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.
Céline
Alain Bashung Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pourquoi n'as tu jamais pensé à te marier ?
De tout' mes sœurs qui vivaient ici,
Tu es la seule sans mari.
Non, non, non, ne rougis pas, non, ne rougis pas.
Tu as, tu as toujours de beaux yeux.
Ne rougis pas, non, ne rougis pas.
Tu aurais pu rendre un homme heureux.
Dis moi, Céline, toi qui es notre aînée,
Toi qui fus notre mère, toi qui l'as remplacée,
N'as tu vécu pour nous autrefois
Que sans jamais penser à toi ?
Non, non, non, ne rougis pas, non, ne rougis pas.
Tu as, tu as toujours de beaux yeux.
Ne rougis pas, non, ne rougis pas.
Tu aurais pu rendre un homme heureux.
Dis-moi, Céline, qu'est il donc devenu
Ce gentil fiancé qu'on n'a jamais revu ?
Est-ce pour ne pas nous abandonner
Que tu l'as laissé s'en aller ?
Non, non, non, ne rougis pas, non, ne rougis pas.
Tu as, tu as toujours de beaux yeux.
Ne rougis pas, non, ne rougis pas.
Tu aurais pu rendre un homme heureux.
Mais non, Céline, ta vie n'est pas perdue.
Nous sommes les enfants que tu n'as jamais eus.
Il y a longtemps que je le savais
Et je ne l'oublierai jamais.
Ne pleure pas, non, ne pleure pas.
Tu as toujours les yeux d'autrefois.
Ne pleure pas, non, ne pleure pas.
Nous resterons toujours près de toi,
Nous resterons toujours près de toi.
The song "Céline" by Alain Bashung portrays a conversation between the singer and Céline, the eldest sister who never got married. The singer raises a question that has been lingering in his mind since the time he knew Céline, that why she never considered marrying anyone. He highlights that among all of her sisters, she is the only one without a husband. However, despite the talk of marriage, the singer compliments Céline on her beauty and how she had the potential to make a man happy if she would have considered getting married. He then brings up the topic of Céline's previous fiancé, who never came back. The singer inquires if it was because she did not want to leave her family that she let him go. In the end, the singer tells Céline that she has not lost anything in life since they are like her children and will always be by her side, consoling her not to cry.
The lyrics reveal a sense of melancholy and sadness about Céline being alone and single, as everyone around her seems to be moving forward with their lives. Still, the singer tries to comfort her by reminding her that she has not really lost anything in life since they are all there for her like her children. The song highlights how society stigmatizes women who choose to be single, and Céline seems to be a victim of it.
Line by Line Meaning
Dis-moi, Céline, les années ont passé.
Alain Bashung is asking Céline about the passing of time and questioning whether she has ever thought about getting married.
Pourquoi n'as tu jamais pensé à te marier ?
He is curious as to why she never considered getting married.
De tout' mes sœurs qui vivaient ici, Tu es la seule sans mari.
He notes that out of all the sisters who lived here, she's the only one without a husband.
Non, non, non, ne rougis pas, non, ne rougis pas.
He urges Céline not to be embarrassed by the conversation they're having.
Tu as, tu as toujours de beaux yeux.
He compliments her on her beautiful eyes.
Tu aurais pu rendre un homme heureux.
Alain Bashung speculates that she could have made a man happy if she had gotten married.
Dis moi, Céline, toi qui es notre aînée, Toi qui fus notre mère, toi qui l'as remplacée, N'as tu vécu pour nous autrefois Que sans jamais penser à toi ?
He asks Céline, as the eldest sister, who acted like a mother to them and put their needs before hers, whether she ever lived for herself.
Tu aurais pu rendre un homme heureux.
He reiterates that she could have made a man happy if she had gotten married.
Dis-moi, Céline, qu'est il donc devenu Ce gentil fiancé qu'on n'a jamais revu ? Est-ce pour ne pas nous abandonner Que tu l'as laissé s'en aller ?
He inquires about a fiancé that disappeared and asks if she let him go to avoid abandoning her family.
Mais non, Céline, ta vie n'est pas perdue. Nous sommes les enfants que tu n'as jamais eus.
He assures Céline that her life isn't wasted because they are the children she never had.
Il y a longtemps que je le savais Et je ne l'oublierai jamais.
He admits that he's known this fact for a long time and he will never forget it.
Ne pleure pas, non, ne pleure pas. Tu as toujours les yeux d'autrefois.
He tells Céline not to cry because she still has the same beautiful eyes as before.
Nous resterons toujours près de toi, Nous resterons toujours près de toi.
He reassures her that they will always stay by her side.
Contributed by Jasmine R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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
…