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.
La Ficelle
Alain Bashung Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
guette l'ennemi
guette l'amant
après la colline
j'y suis
par la meurtrière
guette l'horizon
guette la vie
ses sonates à mon sonotone
je n'attendrai pas
que s'abaisse le pont-levis
je suis les iles
je suis les elles
je suis la ficelle qui se tend
je suis pas cruel
juste violent
par la meurtrière
guette l'infidèle
guette l'indécis
après la colline
j'y suis
par la meurtrière
guette l'hérésie
guette la vie
je suis le miel
je suis le fiel
je suis la ficelle qui se tend
je suis pas cruel
juste violent
je n'attendrai pas qu'on me sonne
je n'attendrai pas qu'on me pardonne
dussé-je boire l'eau des douves
dussé-je croiser le fer
avec ton majordome
The lyrics to Alain Bashung's song La Ficelle describe a man who is watching and waiting for different things through a window. He is watching for enemies, lovers, and the horizon. He refuses to wait for autumn and the passage of time as he embraces life and everything that it has to offer. He describes himself as the string that is pulled taut, not cruel, only violent. He continues to watch for infidelity, indecisiveness, and heresy, and claims to be both honey and bile, depending on the situation.
The lyrics use the metaphor of a window, or "meurtrière," to describe the singer's perspective, which adds to the foreboding and ominous mood of the song. The repetition of "je suis la ficelle qui se tend" ("I am the string that is pulled taut") emphasizes the singer's sense of control and tension.
Overall, the lyrics of La Ficelle suggest a sense of restlessness and vigilance, with the singer refusing to wait for anyone or anything and opting to take life into his own hands.
Line by Line Meaning
par la meurtrière
Through the murder hole
guette l'ennemi
Watch the enemy
guette l'amant
Watch the lover
après la colline
After the hill
j'y suis
I am there
par la meurtrière
Through the murder hole
guette l'horizon
Watch the horizon
guette la vie
Watch life
je n'attendrai pas l'automne
I will not wait for autumn
ses sonates à mon sonotone
Its sonatas to my hearing aid
je n'attendrai pas
I will not wait
que s'abaisse le pont-levis
Until the drawbridge is lowered
je suis les iles
I am the islands
je suis les elles
I am the ellas
je suis la ficelle qui se tend
I am the taut string
je suis pas cruel
I am not cruel
juste violent
Just violent
par la meurtrière
Through the murder hole
guette l'infidèle
Watch the unfaithful
guette l'indécis
Watch the indecisive
après la colline
After the hill
j'y suis
I am there
par la meurtrière
Through the murder hole
guette l'hérésie
Watch the heresy
guette la vie
Watch life
je suis le miel
I am the honey
je suis le fiel
I am the gall
je suis la ficelle qui se tend
I am the taut string
je suis pas cruel
I am not cruel
juste violent
Just violent
je n'attendrai pas qu'on me sonne
I will not wait to be summoned
je n'attendrai pas qu'on me pardonne
I will not wait to be forgiven
dussé-je boire l'eau des douves
Even if I have to drink from the moat
dussé-je croiser le fer
Even if I have to cross swords
avec ton majordome
With your butler
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, EMI MUSIC PUBLISHING FRANCE, PASSPORT SONGS MUSIC
Written by: ALAIN BASHUNG, ARNAUD DEVOS, JEAN 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
…