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.
Reviens Va-T'En
Alain Bashung Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tatoue-moi dessus
La peinture au couteau c'est beau
Quand la lame est nue
Tu apprenais au mainate le pont de la rivière Kwaï
Dans le zoo où j'étais épouvantail
Reviens, vas t'en
Toujours à fuir à Mogador
Les jours de paella
Surtout pas se griller la gitane
Viva España
Tu apprenais au mainate le pont de la rivière Kwaï
Dans le zoo où j'étais épouvantail
Reviens, vas t'en
Le chat dort dans la TSF
Fait plus assez chaud
J'ai plus qu'à me trouver un autre chef
Et à cracher le morceau
Tu apprenais au mainate le pont de la rivière Kwaï
Dans le zoo où j'étais épouvantail
Reviens, vas t'en
Éteins une à une les lumières
The lyrics to Alain Bashung's song "Reviens Va-T'En" paint a surreal picture of a relationship that is both intense and fractured. The singer asks their partner to turn off the lights one by one and to tattoo them, almost as if they want to leave a permanent mark on their skin. They describe the beauty of using a knife to paint, emphasizing the danger and risk involved. The imagery of the mainate bird learning the tune of the River Kwai bridge at the same time the singer was a scarecrow in a zoo creates a sense of shared experience but also an odd, unsettling dynamic.
The chorus, "Reviens, vas t'en" (Come back, go away), highlights the push and pull dynamics of the relationship. The line "Toujours à fuir à Mogador" (Always running away to Mogador) suggests that one or both parties are constantly escaping, while "surtout pas se griller la gitane" (especially not to burn the Gypsy) hints at a potential third party involved in the relationship. The mention of the cat sleeping in the TSF (a radio) and the singer needing to find a new "chef" (master) adds another layer of ambiguity and surrealism.
Overall, the lyrics to "Reviens Va-T'En" paint a picture of a relationship that is both intense and fractured, with the dynamic between the two parties constantly shifting and unclear.
Line by Line Meaning
Éteins une à une les lumières
Gradually turn off the lights, symbolizing the end of a chapter or relationship
Tatoue-moi dessus
Permanently mark me, leaving a lasting impression that cannot be erased
La peinture au couteau c'est beau
Quand la lame est nue
Cutting and scraping with a knife while painting can create beautiful textures, but it requires vulnerability and exposing oneself
Tu apprenais au mainate le pont de la rivière Kwaï
Dans le zoo où j'étais épouvantail
Reviens, vas t'en
You were teaching a bird the famous tune from the movie 'Bridge on the River Kwai' while I felt like an insignificant scarecrow in a zoo. Please come back, but also feel free to leave.
Toujours à fuir à Mogador
Les jours de paella
Surtout pas se griller la gitane
Viva España
Constantly running away to Mogador in search of new experiences, enjoying the famous Spanish dish paella, and being careful not to offend the locals. Long live Spain.
Le chat dort dans la TSF
Fait plus assez chaud
J'ai plus qu'à me trouver un autre chef
Et à cracher le morceau
The radio is now quiet, indicating a change in the environment which requires finding a new leader and confessing secrets.
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
…