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.
Venus
Alain Bashung Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Là, un socle trompeur
Plus loin
Une souche à demi-trempée
Dans un liquide saumâtre
Plein de décoctions d'acide
Qui vous rongerait les os
Et puis
Vaste, accueillante
Les fruits à portée de main
Et les délices divers
Dissimulés dans les entrailles d'une canopée
Plus haut que les nues
Elle est née des caprices
Elle est née des caprices
Pomme d'or, pêches de diamant
Pomme d'or, pêches de diamant
Des cerises qui rosissaient
Ou grossissaient
Lorsque deux doigts s'en emparaient
Et leurs feuilles enveloppantes
La pluie et la rosée
La pluie et la rosée
Toutes ces choses avec lesquelles
Il était bon d'aller
Guidé par une étoile
Peut-être celle-là
Première à éclairer la nuit
Première à éclairer la nuit
Première à éclairer la nuit
Vénus
Vénus
Vénus
Là, un dard venimeux
Là, un socle trompeur
Plus loin
Une souche à demi-trempée
Dans un liquide saumâtre et d'acide
Probablement qui vous rongerait les os
Et puis les fruits à portée de main
Et les délices divers
Dissimulés dans les entrailles d'une canopée
Elle est née des caprices
Elle est née des caprices
Pomme d'or, pèches de diamant
Pomme d'or, pèches de diamant
Et ces cerises qui grossissaient lorsque
La pluie et la rosée
Toutes ces choses
Guidées par une étoile
Guidées par une étoile
Première à éclairer la nuit
Vénus
Vénus
Vénus
Vénus
Elle est née des caprices
Elle est née des caprices
Pomme d'or, pèches de diamant
Pomme d'or, pèches de diamant
Et ces cerises qui grossissaient lorsque
La pluie et la rosée
Toutes ces choses
Guidées par une étoile
Guidées par une étoile
Première à éclairer la nuit
Vénus
Vénus
Vénus
Vénus
Vénus
The lyrics of Alain Bashung's song, "Venus," describe a surreal and dreamlike landscape. The singer describes various elements of the landscape, such as a venomous dart, a deceptive pedestal, and a tree stump soaked in a briny concoction of acid that could corrode one's bones. However, amid these treacherous objects, there are also delightful fruits and treats hidden in the canopy, awaiting discovery. The singer is guided by a star, as he navigates this surreal landscape which is ruled by the goddess of love and beauty, Venus. The song seems to be inspired by classical mythology, and the imagery of the lyrics is symbolic and metaphorical.
At the heart of the song is the character of Venus, the Roman goddess associated with beauty, love, and sexuality. The singer mentions her name numerous times throughout the lyrics, underlining her importance to the song's themes. Venus is portrayed not only as a deific symbol of beauty, but also as a guiding force, a point of reference to navigate through life's unpredictable paths. It seems that the singer is in pursuit of something, perhaps love or artistic inspiration, and Venus embodies the ideal and the destination of that quest.
Overall, "Venus" is a cryptic and suggestive piece of poetry. The lyrics are evocative and enigmatic, leaving space for various interpretations and personal reflections.
Line by Line Meaning
Là, un dard venimeux
Here, a poisonous sting
Là, un socle trompeur
Here, a deceptive base
Plus loin
Further ahead
Une souche à demi-trempée
A half-soaked stump
Dans un liquide saumâtre
In a brackish liquid
Plein de décoctions d'acide
Full of acidic concoctions
Qui vous rongerait les os
That would eat away your bones
Et puis
And then
L'inévitable clairière amie
The inevitable friendly clearing
Vaste, accueillante
Huge, welcoming
Les fruits à portée de main
Fruits within reach
Et les délices divers
And various delights
Dissimulés dans les entrailles d'une canopée
Hidden within the bowels of a canopy
Plus haut que les nues
Higher than the clouds
Elle est née des caprices
She was born out of capriciousness
Pomme d'or, pêches de diamant
Golden apple, diamond peaches
Des cerises qui rosissaient
Cherries that blushed
Ou grossissaient
Or grew bigger
Lorsque deux doigts s'en emparaient
When two fingers grasped them
Et leurs feuilles enveloppantes
And their enveloping leaves
La pluie et la rosée
The rain and the dew
Toutes ces choses avec lesquelles
All these things with which
Il était bon d'aller
It was good to go
Guidé par une étoile
Guided by a star
Peut-être celle-là
Perhaps that one
Première à éclairer la nuit
First to light up the night
Vénus
Venus
Elle est née des caprices
She was born out of capriciousness
Pomme d'or, pèches de diamant
Golden apple, diamond peaches
Et ces cerises qui grossissaient lorsque
And those cherries that grew bigger when
La pluie et la rosée
The rain and the dew
Toutes ces choses
All these things
Guidées par une étoile
Guided by a star
Première à éclairer la nuit
First to light up the night
Vénus
Venus
Vénus
Venus
Vénus
Venus
Elle est née des caprices
She was born out of capriciousness
Pomme d'or, pèches de diamant
Golden apple, diamond peaches
Et ces cerises qui grossissaient lorsque
And those cherries that grew bigger when
La pluie et la rosée
The rain and the dew
Toutes ces choses
All these things
Guidées par une étoile
Guided by a star
Première à éclairer la nuit
First to light up the night
Vénus
Venus
Vénus
Venus
Vénus
Venus
Vénus
Venus
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Gerard Manset, Arman Melles
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jean-mamoutthe Lambert martineau
mise en scene impec, banjo descendu des cieux, cette version live est un chef d'oeuvre
namasté noz vat
Merci Chloé, toujours un plaisir d écouter Alain, il est tellement serein, même en sachant qu'il vivait ses derniers moments de plaisir chanter. 😇🙏💛
saliha haniche
Je vous écoute aujourd'hui en 2023, pour moi vous n'êtes pas partie, vous restez à jamais dans notre cœur ! Merci beaucoup de nous avoir laissé, croire en vous !
Mon petit grain de sel
🥀Les Poètes ne meurent jamais. C’est SUBLIME❣️plus encore, c’est du LIVE♥️Est-ce Manset qui a écrit ces paroles ? Mélodie🎶🎶🎶pure🌹Dans la nuit perlée d’or,💫💫💫VÉNUS veille BASHUNG🌟🌟🌟🖤
ll abUziF lll
A chaque écoute c est un parcours ,toujours une forme qui s'élève dans ce monde qui évolue ,
Peu importe
Merci
Yannick Guillon
Superbe. La poésie est là. Merci. Bravo.
Gwenaelle
Tellement beau que je sais pas quoi dire de plus sauf qu il me manque tant...
Laurent Senamaud
Un vrai poète 👍
pif paf
Une chanson biblique: jardin d éden, étoile du berger .... Magnifique
Abdelkader Noam
C fou comme il chante juste ! Ça ce du direct monsieur Bashung incroyable artistes du genre de Peter Gabriel qui lui aussi assure en direct