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.
Feu
Alain Bashung Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Feu 2002
Feu Richelieu
Feu mon neveu
Feu Cassavetes
Feu Julien Carette
Feu Lucien
Feu le carmin des crustacés
Feu mes cavalières
Mes arroseuses arrosées
Mes routes secondaires verglacées
Il pleut il pleut
Sur mon jerricane
Il pleut sous mon crâne
Il pleut il pleut
Sur ce télégramme
Il pleut sur mon âme
Feu la banquise
Feu l'harissa
Feu ma mémoire
Feu les ritournelles des hauts-fourneaux
Feu mon cigare
Feu l'agonie
La Patagonie
Feu la jalousie
Feu l'extase
Le Vésuve
Feu l'oubli
Il pleut, il pleut, il pleut
Sur mon jerricane
Il pleut sous mon crâne
Il pleut il pleut
Sur ce télégramme
Il pleut sur mon âme
Feu Las vegas
Mon cœur qui passe à l'as
La Victoire de Samothrace
Piaf
Feu le formica
Feu la moleskine
Feu mon karma
Feu les eaux du Gange
Feu Peter Pan
Feu ton p'tit cul
Feu ma rue
Feu mourir
Feu naître
Il pleut, il pleut, il pleut
Sur mon jerricane
Il pleut son mon crâne
Il pleut il pleut
Sur ce télégramme
Il pleut sur mon âme
Alain Bashung's song "Feu" contains a series of words that represent things that have disappeared or ceased to exist. The repetition of the word "feu" (which means "fire") adds emphasis and creates a sense of finality. The first verse mentions several things that have come to an end, including war, the year 2002, the French cardinal Richelieu, Bashung's nephew, actor Julien Carette, musician Lucien, and the color carmine of crustaceans. The second verse continues with the theme of loss, naming several things that are gone, such as the polar ice caps, a spicy North African sauce, Bashung's memory, the sound of industrial factories, his cigar, and Patagonia. The chorus repeats the phrase "il pleut" ("it's raining") which suggests a melancholy mood and possibly tears.
One interpretation of the song is that Bashung is reflecting on his own mortality and the inevitability of death. The things that he lists represent parts of his life and cultural references that he has experienced and which have now vanished. The rain that falls could symbolize the tears of sadness or regret that accompany this realization. Another interpretation is that the song is about collective loss and how the passage of time erodes cultural memories and traditions. The use of the French word "feu" also invokes the sense of a funeral pyre or cremation, suggesting a sense of finality and closure.
Line by Line Meaning
Feu la guerre du feu
The conflict of discovering fire is over and done with
Feu 2002
The year 2002 is gone
Feu Richelieu
Richelieu is deceased
Feu mon neveu
My nephew has passed away
Feu Cassavetes
Cassavetes has left us
Feu Julien Carette
Julien Carette has gone from this world
Feu Lucien
Lucien is no more
Feu le carmin des crustacés
The vibrant color of crustaceans has faded away
Feu mes bergères
My shepherdesses are gone
Feu mes cavalières
My female horse riders have perished
Mes arroseuses arrosées
Those who used to water are now watered
Mes routes secondaires verglacées
My less-traveled roads covered in ice
Il pleut il pleut
It's raining, it's raining
Sur mon jerricane
On my jerrycan
Il pleut sous mon crâne
It's raining inside my head
Il pleut sur ce télégramme
It's raining on this telegram
Il pleut sur mon âme
It's raining on my soul
Feu la banquise
The ice floes have melted away
Feu l'harissa
The fiery condiment is gone
Feu ma mémoire
My memory is gone
Feu les ritournelles des hauts-fourneaux
The songs of blast furnaces are no more
Feu mon cigare
My cigar is extinguished
Feu l'agonie
Agony is past
La Patagonie
Patagonia
Feu la jalousie
Jealousy has vanished
Feu l'extase
Ecstasy is gone
Le Vésuve
Vesuvius
Feu l'oubli
Oblivion has come
Feu Las vegas
Las Vegas is a thing of the past
Mon cœur qui passe à l'as
My heart is forgotten
La Victoire de Samothrace
The Winged Victory of Samothrace
Piaf
Edith Piaf
Feu le formica
The Formica table is gone
Feu la moleskine
The Moleskine notebook is no more
Feu mon karma
My karma has run its course
Feu les eaux du Gange
The waters of the Ganges have dried up
Feu Peter Pan
Peter Pan has passed on
Feu ton p'tit cul
Your little behind has perished
Feu ma rue
My street is a thing of the past
Feu mourir
Dying is done
Feu naître
Being born is finished
Contributed by Penelope F. 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
…