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.
Samuel Hall
Alain Bashung Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
J'étais fatigué, j'avais mal
Tu es fatigué, c'est tout
Dit-elle
Acheter une livre et demie de viande hachée
Haricots en boîte plus chips
Quel besoin avais-tu d'acheter tout ça
Tu ferais mieux de nous pondre un truc qui marche, mon garçon
Dit-elle
Tu ferais mieux de nous pondre un truc qui marche
Allez, continue comme ça
Continue, comme ça
Ohé, ohé
Avale, me disais-je
Allez, avale
Allez au diable, je m'appelle Samuel Hall
Je vous déteste tous
Allez au diable, je m'appelle Samuel Hall
Je vous déteste tous
Mon estomac s'est contracté
Oh, de la mortadelle ou Dieu sait quoi
Oh, Seigneur, j'ai dit "Oh"
Tu ferais mieux de revoir tes vieux amis
Dit-elle
Tu ferais mieux de revoir tes vieux amis
Glisser le carbone plus papier dans la machine et au travail
C'est ça oui, c'est ça
Dit-elle
Avale, me disais-je
Allez, avale, avale
Allez au diable, je m'appelle Samuel Hall
Je vous déteste tous
Allez au diable, je m'appelle Samuel Hall
Je vous déteste tous
Continuez comme ça
Allez, continue comme ça
Ohé, ohé
Continuez comme ça
Allez, continue comme ça
Ohé, ohé
Continuez comme ça
Allez, continue comme ça
Ohé, ohé
Continuez comme ça
Allez
The lyrics to Alain Bashung's song Samuel Hall depict a mundane and dissatisfying existence. The singer appears to be stuck in a routine that doesn't bring him any joy, illustrated by his trip to the grocery store where he buys processed food and receives criticism from a woman for not producing successful work. The repetition of the phrase "avale" or "swallow" heightens the sense of a situation that's difficult to swallow, both literally and figuratively. The singer's name, Samuel Hall, becomes a significant moment of liberation as he declares his hatred for everyone and everything, shouting "go to hell", and rejecting the constraints of his everyday life.
The lyrics paint a picture of banality and mediocrity, with the routine of shopping for processed foods and the monotony of office work. It highlights the dissatisfaction with the expectations of what it means to be successful or productive, and the pressures that come with it. Samuel Hall's outburst is a moment of defiance against these expectations and pressures, and a reminder that it's okay to reject the norm and look for something more fulfilling.
Line by Line Meaning
J'suis parti à 15 heures trente
I left at 3:30 pm
J'étais fatigué, j'avais mal
I was tired and in pain
Tu es fatigué, c'est tout, Dit-elle
You're just tired, she said
Acheter une livre et demie de viande hachée
Buy a pound and a half of ground meat
Haricots en boîte plus chips
Canned beans and chips
Quel besoin avais-tu d'acheter tout ça, Dit-elle
What was the need to buy all that, she said
Tu ferais mieux de nous pondre un truc qui marche, mon garçon
You better come up with something that works, young man
Tu ferais mieux de nous pondre un truc qui marche
You better come up with something that works
Allez, continue comme ça
Come on, keep going like that
Continue, comme ça
Keep going like that
Ohé, ohé
Hey, hey
Avale, me disais-je
Swallow, I said to myself
Allez, avale
Come on, swallow
Allez au diable, je m'appelle Samuel Hall
Go to hell, my name is Samuel Hall
Je vous déteste tous
I hate you all
Mon estomac s'est contracté
My stomach contracted
Oh, de la mortadelle ou Dieu sait quoi
Oh, mortadella or God knows what
Oh, Seigneur, j'ai dit "Oh"
Oh, Lord, I said "Oh"
Tu ferais mieux de revoir tes vieux amis, Dit-elle
You better revisit your old friends, she said
Tu ferais mieux de revoir tes vieux amis
You better revisit your old friends
Glisser le carbone plus papier dans la machine et au travail
Insert carbon plus paper in the machine and get to work
C'est ça oui, c'est ça, Dit-elle
Sure, that's right, she said
Continuez comme ça
Keep going like that
Allez, continue comme ça
Come on, keep going like that
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Olivier Cadiot
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Abdelkader Noam
Un artiste de premièr plan!! Des paroles d'or
FLY JLM
merçi Alain ; ton oeuvre nous fera passer les années à venir ..
Peter Simon
Don't speak french but I love you and I love Samuel Hall ❤️
Akira Midori
Ce délicieux Amen Break au fond.
Elisa 900
Sa c'est de la chanson top
Dan Alme
Cette chanson...; <3
Jean-François Charguerot
oui, beau et fort comme la mort
Robert Mixchum
Johnny Cash (1965) "My name is Sam Hall and I hate you one and all" "My name is Samuel, and I'll see you all in hell! "
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Be7iE3R7Esc
Trad connue aussi sous le titre "GOD DAMN YOUR EYES" depuis la nuit des temps et magnifiquement "ré-adaptée" ici...
Marcus M
Beau... c'est tout
Joel Crichi
Marcus M ....? Marcus miller peut être ? 😔😔😔