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.
Bistouri Scalpel
Alain Bashung Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Voir à se magner
Ego blessé
Peux plus bander
Avec ça il fait lourd
Et c'est déjà pas mal
Avec ça il fait lolurd
Vite en salle d'op'
Shéhérazade
Critique sois bon
Passe la pommade
Avec ça il fait lourd
Et c'est déjà pas mal
Damned mais il fait lourd
Bistouri scalpel agrafe
Un autographe
Tant pis j'y retourne
J'aime bien les baffes
Pas sur le paf
Ça fait mal
Suppression du roudoudou
Hey brancardier
Je veux pas y aller
Avec ça il fait lourd
Avec ça il fait lourd
Bistouri scalpel agrafe
Un autographe
Tant pis j'y retourne
J'aime bien les baffes
Pas sur le paf
Ça fait négligé
Suppression du roudoudou
Je veux pas y aller, je veux pas y aller
Je veux pas y aller, je veux pas y aller
Hey brancardier
Voir à se magner
Ego blessé
Peux plus bander
Avec ça elle fait vraiment pas
Ses quarante-trois ans
Et c'est déjà pas mal
Avec ça il fait lourd
Bistouri scalpel agrafe
Un autographe
Tant pis j'y retourne
J'aime bien les baffes
Pas sur le paf
Ça fait mal
Suppression du roudoudou
Peux pas y aller
Je veux pas y aller
The lyrics to Alain Bashung's song "Bistouri Scalpel" paint a picture of a wounded, perhaps egotistical, individual who requires urgent medical attention. The singer implores a "brancardier" or stretcher-bearer to hurry, as they can no longer "bander" or stand erect. The weight of their injury, both physically and perhaps mentally, is emphasized with the repetition of "avec ça il fait lourd" or "with that, it is heavy," referring to their burden.
The urgency of the situation is underscored with the mention of Shéhérazade in the operating room, perhaps invoking the image of a skilled surgeon. The singer, despite the pain, takes pleasure in the "baffes" or slaps they receive, but wishes to avoid any damage to their "paf" or speech.
The mention of "suppression du roudoudou" is ambiguous and can be interpreted in many ways. "Roudoudou" is a French term that can mean a sweet, a child, or even a type of music. It could refer to a sedative or painkiller that the singer does not want to take, a childish inclination to avoid the hospital, or a desire to avoid losing part of their identity as represented by the term.
Overall, the song presents a fragmented portrait of a wounded individual grappling with their mortality and ego, surrendering to the medical intervention with resignation and levity.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey brancardier
The singer is shouting for the stretcher bearer.
Voir à se magner
The singer is urging the stretcher bearer to hurry up.
Ego blessé
The singer's self-esteem is hurt.
Peux plus bander
The artist is unable to get an erection due to the injury.
Avec ça il fait lourd
The atmosphere in the room is heavy and oppressive.
Et c'est déjà pas mal
Despite the heaviness in the room, things could be worse.
Avec ça il fait lolurd
The atmosphere in the room is very oppressive and unbearable.
Vite en salle d'op'
The artist needs to be taken quickly to the operating room.
Shéhérazade
The name Shéhérazade is being called out, possibly as a reference to the story of One Thousand and One Arabian Nights.
Critique sois bon
The artist is urging the critic to be kind when reviewing their performance.
Passe la pommade
The singer is asking for the critic to be gentle and not to be too harsh in their criticism.
Damned mais il fait lourd
The oppressive atmosphere in the room is making the situation even worse than before.
Bistouri scalpel agrafe
The singer mentions the instruments that will be used during their operation.
Un autographe
The singer is making light of the procedure and comparing it to signing an autograph.
Tant pis j'y retourne
Despite not wanting to undergo the procedure, the singer is resigned to the fact that they have to.
J'aime bien les baffes
The artist enjoys being hit or punished in some way.
Pas sur le paf
The artist doesn't want to be hit on their face.
Ça fait mal
The singer acknowledges that the process of being operated on will be painful.
Suppression du roudoudou
The removal of something that brings comfort or joy is being referred to.
Je veux pas y aller
Despite being resigned to the procedure, the artist still doesn't want to go through with it.
Avec ça elle fait vraiment pas
The atmosphere in the room is even worse when referring to a female presence.
Ses quarante-trois ans
The woman in question is 43 years old.
Ça fait négligé
The situation is messy and uncontrolled.
Peux pas y aller
The artist is unable to go through with the procedure for some reason.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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
…