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.
Douane Eddy
Alain Bashung Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Par un bel après-midi
Je brule un cierge à Saint-Denis, d'avance merci
Je rêve tout haut sur une grande échelle
Depuis que le pompier casque
P as de nouvelle, nouvelle vague
L'année dernière à marée basse
Elle est encore toute mouillée
Tellement beaucoup qu'elle a plu
Galope, galope
Galope, galope
Mistinguette, Mitchum, mi-raisin
Les yeux fermés j'achète
En dépit du french cancan, j'en fais des kilomètres
Elle m'a plaqué or
Pas de Cartier dans le quartier
Les escalators sont-ils vraiment ce qu'ils étaient?
Elle a tellement plu qu'elle est encore toute mouillée
Elle est encore toute mouillée
Tellement beaucoup qu'elle a plu
Galope, galope
Galope, galope
Elle passe la douane avec Eddy
Je prends soin du canari
Je noie le poisson rouge deux fois par jour
Il te reste fidèle
Joyeux Nobel et encore bananier
J'annule la manucure, ça lui fera les pieds
Elle a tellement plu qu'elle est encore toute mouillée
Elle est encore toute mouillée
Tellement beaucoup qu'elle a plu
Galope, galope
Galope, galope
Elle passe la douane avec Eddy
Par un bel après-midi
Je brule un cierge à Saint-Denis, d'avance merci
Je rêve tout haut sur une grande échelle
Depuis que le pompier casque
P as de nouvelle, nouvelle vague
L'année dernière à marée basse
Galope, galope
Galope, galope
The lyrics to Alain Bashung's "Douane Eddy" narrate an ambiguous story that may take place in Paris or a similar metropolis, with snippets of disconnected images and metaphorical language. The singer sees a woman pass through customs with Eddy, who may be her lover or a friend, on a beautiful afternoon. He burns a candle to Saint-Denis, the patron saint of Paris, as a preemptive thanks, and daydreams about climbing a ladder, possibly to reach a higher status or success. He mentions a firefighter (pompier), who may represent a hero, a romantic interest, or an obstacle. The lyrics also contain references to popular culture figures from the past, such as Mistinguette, a French singer and actress, and Robert Mitchum, an American actor. The singer adds that he buys things with his eyes closed, despite the influx of the Frech cancan, and has been dumped by someone who had a lot of money but no Cartier brand in her neighborhood. The lyrics then repeat the line "Elle a tellement plu qu'elle est encore toute mouillée" ("She rained so much that she's still all wet") multiple times, which can be interpreted as a metaphor for someone who still carries the burden or aftermath of an emotional event.
Line by Line Meaning
Elle passe la douane avec Eddy
She goes through customs with Eddy
Par un bel après-midi
On a beautiful afternoon
Je brule un cierge à Saint-Denis, d'avance merci
I light a candle at Saint-Denis, thank you in advance
Je rêve tout haut sur une grande échelle
I dream out loud on a large scale
Depuis que le pompier casque
Since the firefighter puts on his helmet
Pas de nouvelle, nouvelle vague
No news, new wave
L'année dernière à marée basse
Last year at low tide
Elle a tellement plu qu'elle est encore toute mouillée
She rained so much that she is still wet
Elle est encore toute mouillée
She is still wet
Tellement beaucoup qu'elle a plu
So much that she rained
Galope, galope
Gallop, gallop
Mistinguette, Mitchum, mi-raisin
Mistinguett, Mitchum, semi-grape
Les yeux fermés j'achète
Eyes closed, I buy
En dépit du french cancan, j'en fais des kilomètres
Despite the French cancan, I travel kilometers
Elle m'a plaqué or
She gold-plated me
Pas de Cartier dans le quartier
No Cartier in the neighborhood
Les escalators sont-ils vraiment ce qu'ils étaient?
Are the escalators really what they used to be?
Je prends soin du canari
I take care of the canary
Je noie le poisson rouge deux fois par jour
I drown the goldfish twice a day
Il te reste fidèle
He remains faithful to you
Joyeux Nobel et encore bananier
Merry Nobel and still a banana tree
J'annule la manucure, ça lui fera les pieds
I cancel the manicure, that will teach him
Lyrics © O/B/O 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
…