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.

Ma petite entreprise
Alain Bashung Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Ma petite entreprise
Connaît pas la crise
Épanouie elle exhibe
Des trésors satinés
Dorés à souhait

J'ordonne une expertise
Mais la vérité m'épuise

Inlassablement se dévoile

Et mes doigts de palper
Palper là cet épiderme
Qui fait que je me dresse
Qui fait que je bosse
Le lundi
Le mardi
Le mercredi
Le jeudi
Le vendredi
De l'aube à l'aube
Une partie de la matinée
Et les vacances
Abstinence

Ma petite entreprise
Ma locomotive
Avance au mépris des sémaphores
Me tire do néant

Qu'importe
L'amour importe
Qu'importe
L'amour s'exporte
Qu'importe
Le porte à porte
En Crimée
Au sud de la Birmanie
Les lobbies en Lybie
Au Laos
L'Asie coule à mes oreilles

Ma petite entreprise
Connaît pas la crise
S'expose au firmament
Suggère la reprise
Embauche
Débauche
Inlassablement se dévoile

Et mes doigts de palper
Palper là cet épiderme
Qui fait que je souque
Qui fait que je toque
À chaque palier
Escalier see
Bâtiment be
À l'orée de ses lèvres

Qu'importe
L'amour importe
Qu'importe
L'amour s'exporte
Qu'importe
Je perds le nord
Au cap Horn
Quand je vois se poindre
Les Pyramides
Nez-à-nez
Mes lubies
L'Asie coule à mes oreilles

Ma petite entreprise
Connaît pas la crise
Épanouie elle exhibe
Des trésors satinés
Dorés à souhait

Le lundi
Le mardi
Le mercredi
Le jeudi

Le vendredi
De l'aube à l'aube

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Alain Bashung's "Ma Petite Entreprise" talks about the passion and dedication of the singer to his work, which happens to be his small business that knows no crisis. He describes it as prosperous and even shows off its luxurious treasures, which he admires with his hands as he feels the smooth skin of his enterprise. The singer seems to be tired of his work and wants to examine it, but every time he does, he discovers its beauty and potential, which motivates him to keep working hard.

The chorus repeats the phrase "Qu'importe l'amour" (love doesn't matter) many times, which could suggest that the singer's dedication to his work is more important than anything else, and he would rather focus on it than anything else. He even mentions that his business exports to different parts of the world, such as Crimea, Burma, Libya, and Laos, which emphasizes its success and growth. The song also highlights the long hours the singer spends working, stating that he works Monday to Friday from dawn to dawn, sometimes even sacrificing his vacation for his business.

Overall, the lyrics of "Ma Petite Entreprise" tell a story about the singer's love for his work and how it consumes his life, but he is okay with it because of the success and satisfaction it brings him.

