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.
Camping Jazz
Alain Bashung Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Je m'attaque au pot au feu seul dans la nuit
Adieu tipee on fait comme on a dit
Si tu me quittes est-ce que je peux venir aussi?
Sur le perron parfois tu m'évitas
Je me rachète et je me revends des tas
Ça vole pas haut les Dumbo dans la prairie
Encore une nuit sans Georges
Encore une nuit sans Georges
Lundi je passe l'oral sans Hardy
Fais naturel je crois qu'on est suivi
Je prête à confusion, elle me le rend mardi
Si tu me quittes est-ce que je peux venir aussi?
Encore une nuit sans Georges
Encore une nuit sans Georges
Près du bivouac où je me réunis
Arthur lit Rambo sur un camping jazzy
Dans la toundra on n'entend plus qu'un cri
Si tu me quittes est-ce que je peux venir aussi?
The lyrics of Alain Bashung's song, Camping Jazz, are open to interpretation but to a large extent, they depict the singer's desire for companionship and fear of being left alone. The song uses imagery of camping to convey this message. In the first verse, Bashung sits alone by the campfire, eating pot-au-feu, a traditional French beef stew. He bids farewell to the idea of camping with a friend and asks if he can come along if his companion decides to leave. This reflects his fear of isolation or abandonment.
In the second verse, Bashung talks about being ignored by his friend on the porch. He tries to make amends by buying or selling various things and mentions the 'Dumbo,' referencing the character from the Disney animated movie. The line may imply his search for self-worth and validation from those around him. The chorus 'Encore une nuit sans Georges' (Another night without Georges) adds to the loneliness he is feeling, and the repetition reinforces his pain.
Finally, in the last verse, Bashung observes his friend Arthur reading Rambo in the campsite. The line 'Dans la toundra on n’entend plus qu’un cri' (All that can be heard in the tundra is a scream) may be interpreted as the pain or loneliness he feels and the bleakness of his surroundings. He asks his friend again if he can join him if he decides to leave, highlighting his yearning for companionship.
Line by Line Meaning
Près du bivouac où je me réunis
Near the camp where I gather
Je m'attaque au pot au feu seul dans la nuit
I attack the stew alone in the night
Adieu tipee on fait comme on a dit
Goodbye Teepee, we do as we said
Si tu me quittes est-ce que je peux venir aussi?
If you leave me, can I come too?
Sur le perron parfois tu m'évitas
On the porch sometimes you avoided me
Je me rachète et je me revends des tas
I redeem myself and sell lots of things
Ça vole pas haut les Dumbo dans la prairie
Dumbos don't fly high in the meadow
Encore une nuit sans Georges
Another night without Georges
Lundi je passe l'oral sans Hardy
I have an oral exam on Monday without Hardy
Fais naturel je crois qu'on est suivi
Act natural, I think we're being followed
Je prête à confusion, elle me le rend mardi
I cause confusion, she returns it to me on Tuesday
Près du bivouac où je me réunis
Near the camp where I gather
Arthur lit Rambo sur un camping jazzy
Arthur reads Rambo on a jazzy camping trip
Dans la toundra on n'entend plus qu'un cri
In the tundra, only one cry is heard
Si tu me quittes est-ce que je peux venir aussi?
If you leave me, can I come too?
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
…