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.
L'Imprudence
Alain Bashung Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Laisse venir
Laisse venir
Laisse venir
Laisse venir
Laisse venir
Laisse venir
Laisse venir
Laisse venir
Laisse venir
Laisse venir
Laisse venir
Tu perds ton temps
À mariner dans ses yeux
Tu perds son sang
Tel Attila
Tel Othello
Tu te noircis
Dans quoi tu te mires
Dans quel étang
À l'avenir
Laisse venir
Laisse le vent du soir décider
À l'avenir
Laisse venir
Laisse venir
L'imprudence
Tu l'auras toujours ta belle gueule
Tu l'auras ta superbe
À défaut d'éloquence
Tel Machiavel
Tel Abel Gance
Tel Guillaume Tell
À quoi tu penses
À quoi tu penses
À l'avenir
Laisse venir
Laisse le vent du soir décider
À l'avenir
Laisse venir
Laisse venir
L'imprudence
Tu perds ton temps
À te percer à jour
Devant l'obstacle
Tu verras
On se révèle
Tel Perceval
Tel Casanova
Tel Harvey Keitel
À l'avenir
Laisse venir
Laisse le vent du soir décider
À l'avenir
Laisse venir
Laisse venir
L'imprudence
L'imprudence
Laisse venir
Laisse venir
Laisse venir
L'imprudence
The song "L'imprudence" by Alain Bashung is about letting go of control and embracing recklessness. The repeated phrase "Laisse venir" (let it come) is a call to surrender to the unknown and let fate take its course. The singer warns against the dangers of becoming too obsessed with someone, losing oneself in their eyes and their world. They compare this to Attila and Othello, two historical figures known for violence and jealousy.
The lyrics also reference several other historical figures, such as Machiavel, Abel Gance, and Guillaume Tell, who represent different aspects of power, ambition, and rebellion. The singer suggests that by trying to emulate these figures, the singer is losing sight of themselves and their true desires. They urge them to let go of their need for control and allow themselves to be surprised by the unexpected.
Overall, "L'imprudence" is a song about accepting the unknown and embracing the unpredictable. It encourages listeners to let go of their fears and take risks in order to live a more authentic and fulfilling life.
Line by Line Meaning
Laisse venir
Let it come
Laisse venir
Let it come
Laisse venir
Let it come
Laisse venir
Let it come
Laisse venir
Let it come
Laisse venir
Let it come
Tu perds ton temps
You're wasting your time
À mariner dans ses yeux
Dwelling in her eyes
Tu perds son sang
You're losing her
Tel Attila
Like Attila
Tel Othello
Like Othello
Tu te noircis
You get darker
Dans quoi tu te mires
In what are you looking at
Dans quel étang
In what pond
À l'avenir
In the future
Laisse venir
Let it come
Laisse le vent du soir décider
Let the evening wind decide
À l'avenir
In the future
Laisse venir
Let it come
Laisse venir
Let it come
L'imprudence
The imprudence
Tu l'auras toujours ta belle gueule
You will always have your handsome face
Tu l'auras ta superbe
You will have your magnificence
À défaut d'éloquence
Lacking eloquence
Tel Machiavel
Like Machiavelli
Tel Abel Gance
Like Abel Gance
Tel Guillaume Tell
Like William Tell
À quoi tu penses
What are you thinking of?
À quoi tu penses
What are you thinking of?
À l'avenir
In the future
Laisse venir
Let it come
Laisse le vent du soir décider
Let the evening wind decide
À l'avenir
In the future
Laisse venir
Let it come
Laisse venir
Let it come
L'imprudence
The imprudence
Tu perds ton temps
You're wasting your time
À te percer à jour
Trying to uncover yourself
Devant l'obstacle
In front of the obstacle
Tu verras
You will see
On se révèle
We reveal ourselves
Tel Perceval
Like Perceval
Tel Casanova
Like Casanova
Tel Harvey Keitel
Like Harvey Keitel
À l'avenir
In the future
Laisse venir
Let it come
Laisse le vent du soir décider
Let the evening wind decide
À l'avenir
In the future
Laisse venir
Let it come
Laisse venir
Let it come
L'imprudence
The imprudence
Laisse venir
Let it come
Laisse venir
Let it come
Laisse venir
Let it come
L'imprudence
The imprudence
Contributed by John N. 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
…