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.
Malédiction
Alain Bashung Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Et les cartouches tout en douceur tout en douceur millésime
Si tu savais ce qu'il faut dire pour la faire mouiller la machine
Je m'allume et je passe sur manuel
Sur tes lèvres comme un lipsus
Et tu caresses ton personnel pour éviter que les bonnes causent
Ça ferait trop de peine à Rose
Pourquoi faut-il, grand manitou, que le magicien dose?
Je m'allume et je passe sur manuel
Sur tes lèvres comme un lipsus
Les porteurs n'iront pas plus loin, pas plus loin
Dr Livingstone le sait bien, lui le sait bien
Malédiction, malédiction, tous en scène
Nous ne quitterons pas cette île de rêve
Sans jeter un dernier regard
A colorier chez soi ou à consumer sur place
Je m'allume et je passe sur manuel
Sur tes lèvres comme un lipsus
The lyrics to Alain Bashung's song "Malédiction" (Curse) describe a person who is engaging in promiscuous behavior, adding up and multiplying anonymous flirts and sexual encounters. The person knows how to say the right things to make someone aroused, and they are indulging in their own pleasure without much regard for the consequences. This behavior is causing them to feel a sense of guilt and shame, as they are trying to hide it from those around them by being affectionate towards those close to them as a distraction. The line "Je m'allume et je passe sur manuel," which can be translated as "I turn on and switch to manual," suggests that the person is deliberately choosing to indulge in these activities with a sense of control, despite knowing the risks.
The song continues with the line "Les porteurs n'iront pas plus loin," which means "The bearers will not go any further," a metaphor for the weight of the person's actions and the inevitable consequences. The reference to Dr. Livingstone implies that the person is on a journey or exploration of some sort, possibly a metaphor for their journey of self-discovery and exploration of their sexuality. The lyrics "Malédiction, malédiction, tous en scène" (Curse, curse, all on stage) suggest that the person is aware of the harm they are causing and feels condemned by it, but they are also inviting others to join them in their self-destructive behavior.
Overall, the lyrics to "Malédiction" explore themes of guilt, pleasure, and the consequences of indulgence. The person in the song is aware of their behavior but chooses to indulge anyway, despite the negative consequences that await them.
Line by Line Meaning
Tu additionnes tu multiplies les petits câlins anonymes
You are collecting and multiplying anonymous little hugs
Et les cartouches tout en douceur tout en douceur millésime
And the soft, vintage cartridges
Si tu savais ce qu'il faut dire pour la faire mouiller la machine
If only you knew what to say to turn the machine on
Je m'allume et je passe sur manuel
I turn myself on and switch to manual
Sur tes lèvres comme un lipsus
On your lips like a slip of the tongue
Et tu caresses ton personnel pour éviter que les bonnes causent
And you pet your staff to prevent them from talking too much
Laisse pas tomber comme ça l'épine
Don't give up like that, it's painful
Ça ferait trop de peine à Rose
It would hurt Rose too much
Pourquoi faut-il, grand manitou, que le magicien dose?
Why does the magician have to dose, oh great chief?
Les porteurs n'iront pas plus loin, pas plus loin
The carriers won't go any further, no further
Dr Livingstone le sait bien, lui le sait bien
Dr. Livingstone knows it well, he knows it well
Malédiction, malédiction, tous en scène
Curse, curse, everyone on stage
Nous ne quitterons pas cette île de rêve
We won't leave this dream island
Sans jeter un dernier regard
Without casting a last glance
A colorier chez soi ou à consumer sur place
To color at home or consume on site
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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
…