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.
Hier à Sousse
Alain Bashung Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hier à Sousse, hier à Sousse
Demain Paris, demain Paris
Aucun cadran n'affiche la même heure
Aucun amant ne livre la même humeur
À nous Delhi, à nous Delhi
Hier à Sousse, hier à Sousse
Aucun cadran ne livre la même humeur
À nous New York, à nous New York
Hier à Sousse, hier à Sousse
Demain Paris, demain Paris
Aucun cadran n'affiche la même heure
Aucun amant ne livre la même humeur
À l'intérieur, à l'intérieur
Coule la Garonne, coule la Garonne
Pas un amant n'affiche la même heure
Aucun cadran ne livre la même humeur
À nous Paris, à nous Delhi
Hier à Sousse, hier à Sousse
Aucun cadran n'affiche la même heure
Aucun cadran n'affiche la même heure
Aucun cadran n'affiche la même heure
Aucun amant ne livre la même humeur
(Aucun cadran n'affiche la même heure)
(Aucun cadran n'affiche la même heure)
(Aucun cadran n'affiche la même heure)
(Aucun amant ne livre la même humeur)
The lyrics to Alain Bashung's "Hier A Sousse" play with the idea of time and its subjectivity in different places and moments. The repetition of "ici à Sfax, hier à Sousse, demain Paris" highlights the contrast between static and changing locations, while the lines "no clock shows the same time, no lover expresses the same mood" suggest how different experiences can shape individual perceptions of time and love.
The chorus brings a series of different destinations, from Delhi to New York and back to Paris. The idea of different places and cultures is reinforced by adding the local river in Toulouse as a symbol of the interior experience, while lovers and clocks remain unstable and unpredictable. The final repetition of "no clock shows the same time, no lover expresses the same mood" emphasizes the central theme of the song, and how these uncertainties can also reflect a sense of personal identity and freedom.
Overall, "Hier A Sousse" presents a poetic and open exploration of the concepts of time, place, and emotion, reflecting Alain Bashung's unique style and creativity.
Line by Line Meaning
Ici à Sfax, ici à Sfax
We are in Sfax, just as we were yesterday in Sousse, but tomorrow we will be in Paris. Each place is different, with its own time and mood.
Hier à Sousse, hier à Sousse
Yesterday we were in Sousse, but today we are in Sfax. Time moves on and things change, but each moment is unique.
Demain Paris, demain Paris
Tomorrow we will be in Paris, a different city with its own rhythms and emotions.
Aucun cadran n'affiche la même heure
No clock shows the same time, emphasizing that each location has its own pace and tempo.
Aucun amant ne livre la même humeur
No lover gives the same mood, highlighting the idea that each person's emotional state is different and cannot be predicted.
À nous Delhi, à nous Delhi
Delhi is another destination we plan to visit in the future, reinforcing the theme of travel and the discovery of new places.
Aucun amant n'affiche la même heure
No lover gives the same mood, highlighting the idea that each person's emotional state is different and cannot be predicted.
Aucun cadran ne livre la même humeur
Just as clocks show different times, people also have different moods and emotions.
À nous New York, à nous New York
New York is another destination we plan to visit, demonstrating the transitory nature of our experiences and the limitless possibilities of travel.
Demain Paris, demain Paris
Tomorrow we are headed to Paris, which again underscores the themes of travel and exploration.
À l'intérieur, à l'intérieur
Inside, in our own private realm, we experience the flow of the Garonne river. We are still separate from others and our surroundings, despite our travels.
Coule la Garonne, coule la Garonne
The Garonne river flows, regardless of our own personal experiences and fluctuations.
Pas un amant n'affiche la même heure
No lover gives the same mood, emphasizing the point that relationships are complex and unpredictable.
Aucun cadran ne livre la même humeur
Clocks may show different times, but people's emotions and moods also fluctuate unpredictably.
À nous Paris, à nous Delhi
Paris and Delhi are two of the many cities we plan to visit in the future, opening up possibilities for new experiences and encounters.
Aucun cadran n'affiche la même heure
Once again, clocks show different times in different places, emphasizing the theme of transitory experiences.
(Aucun cadran n'affiche la même heure)
No clock shows the same time.
(Aucun cadran n'affiche la même heure)
No clock shows the same time.
(Aucun cadran n'affiche la même heure)
No clock shows the same time.
(Aucun amant ne livre la même humeur)
No lover gives the same mood.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Gaetan Roussel
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rachid Rachid
Bashung un artiste unique de belles paroles et la profondeur de la langue française rip
Lili Vie
Gaëtan Roussel
se bastien
des frissons que tu nous donne 😊😉
Hafedh Hemayed
Un chanteur que j'adore,une découverte cette chanson,Sousse et Sfax à l'honneur entre autres.
Cathy Mancini
Je vous aime monsieur alain bashung🙏
Bashung un jour🕯️
Bashung toujours🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🙏
Bruno Robbiati
Vu 2 fois au théâtre de béthune, quel spectacle ;quelle prestance.
Frangipane et Ecballium
10 ans déjà que Bash est parti...
Belmondo Jean paul
Un pilier du son " rock" je m ' incendie volontaire avec B .Cantat .
Edmond Dantes
Le bonheur
J M
" Aucun cadran n'affiche la même heure " 🙏