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.
Aficionado
Alain Bashung Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Par l'arrière-droit du Racing
J'aurais préféré le P.U.C.
Faut que j'en cause à Justine
En général les ballons
Ça la branche bien ma soute
Et c'est pas la seule
J'ai rien vu, je peux rien dire
Je palpais les Richelieu derrière ma caisse
Ça t'a plu, laisse pas refroidir
C'est le moment d'allonger la fraîche
Mate, mate, aficionado
Mets t'en plein la vue
Mate, mate, aficionado
Plein la vue
Sur terre battue à Garros
La sœur du Prince de Galles
S'est jetée au cou d'une bétonneuse
Tu crois que ça l'a rendue heureuse
Qui sait, j'ai rien vu, je peux rien dire
Je plantais mes olives dans une pizza chaude
Le goal est tombé comme un kit
C'était pas le seul à aimer le foot
Mate, mate, aficionado
Mets t'en plein la vue
Mate, mate, aficionado
Plein la vue
The lyrics to Aficionado by Alain Bashung recount a personal experience, taking the form of a narrative about a football match between two teams, Racing and P.U.C. The singer's wife was apparently involved in the match, and ended up conceding a goal to the opposing team's right-back. The singer expresses disappointment and discontentment about the loss, wishing his wife had played for P.U.C instead. However, he also speaks about the love of football that his wife and many others share, revealing that this is not an isolated trait.
In the second verse, the lyrics shift their focus to the French Open, and the sister of Prince Charles who was present there. Bashung suggests that her encounter with a cement mixer did not lead to her happiness, but does not elaborate on this. Instead, the singer goes on to state that he was too preoccupied with planting olives in a hot pizza to fully observe the scene. The verse ends on the observation that the spectators, just like in the football match, were all avid fans.
The refrain "Mate, mate, aficionado / Mets t'en plein la vue" literally translates to "Look, look, aficionado / Give yourself the full view". The use of the word "mate" indicates a level of enthusiasm and fascination, with the singer exhorting the listener to immerse themselves fully in their passion as others do with football and tennis. In total, the song praises the love and devotion that people place in their interests and hobbies, regardless of whether these are shared by others or not.
Line by Line Meaning
Ma femme s'est fait mettre un but
My wife was deceived by the right-back of Racing Club
J'aurais préféré le P.U.C.
I would have preferred the PUC football club
Faut que j'en cause à Justine
I need to talk to Justine about it
En général les ballons
In general, the balls
Ça la branche bien ma soute
It really excites my wife
Et c'est pas la seule
And she is not the only one
À aimer le foot
Who likes football
J'ai rien vu, je peux rien dire
I didn't see anything, I can't say anything
Je palpais les Richelieu derrière ma caisse
I was groping Richelieu behind my car
Ça t'a plu, laisse pas refroidir
Did you like it? Don't let it cool off
C'est le moment d'allonger la fraîche
It's time to spend the money
Sur terre battue à Garros
On clay court in Garros
La sœur du Prince de Galles
The sister of Prince of Wales
S'est jetée au cou d'une bétonneuse
Threw herself into the arms of a concrete mixer
Tu crois que ça l'a rendue heureuse
Do you think that made her happy?
Le goal est tombé comme un kit
The goalkeeper fell like a kit
C'était pas le seul à aimer le foot
He wasn't the only one who liked football
Mate, mate, aficionado
Look, look, aficionado
Mets t'en plein la vue
Let it amaze you
Plein la vue
An eyeful
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Alain Bashung
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
…