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.
Mes Bras
Alain Bashung Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sans aviron sans élixir
J'étais censé te soustraire à la glu
Les impasses
Les grands espaces
Mes bras connaissent
Mes bras connaissent
J'étais censé te ravir
À la colère de Dieu
La douceur d'un blindé
Le remède à l'oubli
Mes bras connaissent
Mes bras connaissent
Mes bras connaissent
La menace du futur
Les délices qu'on ampute
Pour l'amour d'une connasse
J'étais censé t'encenser
Mes hélices se sont lassées
De te porter aux nues
Je me tue à te dire
Qu'on ne va pas mourir
Sauve-toi
Sauve-moi
Et tu sauras où l'acheter, le courage
J'étais censé t'étourdir
Sans aviron, sans élixir
J'étais censé te couvrir
À l'approche des cyclones
Mes bras connaissent
Mes bras connaissent
Sur le bout des doigts
La promesse d'un instant
La descente aux enfers
Mes bras connaissent
Mes bras mesurent la distance
Sauve-toi
Sauve-moi
Et tu sauras où l'acheter, le courage
J'étais censé t'étourdir
Sans aviron sans élixir
J'étais censé t'extraire
Le pieu dans le cœur
Qui t'empêche de courir
Mes bras connaissent
Mes bras connaissent
Mes bras connaissent
Une étoile sur le point de s'éteindre
Mes bras connaissent
Mes bras connaissent
Sur le bout des doigts
Mes bras connaissent
Mes bras connaissent
Une étoile sur le point de s'éteindre
Mes bras connaissent
Sauve-toi
Sauve-moi
Mes bras connaissent
In "Mes Bras," Alain Bashung sings about failed attempts at saving someone from their problems. The singer acknowledges that he was supposed to distract and shelter the person from their troubles, but he doesn't have the tools necessary to do so. The phrase "j'étais censé" (I was supposed to) repeats throughout the song, emphasizing the singer's sense of failure. He contrasts the image of dead ends with that of vast spaces to suggest the futility of his efforts. All the while, the singer's arms (represented by the title "Mes Bras") seem to know the solutions, the dangers, the moments of ecstasy and the sufferings this person will experience.
He mentions colliding forces such as the "anger of God" and the "sweetness of an armored vehicle," to paint a picture of the situation's complexity. The lyrics also point out the impact that toxic love has had on the person in trouble. Still, despite all the odds, the singer urges the person to "save yourself" and, by extension, him, too, from their respective problems. He suggests that if they do, they will find "courage for purchase" somewhere. The melancholic repetition of "une étoile sur le point de s'éteindre" (a star about to go out) underscores the seriousness and desperation of the situation.
Line by Line Meaning
J’étais censé t’étourdir
I was supposed to bewilder you
Sans aviron sans élixir
Without oars, without elixir
J’étais censé te soustraire
I was supposed to subtract you
À la glu
From the trap
Les impasses
The dead ends
Les grands espaces
The vast spaces
Mes bras connaissent
My arms know
Mes bras connaissent
My arms know
Une étoile sur le point de s’éteindre
A star about to die
J’étais censé te ravir
I was supposed to steal you
À la colère de Dieu
From the wrath of God
La douceur d’un blindé
The sweetness of an armored vehicle
Le remède à l’oubli
The cure for forgetfulness
Mes bras connaissent
My arms know
Mes bras connaissent
My arms know
Mes bras connaissent
My arms know
La menace du futur
The threat of the future
Les délices qu’on ampute
The delights that are amputated
Pour l’amour d’une connasse
For the love of a bitch
J’étais censé t’encenser
I was supposed to praise you
Mes hélices se sont lassées
My propellers have grown tired
De te porter aux nues
Of elevating you to the skies
Je me tue à te dire
I am killing myself telling you
Qu’on ne va pas mourir
That we are not going to die
Sauve toi
Save yourself
Sauve moi
Save me
Et tu sauras où l’acheter le courage
And you will know where to buy courage
J’étais censé te couvrir
I was supposed to cover you
À l’approche des cyclones
When the cyclones come
Mes bras connaissent
My arms know
Mes bras connaissent
My arms know
Sur le bout des doigts
On the tip of my fingers
La promesse d’un instant
The promise of a moment
La descente aux enfers
The descent into hell
Mes bras connaissent
My arms know
Mes bras mesurent la distance
My arms measure the distance
J’étais censé t’extraire
I was supposed to extract you
Le pieu dans le cœur
The stake in the heart
Qui t’empêche de courir
That prevents you from running
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, SONY ATV MUSIC PUBLISHING FRANCE
Written by: Alain Bashung, Christophe Calpini, Frederic Hachadourian, Jean Marie Fauque
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@joelledeltour2373
C'est magnifique . Quelle interprétation. Tu nous manques Alain
@vincentbrigot7060
Il, exprime la vie, ses tourments, ses peines et ses joies avec la conviction et le jeu de scène... Mes bras fait partie de ses plus belles suppliques !
@eveyoyo
"Mes bras connaissent une étoile sur le point de s'éteindre"...quels magnifiques texte et interprétation ! !! Quand l'émotion ouvre grand les bras et transperce le coeur ...
@chabaudmariette1172
Monsieur Bashung...toujours à part , unique poétique !
Quel beau texte ! 🎶🍀🎵
@ianisguerin4075
La belle forte de toutes les chansons jamais entendues. Tout me bouleverse dans ce chef d’œuvre sur cet album à part. Des centaines de fois je t'ai écouté Alain chanter mes bras. la voix tremblante presque à pleurer. depuis que cet album existe, j'écris.
@bernardmeyer75
J'ai reçu cet album comme sont testament. Intime au possible, il pose tout sur la scène
@remulix4550
C'est juste incroyable
Quel talent !
@ianisguerin4075
Jamais depuis 48 ans je n'ai aimé écouté autant une chanson depuis sa sortie sur l'album de Bashung que je préfère. Hélas celui le moins vendu. cette chanson par les textes est à l'origine de l'acte d'écrire. je ne connais aucun aucun poème qui me touche autant. par moment je me demande comment faire savoir qu'il existe une chanson pareille.
@didierboullon4434
Jean fauque Alain formidable interpretre ❤
@lemajor2477
Le plus grand concert de Bashung!