ones will sail. He also reflects on his multiple selves and wonders which one will be able to save her. He has others who have been forgotten and hopes that one of them will have the courage to love her. He notes that he is not ready for this task but he will wait until 2043, hoping that he will rediscover one of his selves who will have the daring to awaken the Sleeping Beauty.
The song is a reflection on the need for patience and the perils of hastiness in relationships. The Sleeping Beauty represents the singer's love interest, whom he wishes to protect and reserve until a time that is ordained by fate. The singer's search for a self that will be able to save her reflects the inner turmoil and struggles he faces, as he contemplates the many dimensions of his personality. The song is an ode to the power of love to transcend time and a warning against the danger of losing true love through acts of impatience, selfishness or egotism.
Line by Line Meaning
La belle au bois dormant
Referring to a person who is currently inactive or sleeping
A fermé les écoutilles
Has shut out any outside noise or disturbance
Elle hiberne
She is in a state of hibernation, rest, and inactivity
Elle hiberne
She is in a state of hibernation, rest, and inactivity
La réveillez pas
Do not wake her up or disturb her
Laissez-la
Let her be
La réveillez pas
Do not wake her up or disturb her
Pas avant 2043
Not until the year 2043
D'ici là jailliront des cascades
Until then, waterfalls will spring up
D'ici là vogueront les obscurs
Until then, the murky will sail
D'ici là glisseront les combats
Until then, battles will slide away
D'ici là j'aurai découvert
Until then, I will have discovered
Lequel de mes plusieurs
Which of my several options
Sera à même de la sauver
Will be able to save her
D'ici là je l'ai
Until then, I have her
D'ici là j'attendrai
Until then, I will wait
Ses congénères l'ont refroidie
Her peers have cooled her off
Ses congénères crient au génie
Her peers cry genius
Dans le doute ils se vantent
In doubt, they boast
Réinventent la valériane
Reinvent the valerian root
Pas avant 2043
Not until the year 2043
D'ici là j'aurai découvert
Until then, I will have discovered
Lequel de mes autres oubliés
Which of my other forgotten ones
Aura l'aplomb de l'aimer
Will have the courage to love her
D'ici là je ferai flèche de tout bois
Until then, I will use every resource at my disposal
D'ici là je me serai consumé
Until then, I will burn myself out
D'ici là j'aurai balayé les cendres
Until then, I will have swept away the ashes
Et tout ce qui s'ensuit
And everything that follows
Je suis pas prêt
I am not ready
J'ai les pièces détachées
I have the spare parts
Quant à l'horloger
As for the watchmaker
Ses minutes sont comptées
His minutes are counted
Pas avant 2043
Not until the year 2043
Pas avant 2043
Not until the year 2043
La réveillez pas
Do not wake her up or disturb her
Laissez-la
Let her be
La réveillez pas
Do not wake her up or disturb her
Pas avant 2043
Not until the year 2043
Pas avant 2043
Not until the year 2043
La réveillez pas
Do not wake her up or disturb her
Laissez-la
Let her be
La réveillez pas
Do not wake her up or disturb her
Pas avant 2043
Not until the year 2043
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Alain Bashung, Jean Marie Fauque, Jean-Marc Lederman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alain B.
on La fille de la maison des dunes
Elle verra la vie qu’il me faut
Dans du marc de thé chaud
Car elle sait tous les secrets du tarot
Je me noie dans ses cheveux noirs
(je) Suis enfin au pouvoir
Car elle m’apprend à aimer et à voir
Elle m’apprend à aimer et à voir
La fille de la maison des dunes
La fille des brumes
La fille de la maison des dunes
La fille des brumes
Je me vois comme un bout d’étoile
Dans sa boule de cristal
Et je ne vois pas bien ou est le mal
Où est le mal
D’accord elle est un peu sorcière
La fille aux mains de pierre
Mais elle m’apprend à aimer et à voir
Elle m’apprend à aimer et à voir
La fille de la maison des dunes
La fille des brumes
La fille de la maison des dunes
La fille des brumes
Plus je me la mets dans la tête
Plus j’deviens une sorte de mouette
Plus je vole dans son monde de flou
Plus je m’éloigne de vous
Je me brûle à son soleil noir
Terriens, bonsoir…
Oui elle m’apprend à aimer et à voir
Elle m’apprend à aimer et à voir
La fille de la maison des dunes
La fille des brumes
La fille de la maison des dunes
La fille des brumes
…