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.
Retours
Alain Bashung Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
C'était moi ou le chihuahua
D'accord je suis pas un cadeau
Je tâche un peu mais je ne déteins pas
Faut pas m'accuser de réception
Quand le coursier viendra me livrer
Sois chic prends-moi par le haut
Oh ferme les yeux j'arrive
Je débarque expresso viens m'ouvrir
Oh coucou la surprise
J'ai peur des retours et c'est pas recommandé
Surtout me colle pas d'étiquettes
Ça n'adhère pas j'ai essayé
Ça me rend d'un coup sourde et mouette
Toujours les mêmes à se faire plumer
Je fais partie d'un lot à dix sacs
J'ai encore un bout de paille dans le nez
On est des milliers tête dans le sac
Qui demandent qu'à se faire trier
Oh ferme les yeux j'arrive
Je débarque expresso viens m'ouvrir
Oh coucou la surprise
J'ai peur des retours et c'est pas recommandé
The lyrics of Alain Bashung's song Retours are a mix of playful and melancholic, showcasing the complexity of human relationships. The first verse talks about the singer being won over in a game of bingo, with the option between him or a chihuahua. Here, the singer seems to question his own worth, calling himself a bit of a mess but not someone who will rub off on others. Next, he talks about not wanting to acknowledge receipt when a courier delivers a package, indicating a desire to avoid any sort of commitment. He requests the recipient to keep things light and not get too attached, indicating a fear of intimacy.
In the next verse, the singer talks about his aversion to labels, stating that they don't stick and only make him feel like an outsider. He compares himself to a bird that feels deaf and lost, which is a metaphor for him not wanting to be defined by society or others. He then talks about being one of many in a group of bags, with straw in his nose and a sense of being undistinguished. Finally, he repeats the chorus, indicating a sense of eagerness to meet the recipient, coupled with a fear of rejection or abandonment.
Line by Line Meaning
Tu m'as gagné au bingo
You got me in a game of chance
C'était moi ou le chihuahua
It was either me or the chihuahua
D'accord je suis pas un cadeau
Okay, I'm not a gift
Je tâche un peu mais je ne déteins pas
I stain a little but I don't bleed
Faut pas m'accuser de réception
Don't accuse me of receiving
Quand le coursier viendra me livrer
When the courier comes to deliver me
Sois chic prends-moi par le haut
Be classy and pick me up from the top
J'aimerais autant que tu gardes tes bas
I'd rather you keep your stockings on
Oh ferme les yeux j'arrive
Oh close your eyes, I'm coming
Je débarque expresso viens m'ouvrir
I'm arriving express, come open up for me
Oh coucou la surprise
Oh hello, surprise
J'ai peur des retours et c'est pas recommandé
I'm afraid of returns and it's not recommended
Surtout me colle pas d'étiquettes
Don't label me
Ça n'adhère pas j'ai essayé
It doesn't stick, I've tried
Ça me rend d'un coup sourde et mouette
It makes me suddenly deaf and confused
Toujours les mêmes à se faire plumer
Always the same ones getting fleeced
Je fais partie d'un lot à dix sacs
I'm part of a batch of ten bags
J'ai encore un bout de paille dans le nez
I still have a piece of straw in my nose
On est des milliers tête dans le sac
We are thousands with our head in the bag
Qui demandent qu'à se faire trier
Just waiting to be sorted
Lyrics © ALLO MUSIC EDITIONS
Written by: Alain BASHUNG, Boris BERGMAN
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
…