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.

Max amphibie
Alain Bashung Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

J'fais mon footing au milieu des algues et des coraux
J'fais mes pompes sur les restes d'un vieux cargo

Faudrait p't-être que j'remonte
J'ai d'leau dans les branchies
c'est pas toujours gai gai
La vie d'amphibie

c'matin la Reine est partie triste sur le dos du dauphin
C'est tous les jours la même chose si il s'passe rien

Faudrait p't-être que j'remonte
Y'a pas d'bistrot dans l'coin
c'est pas toujours gai gai
La vie d'amphibien

Aujourd'hui c'est vendredi, bon sang, j'voudrais bien qu'on aime
J'me connais, j'vais encore finir chez Wanda et ses sirènes

C'est la seule qui m'remonte
Quand j'en ai plein les branchies
C'est pas toujours gai gai
La vie d'amphibie

Faudrait p't-être que j'remonte
Y'a pas d'bistrot dans l'coin

c'est pas toujours gai gai
La vie d'amphibien

Overall Meaning

The song "Max amphibie" by Alain Bashung is a melancholic ballad that depicts the life of an amphibian who spends his time running, doing push-ups, and swimming amidst algae and coral. The lyrics give a vivid portrayal of the solitary existence of an amphibian, who is far away from human life. The singer seems to have resigned himself to his fate as an amphibian but also feels a sense of sadness and longing for a different kind of life. He wishes for human connection and is envious of the queen who is carried away by a dolphin to a different world.

Throughout the song, the singer repeats the phrase "Faudrait p't-être que j'remonte," which means "Maybe I should come up." This phrase implies that the amphibian feels a sense of entrapment in his current world, despite the beauty of the environment around him. He feels constricted, isolated, and perhaps even invisible to the world above. The song leaves a sense of ambiguity as to whether the singer will continue living his life as an amphibian or try to find a way out of his solitude.

Overall, "Max amphibie" is a poignant and poetic reflection on the isolation and struggles of an individual living in an environment that is vastly different from the human world.

Line by Line Meaning

J'fais mon footing au milieu des algues et des coraux
I exercise by running amidst seaweed and coral.

J'fais mes pompes sur les restes d'un vieux cargo
I do push-ups on the remains of an old cargo ship.

Faudrait p't-être que j'remonte
Maybe I should go back up to the surface.

J'ai d'leau dans les branchies
I have water in my gills.

c'est pas toujours gai gai
It's not always happy-go-lucky.

La vie d'amphibie
The life of an amphibian.

c'matin la Reine est partie triste sur le dos du dauphin
This morning, the Queen left sadly on the back of a dolphin.

C'est tous les jours la même chose si il s'passe rien
Every day is the same if nothing happens.

Y'a pas d'bistrot dans l'coin
There's no bar around here.

Aujourd'hui c'est vendredi, bon sang, j'voudrais bien qu'on aime
Today is Friday, darn it, I wish someone loved me.

J'me connais, j'vais encore finir chez Wanda et ses sirènes
I know myself, I'm going to end up at Wanda's with her sirens.