Line by Line Meaning

Ma petite entreprise
My small business

Connaît pas la crise
Knows no crisis

Épanouie elle exhibe
Flourished, it exhibits

Des trésors satinés
Satin treasures

Dorés à souhait
Golden as desired

J'ordonne une expertise
I order an expertise

Mais la vérité m'épuise
But the truth exhausts me

Inlassablement se dévoile
Relentlessly reveals itself

Et mes doigts de palper
And my fingers feel

Palper là cet épiderme
Feel that epidermis there

Qui fait que je me dresse
That makes me stand

Qui fait que je bosse
That makes me work

Le lundi
On Monday

Le mardi
On Tuesday

Le mercredi
On Wednesday

Le jeudi
On Thursday

Le vendredi
On Friday

De l'aube à l'aube
From dawn to dawn

Une partie de la matinée
Part of the morning

Et les vacances
And the vacation

Abstinence
Abstinence

Ma locomotive
My locomotive

Avance au mépris des sémaphores
Advances in spite of the signals

Me tire do néant
Pulls me out of nothingness

Qu'importe
No matter

L'amour importe
Love matters

L'amour s'exporte
Love exports

Le porte à porte
Door-to-door

En Crimée
In Crimea

Au sud de la Birmanie
South of Burma

Les lobbies en Lybie
Lobbies in Libya

Au Laos
In Laos

L'Asie coule à mes oreilles
Asia flows to my ears

Suggère la reprise
Suggests the resumption

Embauche
Hires

Débauche
Lays off

Qui fait que je souque
That makes me heave

Qui fait que je toque
That makes me knock

À chaque palier
At every level

Escalier see
C stairway

Bâtiment be
Building B

À l'orée de ses lèvres
At the edge of its lips

Je perds le nord
I lose my bearings

Au cap Horn
At Cape Horn

Quand je vois se poindre
When I see looming

Les Pyramides
The Pyramids

Nez-à-nez
Nose-to-nose

Mes lubies
My follies

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Salut Ô Éditions, SO2 Édition, Quatryo Éditions
Written by: ALAIN BASHUNG, JEAN MARIE FAUQUE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@ojackseizemg4020

6y↑26

Ma petite entreprise
Connaît pas la crise
Épanouie elle exhibe
Des trésors satinés
Dorés à souhait
J'ordonne une expertise
Mais la vérité m'épuise
Inlassablement se dévoile
Et mes doigts de palper
Palper là cet épiderme
Qui fait que je me dresse
Qui fait que je bosse
Le lundi
Le mardi
Le mercredi
Le jeudi
Le vendredi
De l'aube à l'aube
Une partie de la matinée
Et les vacances
Abstinence
Ma petite entreprise
Ma locomotive
Avance au mépris des sémaphores
Me tire du néant
Qu'importe
L'amour importe
Qu'importe
L'amour s'exporte
Qu'importe
Le porte à porte
En Crimée
Au sud de la Birmanie
Les lobbies en Lybie
Au Laos
L'Asie coule à mes oreilles
Ma petite entreprise
Connaît pas la crise
S'expose au firmament
Suggère la reprise
Embauche
Débauche
Inlassablement se dévoile
Et mes doigts de palper
Palper là cet épiderme
Qui fait que je souque
Qui fait que je toque
À chaque palier
Escalier C
Bâtiment B
À l'orée de ses lèvres
Qu'importe
L'amour importe
Qu'importe
L'amour s'exporte
Qu'importe
Je perds le nord
Au cap Horn
Quand je vois se poindre
Les Pyramides
Nez-à-nez
Mes lubies
L'Asie coule à mes oreilles
Ma petite entreprise
Connaît pas la crise
Épanouie elle exhibe
Des trésors satinés
Dorés à souhait
Le lundi
Le mardi
Le mercredi
Le jeudi
Le vendredi
De l'aube à l'aube
Paroliers : Alain Bashung / Jean Marie Fauque

@odilebams

Paroles :

Ma petite entreprise, connaît pas la crise
Épanouie, elle exhibe des trésors satinés
Dorés à souhait
J'ordonne une expertise mais la vérité m'épuise
Inlassablement se dévoile
Et mes doigts de palper
Palper là cet épiderme
Qui fait que je me dresse
Qui fait que je bosse
Le lundi, le mardi, le mercredi, le jeudi, le vendredi
De l'aube à l'aube
Une partie de la matinée
Et les vacances abstinence
Ma petite entreprise, ma locomotive
Avance au mépris des sémaphores
Me tire du néant
Qu'importe l'amour importe
Qu'importe l'amour s'exporte
Qu'importe le porte à porte
En Crimée au sud de la Birmanie
Les lobbies en Libye au Laos
L'Asie coule à mes oreilles
Ma petite entreprise ne connaît pas la crise
S'expose au firmament
Suggère la reprise
Embauche, débauche
Inlassablement se dévoile
Et mes doigts de palper
Palper là cet épiderme
Qui fait que je souque
Qui fait que je toque
À chaque palier
Escalier C, bâtiment B
À l'orée de ses lèvres
Qu'importe l'amour importe
Qu'importe l'amour s'exporte
Je perds le nord au Cap Horn
Quand je vois se poindre les pyramides nez à nez
Mes lubies
L'Asie coule à mes oreilles
Ma petite entreprise ne connaît pas la crise
Épanouie, elle exhibe des trésors satinés
Dorés à souhait
Le lundi, le mardi, le mercredi, le jeudi, le vendredi
De l'aube à l'aube
Le lundi, le mardi, le mercredi, le jeudi, le vendredi
De l'aube à l'aube
De l'aube à l'aube