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.
Aucun Express
Alain Bashung Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Vers la félicité
Aucun tacot n'y accostera
Aucun Concorde n'aura ton envergure
Aucun navire n'y va
Sinon toi
Aucun trolley ne me tiendra
Aucun vapeur ne me fera fondre
Des escalators au chariot ailé
J'ai tout essayé
J'ai tout essayé
J'ai longé ton corps
Épousé ses méandres
Je me suis emporté
Transporté
Par delà les abysses
Par dessus les vergers
Délaissant les grands axes
J'ai pris la contre-allée
Je me suis emporté
Transporté
Aucun landeau ne me laissera
Bouche bée
Aucun Walhalla ne vaut le détour
Aucun astronef ne s'y attarde
Aucun navire n'y va
Sinon toi
J'ai longé ton corps
Épousé ses méandres
Je me suis emporté
Transporté
Par delà les abysses
Par dessus les vergers
Délaissant les grands axes
J'ai pris la contre-allée
Je me suis emporté
Transporté
Aucun express ne m'emmènera vers
La félicité
Aucun tacot n'y accostera
Aucun Concorde n'aura ton envergure
Aucun navire n'y va
Aucun
J'ai longé ton corps
Épousé ses méandres
Je me suis emporté
Transporté
Par delà les abysses
Par dessus les vergers
Délaissant les grands axes
J'ai pris la contre-allée
Je me suis emporté
Transporté
In Alain Bashung's song "Aucun Express," the singer is expressing his longing for something that he knows is unattainable. He repeats the phrase "aucun express ne m'emmènera vers la félicité" which means "no express will take me to happiness." He is saying that no form of transportation or travel can take him to his desired happiness, which is embodied by the person he is speaking to.
He then lists several examples of forms of transportation that he has tried, including trains, steamships, trolleys, and even the Concorde. He says that none of these methods of travel can compare to the person he desires. He has "longed for their body" and been "transported" and "carried away" by their love.
The lyrics also mention a "Walhalla," which is a reference to Norse mythology and refers to the afterlife for warriors who have died in battle. Bashung is saying that no mythical or idealized afterlife could possibly compare to the love that he is seeking.
Overall, "Aucun Express" is a love song that emphasizes the idea that true happiness can only be found through human connection and love. Bashung suggests that no material thing or grand adventure can compare to the feeling of being carried away by someone's love.
Line by Line Meaning
Aucun express ne m'emmènera
No train will take me
Vers la félicité
To happiness
Aucun tacot n'y accostera
No old train will stop there
Aucun Concorde n'aura ton envergure
No Concorde will have your wingspan
Aucun navire n'y va
No ship goes there
Sinon toi
Except for you
Aucun trolley ne me tiendra
No trolley will hold me
Si haut perché
So high up
Aucun vapeur ne me fera fondre
No steam will make me melt
Des escalators au chariot ailé
From escalators to the winged cart
J'ai tout essayé
I've tried everything
J'ai longé ton corps
I've traced your body
Épousé ses méandres
Married its meanders
Je me suis emporté
I got caught up in it
Transporté
Transported
Par delà les abysses
Beyond the abysses
Par dessus les vergers
Over the orchards
Délaissant les grands axes
Abandoning the main roads
J'ai pris la contre-allée
I took the side street
Aucun landeau ne me laissera
No pram will leave me in awe
Bouche bée
Speechless
Aucun Walhalla ne vaut le détour
No Walhalla is worth the detour
Aucun astronef ne s'y attarde
No spaceship lingers there
Aucun navire n'y va
No ship goes there
J'ai longé ton corps
I've traced your body
Épousé ses méandres
Married its meanders
Je me suis emporté
I got caught up in it
Transporté
Transported
Par delà les abysses
Beyond the abysses
Par dessus les vergers
Over the orchards
Délaissant les grands axes
Abandoning the main roads
J'ai pris la contre-allée
I took the side street
Aucun express ne m'emmènera vers
No train will take me to
La félicité
Happiness
Aucun tacot n'y accostera
No old train will stop there
Aucun Concorde n'aura ton envergure
No Concorde will have your wingspan
Aucun navire n'y va
No ship goes there
Aucun
None
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Alain Bashung, Jean Marie Fauque, Richard Mortier
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
…