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.
Osez Joséphine
Alain Bashung Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On devine
Des monarques et leurs figurines
Juste une paire de demi-dieux
Livrés à eux
Ils font des p'tits
Il font des envieux
Je suis le roi des scélérats
À qui sourit la vie
Marcher sur l'eau
Éviter les péages
Jamais souffrir
Juste faire hennir
Les chevaux du plaisir
Osez, osez Joséphine
Osez, osez Joséphine
Plus rien n's'oppose à la nuit
Rien ne justifie
Usez vos souliers
Usez l'usurier
Soyez ma muse
Et que ne durent que les moments doux
Durent que les moments doux
Et que ne doux
Osez, osez Joséphine
Osez, osez Joséphine
Plus rien n's'oppose à la nuit
Rien ne justifie
Osez, osez
Osez, osez
Osez, osez Joséphine
Osez, osez Joséphine
Plus rien n's'oppose à la nuit
Rien ne justifie
The song "Osez Joséphine" is a poetic and enigmatic tribute to an adventurous woman who is compared to a queen, which is symbolized by the line "Des monarques et leurs figurines." The singer imagines wealthy and powerful figures in the back of luxury cars, living their lives without restriction or fear, and he longs to be one of them. He calls himself "le roi des scélérats," the king of outlaws, and says that life smiles at him, but he also sings about avoiding tolls and never suffering, suggesting that this lifestyle might not be as perfect as it seems.
The repeated refrain of "Osez, osez Joséphine" is an exhortation to dare, a call to take risks and seize the moment, to be bold like the woman he admires. He encourages her (and himself) to use up her shoes and wear out the moneylender, to inspire him as his muse and make only the sweetest moments last. The final repetition of "Plus rien n's'oppose à la nuit / Rien ne justifie" is a powerful statement that nothing can stop them anymore, and nothing needs to justify their actions.
Overall, the lyrics of "Osez Joséphine" are a vivid and imaginative celebration of living life to the fullest, embracing adventure and passion, and daring to be oneself despite any obstacles that may arise.
Line by Line Meaning
À l'arrière des berlines
Behind the sedans
On devine
One can guess
Des monarques et leurs figurines
Monarchs and their figurines
Juste une paire de demi-dieux
Just a pair of demigods
Livrés à eux
Left to themselves
Ils font des p'tits
They have children
Il font des envieux
They make others envious
À l'arrière des dauphines
In the back of the Dauphines
Je suis le roi des scélérats
I am the king of scoundrels
À qui sourit la vie
To whom life smiles
Marcher sur l'eau
To walk on water
Éviter les péages
To avoid tolls
Jamais souffrir
To never suffer
Juste faire hennir
Just to make neigh
Les chevaux du plaisir
The horses of pleasure
Osez, osez Joséphine
Dare, dare Josephine
Plus rien n's'oppose à la nuit
Nothing stops the night anymore
Rien ne justifie
Nothing justifies it
Usez vos souliers
Wear out your shoes
Usez l'usurier
Wear out the loan sharks
Soyez ma muse
Be my muse
Et que ne durent que les moments doux
And may only the sweet moments last
Durent que les moments doux
May only the sweet moments last
Osez, osez Joséphine
Dare, dare Josephine
Osez, osez Joséphine
Dare, dare Josephine
Plus rien n's'oppose à la nuit
Nothing stops the night anymore
Rien ne justifie
Nothing justifies it
Osez, osez
Dare, dare
Osez, osez
Dare, dare
Osez, osez Joséphine
Dare, dare Josephine
Osez, osez Joséphine
Dare, dare Josephine
Plus rien n's'oppose à la nuit
Nothing stops the night anymore
Rien ne justifie
Nothing justifies it
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Alain Bashung, Jean Marie Fauque
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@chelinde
When I first heard this...thought it was Bob Dylan! 😊
@francineforget3632
4h du matin et je ne dors toujours pas. L'envie soudaine d'écouter Bashung et que je l'adore. Genial que cette chansoon. Allez hop, une autre écoute et peut-être vais-je dormir par après.
@guybriand5229
Bonne chance! Va jogguer plutôt
@margotpoulin6440
Le plus beau clip qui soit, une chanson immortelle... Et ce cheval, une beauté! ♥️♥️
@guybriand5229
NON! Azucena ...
@divanviril5710
@@guybriand5229 Ce n'est pas elle, même si elle lui ressemble...
@georges-f.pinard5876
Le cheval, oui ! Mais la fille a la guitare, wow, un des vidéos les plus sexy tant qu a moi ! L amour dos a dos, mais je préfère le face a face ! Plus rien ne s oppose a la nuit!
@lephilistin
"Plus rien n's'oppose à la nuit
Rien ne justifie."
@jean-pierremillepied4236
GÉANT ! Et je dirai même plus... GÉANT !
@genevievegroulx5153
La réalisation et la direction photo sont fabuleuses. Indéniablement l'un de mes clips préférés.