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.
Volontaire
Alain Bashung Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
J'en ai plein le container
Je m'accroche aux cendriers
M'arrange pas les maxillaires
Section rythmique, section de combat
Effets secondaires
C'est quelles séquelles
C'est tout ce qui me reste de caractère
Tête brûlée
J'ai plus qu'à m'ouvrir le Canadair
N'essayez pas de m'éteindre
Je m'incendie volontaire
À l'analyse il ressortirait
Que je suis pas d'équerre
Vol de nuit sur l'Antarctique
J'attends la prochaine guerre
Jamais d'escale
Jamais de contact
Avec l'ordinaire
Perdu la boussole, le compas
Erreur volontaire
Frôler des pylônes
Des canyons
Frôler l'éphémère
Si tu touches
Si tu te crashes
Tu rentres dans le légendaire
Réalité
Réalités
Punition exemplaire
Si c'est pour jouer les fugitifs
Moi je suis volontaire
Volontaire
In the song "Volontaire" by Alain Bashung, the singer expresses his intense emotions that are censored and rejected by society. He feels as though he is overflowing with emotions and struggling to contain them in a container. The lyrics suggest that he copes with this overwhelming feeling by smoking cigarettes and clenching his jaw tightly. The section rythmique and the section de combat represent the struggle and fight within him, and he is left wondering about the after-effects of these emotions.
As the song continues, he compares himself to a "tête brûlée" or a hothead who is intentionally starting a fire. He feels that he cannot be extinguished and must burn himself out. He believes that he is different and not like everyone else, and wants to escape from the mundane and ordinary aspects of life. He sees himself as a lone pilot on a night flight to the Antarctic, waiting for the next war.
The lyrics of "Volontaire" reflect the feelings of isolation, rebellion and the desire for something different. The singer expresses his willingness to take risks and challenges rather than conforming to society's expectations. To him, the possibility of crashing is a small price to pay for experiencing something extraordinary.
Line by Line Meaning
Émotions censurées
I'm suppressing my emotions
J'en ai plein le container
My emotions are overflowing
Je m'accroche aux cendriers
I cling to ashtrays to help me cope
M'arrange pas les maxillaires
But it doesn't help straighten my jaw
Section rythmique, section de combat
Music is my refuge and my defense
Effets secondaires
But there are still consequences
C'est quelles séquelles
What are the aftermaths?
C'est tout ce qui me reste de caractère
It's all that's left of my personality
Tête brûlée
I'm a hothead
J'ai plus qu'à m'ouvrir le Canadair
I might as well ignite a wildfire
N'essayez pas de m'éteindre
Don't try to put me out
Je m'incendie volontaire
I'm setting myself on fire willingly
À l'analyse il ressortirait
On analysis, it would appear
Que je suis pas d'équerre
That I don't really fit in
Vol de nuit sur l'Antarctique
Night flight over the Antarctic
J'attends la prochaine guerre
I'm waiting for the next war
Jamais d'escale
No layovers
Jamais de contact
No contact
Avec l'ordinaire
With the ordinary
Perdu la boussole, le compas
Lost my compass
Erreur volontaire
Intentional mistake
Frôler des pylônes
Brushing past pylons
Des canyons
Canyons
Frôler l'éphémère
Enamored with the fleeting
Si tu touches
If you touch
Si tu te crashes
If you crash
Tu rentres dans le légendaire
You become part of legend
Réalité
Reality
Réalités
Realities
Punition exemplaire
Exemplary punishment
Si c'est pour jouer les fugitifs
If it's just to play fugitive
Moi je suis volontaire
Then I volunteer
Volontaire
Voluntarily
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, SM PUBLISHING FRANCE
Written by: Alain Bashung, Serge Gainsbourg
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Anne Chesse
celle-ci je l'adore le duo avec Bertrand Cantat est aussi vraiment magnifique très fort
oedipe
Anne Chesse terrible oui j aime bcp moi ...le morceau doit être chaud à interpréter pour cantat !
Red Cloud
Bashung, le poète qui accompagnait nos vies, qui nous aidait à vivre, et grâce à lui, on a bien vécu... Chapeau bas, l'artiste.
oedipe
sublime !
Paul Desca
Very good.
Pierre BRIOUDES
Maitre absolu... total,.....
Cat Cat
la meilleure version...
MonsieurSCrow
Bashung est un des rares artiste dont les version live des chanson sont meilleur que les versions studio
The chat
J avoue à bashung je me perd mais c était volontaire
oedipe
je t'aime 🤔😌😉...