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.

Les Européennes
Alain Bashung Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Je déplace le fou, je prends la peine
Mais la guerre pose encore des problèmes
D'acoustique
Dans mon petit lit je fais des tête-à-queue
How do you do
C'est pas la haine

Qu'est-ce qui fait qu'on aime les européennes

Au-dessus en dessous de la quarantaine
L'opéra bouffe et la poire Belle-Hélène
Ça va chercher dans les combien?

Tirez la langue, faites ah
Ça vous fait mal quand j'appuie là, oh la la
Mais le docteur m'abuse, oh la la
Je déplace le fou, je reprends la même

Qu'est-ce qui fait qu'on aime les européennes
Au-dessus en dessous de la quarantaine
Les rayons X à la Samaritaine
Ça va chercher dans les combien?

Amis du chatterton
Du lard et de la cochonne
Y'a du monde au bacon
Les aiguilles me talonnent
Taxi veuillez suivre cette planète
Taxi veuillez suivre cette planète

Je déplace le fou, je prends la reine
Ciel mon mari revient de l'OTAN
C'est tentant
Dans mon petit lit je fais des tête-à-queue
Faites comme chez vous
Prenez la mienne

Qu'est-ce qui fait qu'on aime les européennes
Au-dessus en dessous de la quarantaine
L'opéra bouffe et la poire Belle-Hélène
Ça va chercher dans les combien?

Qu'est-ce qui fait qu'on aime les européennes
Au-dessus en dessous de la quarantaine

Les transalpines en Ille-et-Vilaine
Ça va chercher dans les combien?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Alain Bashung's song Les Européennes contain a series of disjointed and surreal images that seem to reflect a restless and disorienting mood. The opening lines, "Je déplace le fou, je prends la peine/Mais la guerre pose encore des problèmes/D'acoustique," suggest a sense of frustration and displacement, as if the singer is attempting to navigate a confusing and unstable world. The reference to "acoustique" adds to this feeling, implying that even the most basic human interactions are difficult and distorted by outside forces.

The second verse adds to this sense of confusion, naming a series of cultural references that seem to be jumbled together without any clear connection. The inclusion of "Les rayons X à la Samaritaine" suggests a fascination with technology and medical science, while the repeated question "Ça va chercher dans les combien?" suggests a preoccupation with money and status. The final verse brings the song full circle, ending with a repetition of the first verse's themes and imagery.

Overall, Les Européennes seems to be a meditation on the complex and often contradictory nature of modern existence, with its blend of technological progress and social instability. The images presented in the song are vivid and evocative, but they also resist easy interpretation, leaving the listener to explore their own meanings and associations.

Line by Line Meaning

Je déplace le fou, je prends la peine
I'm moving the chess piece and taking the time

Mais la guerre pose encore des problèmes
But war still presents problems

D'acoustique
In terms of acoustics

Dans mon petit lit je fais des tête-à-queue
In my little bed, I do some head-to-tail

How do you do
How are you doing?

C'est pas la haine
It's not hate

Qu'est-ce qui fait qu'on aime les européennes
What makes us love European women?

Au-dessus en dessous de la quarantaine
Above and below forty years old

L'opéra bouffe et la poire Belle-Hélène
Operetta and Belle-Hélène pear

Ça va chercher dans les combien?
How much does it go for?

Tirez la langue, faites ah
Stick out your tongue, say 'ah'