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.
Trompé d'érection
Alain Bashung Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Entre tes jambes
Histoire de me sentir
Membre du club
J'ai vu du beau linge
Des misères chic
J'ai vu des hommes-singes
Sur les derricks
Dis-moi c'est combien
L'acte gratuit
Si je te comprends bien
C'est hors de prix
Tourne la dynamo
Tourne la dynamo
Tourne la dynamo
S'agirait pas de se tromper d'érection
Allez vous plaindre à la direction
Ton regard tristos me faisait bander
J'en ai eu ma dose
De te voir chialer
Les filles sont crapauds
Les hommes grenouilles
Y en a qui manquent d'eau
Et d'autres qui mouillent
Je voyais des madones
À moitié nues
Je crois qu'il y a eu maldonne
Appelez Samu
Tourne la dynamo
Tourne la dynamo
Tourne la dynamo
S'agirait pas de se tromper d'érection
Allez vous plaindre à la direction
Quand la nuit j'te vois
Avec d'autres types
J'ai des envies de toi
Qui me prennent aux tripes
Tourne la dynamo
Tourne la dynamo
Tourne la dynamo
S'agirait pas de se tromper d'érection
Allez vous plaindre à la direction
T'aimes plus que je t'attache
Au radiateur
Tu veux plus que je t'arrache
Le papier à fleurs
Regarde-moi dans les yeux
À quoi on joue?
Tu me prends au sérieux
Moi pas du tout
J'ai vu des experts
Tous ivres morts
Secouer des shakers
Ce soir on sort
Tourne la dynamo
Tourne la dynamo
Tourne la dynamo
"Je voulais m'introduire/Entre tes jambes/Histoire de me sentir/Membre du club" - The opening lines of the song "Trompe D'Erection" by Alain Bashung are a vivid description of a man's desire for sexual intimacy with his partner. He wants to be a part of her inner circle or "club," so to speak, and is seeking to connect with her in the most physical way possible.
"J'ai vu des hommes-singes/Sur les derricks" - The second verse of the song alludes to Bashung's observation of the industrial world and the men who work in it. He sees them as being monkey-like and wild, scaling the derricks and other machinery in their workplace.
"Dis-moi c'est combien/L'acte gratuit/Si je te comprends bien/C'est hors de prix" - The chorus of the song speaks to the costly nature of sexual intimacy. Bashung questions the value of something that is supposed to be free and intimate, but in reality can come at a steep cost.
"Les filles sont crapauds/Les hommes grenouilles/Y en a qui manquent d'eau/Et d'autres qui mouillent" - Here, Bashung is making a commentary on the differences between men and women when it comes to sexuality. He paints women as being unappealing or even ugly ("crapauds") while men are more predatory ("grenouilles"). He also hints at the idea that some people struggle with their sexuality ("manquent d'eau") while others are more confident or at ease with it ("mouillent").
"Quand la nuit j'te vois/Avec d'autres types/J'ai des envies de toi/Qui me prennent aux tripes" - The final verse of "Trompe D'Erection" speaks to the difficulties of navigating sexual desire within a relationship. Bashung admits to feeling a sense of jealousy and possessiveness when he sees his partner with other men, even though he knows that his desires may not always be reciprocated.
Line by Line Meaning
Je voulais m'introduire
I wanted to penetrate you
Entre tes jambes
Between your legs
Histoire de me sentir
To feel myself
Membre du club
Part of the club
J'ai vu du beau linge
I saw beautiful people
Des misères chic
Chic miseries
J'ai vu des hommes-singes
I saw monkey-men
Sur les derricks
On the oil rigs
Dis-moi c'est combien
Tell me, how much is it?
L'acte gratuit
The free act
Si je te comprends bien
If I understand you correctly
C'est hors de prix
It's out of price
Tourne la dynamo
Turn the dynamo
S'agirait pas de se tromper d'érection
We wouldn't want to mistake an erection
Allez vous plaindre à la direction
Go complain to the manager
Ton regard tristos me faisait bander
Your sad look made me horny
J'en ai eu ma dose
I've had enough of it
De te voir chialer
To see you cry
Les filles sont crapauds
Girls are toads
Les hommes grenouilles
Men are frogs
Y en a qui manquent d'eau
Some are lacking water
Et d'autres qui mouillent
And others who are wet
Je voyais des madones
I saw Madonnas
À moitié nues
Half-naked
Je crois qu'il y a eu maldonne
I think there was a mix-up
Appelez Samu
Call the ambulance
Quand la nuit j'te vois
When I see you at night
Avec d'autres types
With other guys
J'ai des envies de toi
I have desires for you
Qui me prennent aux tripes
That take me by the guts
T'aimes plus que je t'attache
You don't like being tied up anymore
Au radiateur
To the radiator
Tu veux plus que je t'arrache
You don't want me to rip off
Le papier à fleurs
The flowered paper
Regarde-moi dans les yeux
Look me in the eyes
À quoi on joue?
What are we playing?
Tu me prends au sérieux
You take me seriously
Moi pas du tout
But I'm not
J'ai vu des experts
I saw experts
Tous ivres morts
All dead drunk
Secouer des shakers
Shaking shakers
Ce soir on sort
Tonight we go out
Lyrics © SM PUBLISHING FRANCE, ALLO MUSIC EDITIONS
Written by: Alain Bashung, Serge Gainsbourg
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
…