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.

J'Envisage
Alain Bashung Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

J'envisage des hold-up
Cinquième avenue
J'envisage des alertes
À la bombe
J'envisage ton make-up
Qui vire
Boulevard du crépuscule
Je cherche ma tire

J'envisage des pirogues
Echouées
Des robots, des turbines
Asexués
J'envisage ton départ
Imminent
J'aimerais bien que ça fasse mal
De temps en temps

J'envisage le pire

J'envisage des lits-cages
Odeur de fauve
Des brûlures, des ravages
Intérieurs
Des échos naturels
Trafiqués
J'appréhende les silences
Qui hurlent
J'envisage
J'envisage le pire

J'envisage des concerts
Carnivores
Des tueries, des carnages
En sous-sol
J'aimerais pas qu'on m'ausculte
De quel droit?
J'envisage un remake
Rien que sur moi
J'envisage de me revoir
Seul à seul

J'envisage
J'envisage le pire

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Alain Bashung's song J'Envisage ("I Consider" in English) illustrate the singer's dark and pessimistic vision of the world. The song presents a series of disturbing images that reflect the chaos and madness of contemporary society. Bashung's use of the verb "envisager" (to consider, to envisage) suggests that these are not just random thoughts, but rather a conscious effort to confront the harsh realities of life.

The first stanza of the lyrics refers to violent acts such as hold-ups and bomb threats, which take place in iconic locations such as Fifth Avenue and the Boulevard of Twilight. The second stanza introduces more ominous imagery, such as stranded pirogues (dugout canoes), asexual robots and turbines, and the imminent departure of someone close. The third stanza depicts the singer's personal demons, including the smell of a caged animal, internal burnings and devastations, and manipulated natural echoes. The repeated phrase "J'envisage le pire" (I consider the worst) reinforces the idea that the singer is deeply troubled by what he sees.

Overall, the lyrics of J'Envisage convey a sense of hopelessness and despair, with the singer feeling powerless in the face of impending chaos and destruction. However, Bashung's masterful use of poetic language and imagery creates a haunting and evocative atmosphere that draws the listener in and serves as a poignant commentary on the human condition.

Line by Line Meaning

J'envisage des hold-up
I imagine committing robberies

Cinquième avenue
On Fifth Avenue

J'envisage des alertes
I envision alarms

À la bombe
From a bomb

J'envisage ton make-up
I imagine your makeup

Qui vire
That's gone bad

Boulevard du crépuscule
On Sunset Boulevard

Je cherche ma tire
I'm looking for my car

J'envisage des pirogues
I imagine canoes

Echouées
Stranded

Des robots, des turbines
Robots, turbines

Asexués
Asexual

J'envisage ton départ
I envision your departure

Imminent
Coming soon

J'aimerais bien que ça fasse mal
I would like to feel pain from it

De temps en temps
From time to time

J'envisage le pire
I imagine the worst

J'envisage des lits-cages
I imagine cage beds

Odeur de fauve
The smell of wild animals

Des brûlures, des ravages
Burns, ravages

Intérieurs
Internal

Des échos naturels
Natural echoes

Trafiqués
Manipulated

J'appréhende les silences
I'm afraid of the silences

Qui hurlent
That scream

J'envisage des concerts
I imagine concerts

Carnivores
Carnivorous

Des tueries, des carnages
Killings, carnage

En sous-sol
In a basement

J'aimerais pas qu'on m'ausculte
I wouldn't like to be examined

De quel droit?
By what right?

J'envisage un remake
I imagine a remake

Rien que sur moi
Just about me

J'envisage de me revoir
I imagine seeing myself again

Seul à seul
One on one

J'envisage
I imagine

J'envisage le pire
I imagine the worst

Lyrics © SM PUBLISHING FRANCE, ALLO MUSIC EDITIONS, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Serge Gainsbourg, Alain Bashung

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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