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.
Junge Männer
Alain Bashung Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Junge Männer wollt ihr ewig hoffen, no
Junge Männer wollt ihr ewig ficken, no
Junge Männer wollt ihr ewig träumen, no
Junge Männer wollt ihr ewig lieben, no
Junge Männer wollt ihr ewig leben, no
Junge Männer wollt ihr ewig leben, no
Junge Männer wollt ihr ewig ficken, no
Junge Männer wollt ihr ewig träumen
No
Junge Männer wollt ihr ewig leben
Junge Männer wollt ihr ewig hoffen, no
Junge Männer wollt ihr ewig träumen, no
Junge Männer wollt ihr ewig ficken
No, no, no, no
The lyrics to Alain Bashung's song "Junge Manner" directly translates to "Young men, do you want to live forever?... Do you want to hope forever?... Do you want to dream forever?... Do you want to love forever?". The song speaks to the youthful desire for an eternal life, an endless cycle of pursuit and pleasure. However, the constant use of "no" at the end of each verse makes it clear that this is an unattainable goal. The song hints at the idea that young men are often reckless, living as if nothing can harm them, and it's an attitude that inevitably leads to disappointment and destruction.
Through its repetitive nature, the song takes on a frantic tone. The insistent questioning of the chorus implies a sense of urgency in the young men's desires to live, hope, dream, love, and have sex forever. The use of the German language in the title of the song ("Junge Manner" translates to "young men") adds a sense of foreignness, further emphasizing the disconnect between the desire of young men and the reality of life itself.
Line by Line Meaning
Junge Männer wollt ihr ewig leben, no
Do young men really want to live forever? No, they don't.
Junge Männer wollt ihr ewig hoffen, no
Do young men really want to hope forever? No, they don't.
Junge Männer wollt ihr ewig ficken, no
Do young men really want to have sex forever? No, they don't.
Junge Männer wollt ihr ewig träumen, no
Do young men really want to dream forever? No, they don't.
Junge Männer wollt ihr ewig lieben, no
Do young men really want to love forever? This line is not included in the lyrics provided.
Junge Männer wollt ihr ewig leben, no
Do young men really want to live forever? No, they don't.
Lyrics © SM PUBLISHING FRANCE
Written by: Alain Bashung, Boris Bergman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Youenn LE BERRE
Du super Bashung!!!
Live tour magistrale
Merci MONSIEUR..
micmac09
A l'époque, Bashun écoutait Wire, Kraftwerk, Joy Division... Ça s'entend et c'est très bien.
didier G
Tout à fait d'accord, pour moi Play Blessures et L'imprudence sont au-dessus du lot. Déçu par Bleu Pétrole
monsieurlo1
La force de Bashung a toujours été sa capacité à se diversifier et à emmener la "chanson Française" sur des territoires inexplorés par les autres (à part peut-être Gainsbourg...)Il suffit de regarder sa discographie depuis " Roulette Russe". Personnellement, je suis beaucoup moins fan de son dernier opus commis par Gaetan Roussel, mais tout le reste est exceptionnel !!!!
Major Tom
Impossible d'enterrer Gaby plus profond. Bien joué le Bash !
littlebrozzer
Merci ! Version intéressante (comme celle du live 1985). C'était dans quelle émission ?
hellkammer 🇫🇷
L' Echo des Bananes
femmecorbeau
i love this song! :>>))) bisous bisous xooxox