Alain Bashung (born Alain Baschung on 1 December 1947 in Paris and died on … Read Full Bio ↴Alain Bashung (born Alain Baschung on 1 December 1947 in Paris and died on 14 March 2009) was a French singer, songwriter, and actor; he was the son of a Brittany born mother and a Kabyle father he never knew.

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.

Dans La Foulée
Alain Bashung Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Elle voulait gagner le paradis
elle avait le miracle facile
dans la foulée elle a expédié
ses affaires courantes
crudités sur ordonnance
cruauté dans la tourmente
dans la foulée
dans la foulée

Marie-Jo s'en est allée inhaler
les parfums de l'indolence
elle reviendra si ca lui chante
si elle y pense
de la douche au bûcher
la route est longue
mais l'Acropole la laisse de marbre
et les ronces de piquer
ce coin d'azur

dans la foulée
Marie-Jo s'en est allée inhaler
les vapeurs d'essence
elle reviendra si ca lui chante
si elle y pense
elle avait le miracle facile
la victoire au bout des cils

dans la foulée elle a balayé
et la houle et les huées
dans la foulée
nudité à la lavande
liberté dans la tourmente
dans la foulée
dans la foulée

Marie-Jo s'en est allée inhaler
les parfums de l'indolence
elle reviendra si ca lui chante
si elle y pense
on n'en fera qu'une bouchée
de l'impossible
des pistes cendrées jusqu'à la corde
et les ronces de piquer
ce coin d'azur
si bleu soit-il

Marie-Jo s'en est allée inhaler
les parfums de l'indolence
elle reviendra si ca lui chante
si elle y pense
dans la foulée

si elle y pense
dans la foulée

Overall Meaning

The song "Dans La Foulée" by Alain Bashung talks about a woman named Marie-Jo who wants to reach heaven and seems to have a predilection for shortcuts. The first few lines of the song mention how easily she can perform miracles and how quickly she abandons her mundane tasks. She then inhales the scents of indolence and gasoline, indicating her desire to escape the monotony of her life. The lyric "la route est longue, mais l'Acropole la laisse de marbre" translates to "the road is long, but the Acropolis leaves her cold," suggesting that despite aiming for lofty spiritual goals, Marie-Jo is dismissive of ancient cultural and intellectual pursuits.

The song seems to criticize the culture of quick fixes and shortcuts that pervades modern society. It suggests that people tend to abandon their everyday tasks and responsibilities in their efforts to reach spiritual enlightenment or their personal desires. The lyrics are also a comment on the idea of instant gratification and the tendency to believe that difficult accomplishments can be achieved easily with miracles or shortcuts.

Line by Line Meaning

Elle voulait gagner le paradis
She wanted to win paradise

elle avait le miracle facile
She had an easy miracle

dans la foulée elle a expédié
In the process, she dispatched

ses affaires courantes
Her ordinary affairs

crudités sur ordonnance
Prescribed raw foods

cruauté dans la tourmente
Cruelty in turmoil

dans la foulée
In the process

Marie-Jo s'en est allée inhaler
Marie-Jo went to inhale

les parfums de l'indolence
The fragrances of idleness

elle reviendra si ca lui chante
She will come back if she feels like it

si elle y pense
If she thinks about it

de la douche au bûcher
From shower to stake

la route est longue
The road is long

mais l'Acropole la laisse de marbre
But the Acropolis leaves her unmoved

et les ronces de piquer
And the brambles to prick

ce coin d'azur
This corner of azure

dans la foulée
In the process

Marie-Jo s'en est allée inhaler
Marie-Jo went to inhale

les vapeurs d'essence
The fumes of gasoline

elle reviendra si ca lui chante
She will come back if she feels like it

si elle y pense
If she thinks about it

elle avait le miracle facile
She had an easy miracle

la victoire au bout des cils
Victory at the end of her eyelashes

dans la foulée elle a balayé
In the process, she swept away

et la houle et les huées
And the swell and the jeers

dans la foulée
In the process

nudité à la lavande
Nudity in lavender

liberté dans la tourmente
Freedom in turmoil

dans la foulée
In the process

Marie-Jo s'en est allée inhaler
Marie-Jo went to inhale

les parfums de l'indolence
The fragrances of idleness

elle reviendra si ca lui chante
She will come back if she feels like it

si elle y pense
If she thinks about it

on n'en fera qu'une bouchée
We will make minced meat of it

de l'impossible
From the impossible

des pistes cendrées jusqu'à la corde
From the ashen tracks to the rope

et les ronces de piquer
And the brambles to prick

ce coin d'azur
This corner of azure

si bleu soit-il
Be it ever so blue

Marie-Jo s'en est allée inhaler
Marie-Jo went to inhale

les parfums de l'indolence
The fragrances of idleness

elle reviendra si ca lui chante
She will come back if she feels like it

si elle y pense
If she thinks about it

dans la foulée
In the process

si elle y pense
If she thinks about it

dans la foulée
In the process

Lyrics © PASSPORT SONGS MUSIC, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, EMI MUSIC PUBLISHING FRANCE
Written by: Alain Bashung, Arnaud Devos, Jean Fauque, Arnaud Rebotini

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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