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.
Kalabougie
Alain Bashung Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sous des pluies diluviennes
Jusqu'à ce que me vienne
Un jour une arlésienne
J'ai biaisé
Je n'ai fait que biaiser
Jusqu'à ce que me viennent
Diluées, diluées
Qu'as-tu fait de moi?
Perdu corps et âme
Dans les toilettes des dames
Aux tourments haut de gamme
Je suis celui qui luit
Qui vous éblouit
Qu'a la bougie
Qu'a des éclairs
Tous les bicentenaires
Qu'a la bougie
Qu'a la bougie
Épaves et pavés
Sont faits pour se rencontrer
Pour se perdre en retrouvailles
Partir
Aller où
Où c'est où
Où c'est partout
Où qu'on aille
Je suis celui qui luit
Qui vous éblouit
Qu'a la bougie
Qu'a des éclairs
Tous les bicentenaires
Qu'a la bougie
Qu'a la bougie
J'ai dansé
Sous des pluies diluviennes
J'ai dansé
J'ai dansé
In the song "Kalabougie" by Alain Bashung, the first two stanzas describe the singer's experiences dancing in a strong rain and how the event was interrupted by an unexpected encounter ("Arlésienne"). The third stanza reveals that the singer has been deceiving themselves ("biaiser") until their ideas became diluted. The fourth stanza mentions the singer's loss of self, body, and soul ("perdu corps et âme") in the restroom of high-class torments ("toilettes des dames"), possibly implying the toxic behavior of luxury society. In the chorus, the singer claims to be the one who shines, who dazzles and has both candle and lightning effects. They are united with lost and found objects ("épaves et pavés") and have an attitude towards life that is all-encompassing; they are on a journey where the destination is everywhere.
The song has a melancholic tone and vague lyrics, hinting at the singer's lack of direction and disillusionment with society. The continuous use of water ("pluies diluviennes," "idées diluées") may symbolize transition, change, and purification. The arlésienne, which is a French term for an object or person that is always talked about but never seen, could represent a missed opportunity or an unfulfilled desire, emphasizing the theme of ambiguity and regret. The chorus, where the singer claims to be the one who is luminous and everlasting ("bicentenaires"), reveals their longing for a sense of identity and purpose as they journey through life.
Line by Line Meaning
J'ai dansé
I danced
Sous des pluies diluviennes
Under torrential rains
Jusqu'à ce que me vienne
Until came to me
Un jour une arlésienne
One day an illusion
J'ai biaisé
I misled
Je n'ai fait que biaiser
I did nothing but deceive
Jusqu'à ce que me viennent
Until came to me
Les idées diluées
The diluted thoughts
Diluées, diluées
Diluted, diluted
Qu'as-tu fait de moi?
What have you done to me?
Perdu corps et âme
Lost body and soul
Dans les toilettes des dames
In the ladies' room
Aux tourments haut de gamme
At high-end torments
Je suis celui qui luit
I am the one who shines
Qui vous éblouit
Who dazzles you
Qu'a la bougie
With a candle
Qu'a des éclairs
With lightnings
Tous les bicentenaires
All the bicentenarians
Sont faits pour se rencontrer
Are meant to meet
Pour se perdre en retrouvailles
To get lost in reunions
Partir
To leave
Aller où
Go where
Où c'est où
Wherever it may be
Où c'est partout
Where it's everywhere
Où qu'on aille
Wherever we go
J'ai dansé
I danced
Sous des pluies diluviennes
Under torrential rains
J'ai dansé
I danced
J'ai dansé
I danced
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Alain Bashung, Jean Marie Fauque
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
…