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.
What's In A Bird
Alain Bashung Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Woody, wood sur la tête
Reconnais que je suis volage
What's in a bird
Ca me fai convoler éperdument
En justes noces
What's in a bird
Demain j'arrête la flûte
What's in a bird
A part les ecchymoses
C'est purement psychosomatique
Mais vous savez sans doute tout ça mieux que moi
Petit à petit l'oiseau fait son nid
Les intempéries excitent sa frénésie
Jus de fantaisie adoucit son gosier
5, 4, 3, 2, 1 tourbillonnez, tourbillonnez, tourbillonnez
What's in a bird
Votre cas m'intéresse
Veuillez reposer la question
What's in a bird
Déclin très net des stocks
D'amour et de satisfaction
What's in a bird
Trouvez-moi un sobriquet lippu
A tes parties charnues
What's in a bird
J'aimerais qu'on renouvelle mon abonnement à la berlue
Je me rappelle
Moi en dimanche et toi en sauterelle
Notre première concession
A l'abri des perfectos
What's in a bird
A vrai dire on en parle
Vous vouliez de l'information
What's in a bird
Et pourquoi les kiwis m'empêcheraient-ils d'être serin
What's in a bird
Nous remercions l'armée pour sa précieuse documentation
C'est quoi que c'est
L'ambulance de Monsieur est avancée
Bien avancée
Mais vous savez sans doute tout ça mieux que moi
Petit à petit l'oiseau fait son nid
Les intempéries excitent sa frénésie
Jus de fantaisie adoucit son gosier
5, 4, 3, 2, 1 tourbillonnez, tourbillonnez, tourbillonnez
The lyrics to "What's in a Bird" by Alain Bashung are somewhat cryptic, with a variety of images and references that can be difficult to parse. At its core, however, the song seems to be about the fickle nature of love and the ways in which emotions can be capricious and hard to understand. The "bird" of the title, then, could be seen as a metaphor for this experience of flightiness and unpredictability.
Throughout the song, Bashung refers to various qualities and characteristics that might be associated with a bird, from its ability to fly and soar to its unpredictable nature and tendency to change directions quickly. He also portrays the singer of the song as being similarly mercurial, with references to "ecchymoses" (bruises) that are "purely psychosomatic" and a desire to be "renewed" in his or her perspective or vision of the world. These lines suggest a deep sense of frustration or confusion, as though the singer is struggling to understand his or her own emotions and experiences.
Overall, "What's in a Bird" is a complex and enigmatic song that seems to touch on a range of themes and ideas related to love, emotion, and the human experience. Despite its ambiguity, however, the song's lyrical beauty and poetic language make it a compelling and memorable piece of music that continues to captivate listeners today.
Line by Line Meaning
What's in a bird
What is the essence of a bird?
Woody, wood sur la tête
Feathers on its head
Reconnais que je suis volage
Acknowledging one's own fickleness
Ca me fai convoler éperdument
En justes noces
Makes me fly headlong into matrimony
Demain j'arrête la flûte
J'aimais pourtant tous azimuts
Stopping playing the flute as I loved playing it in every way
A part les ecchymoses
C'est purement psychosomatique
Apart from the bruises, it's purely psychosomatic
Mais vous savez sans doute tout ça mieux que moi
But you probably know all this better than me
Petit à petit l'oiseau fait son nid
Step by step, the bird makes its nest
Les intempéries excitent sa frénésie
The weather excites its frenzy
Jus de fantaisie adoucit son gosier
5, 4, 3, 2, 1 tourbillonnez, tourbillonnez, tourbillonnez
Juice of fantasy soothes its throat
5, 4, 3, 2, 1, swirl, swirl, swirl
Votre cas m'intéresse
Veuillez reposer la question
Your case interests me, please ask the question again
Déclin très net des stocks
D'amour et de satisfaction
Sharp decline in stocks of love and satisfaction
Trouvez-moi un sobriquet lippu
A tes parties charnues
Find me a lippy nickname
For your fleshy parts
J'aimerais qu'on renouvelle mon abonnement à la berlue
I'd like to renew my subscription to the illusion
Moi en dimanche et toi en sauterelle
Notre première concession
A l'abri des perfectos
Me on Sunday and you like a grasshopper
Our first compromise
Sheltered from cigars
A vrai dire on en parle
Vous vouliez de l'information
To be honest, it's talked about
You wanted some information
Et pourquoi les kiwis m'empêcheraient-ils d'être serin
And why would kiwis stop me from being serene?
Nous remercions l'armée pour sa précieuse documentation
We thank the army for its valuable documentation
C'est quoi que c'est
L'ambulance de Monsieur est avancée
Bien avancée
What is it?
Mr.'s ambulance is advanced
Quite advanced
Lyrics © SM PUBLISHING FRANCE
Written by: ALAIN BASHUNG, PASCAL JACQUEMIN
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
…