He was uncompromising when composing his songs. His tactical method of addressing issues was profound and often humorous, making him a unique and effective figure in the French community.
Brassens, born in 1921 in the small Mediterrenean port of Sete, wanted to be a poet. He realized very early however that poetry in the 20th century could hardly put bread on the table and instead set himself to become a singer.
He is much less famous internationally than contemporaries like Charles Aznavour, Edith Piaf and Yves Montand, as much of the impact of his songs came from the lyrics, which proved difficult to translate into other languages. He loved the Middle Ages and used a great deal of Old French vocabulary, as well as many classical - ie., Latin and Greek - references. Few people, even in France, possess the background to fully understand his songs.
Yet he was at the same time a hugely popular singer and many of his songs still carry a lot of appeal and relevance. In this sense, he can be compared to Boris Vian, to Jacques Brel, and to a lesser extent to Serge Gainsbourg.
He was very sophisticated, yet at the same time used profanity liberally. While he wasn't politically engaged, he was nevertheless unambiguously a leftist, many of his songs carrying blatant and buoyant anarchist overtones.
While his music was initially quite primitive, the 1950's St-Germain-des-Pres influence quickly made itself felt and while subdued and - in his mind - always secondary to the lyrics, it became increasingly sophisticated - to the point that many of his songs have been covered and reinterpretated by jazzmen (see for instance this UK site: www.projetbrassens.eclipse.co.uk)
He died in 1981, but up to this date (2006) there are few French people - including most of those born since - who can't sing along to his most famous song, Les Copains d'abord ("Friends foremost") or his "Bancs public" ("Public Benches").
For those interested, this site carries a number of (quite good) English tranlations of his songs: www.brassens.org
A Paris Dans Chaque Faubourg
Georges Brassens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Le soleil de chaque journée
Fait en quelques destinées
Eclore un rêve d′amour.
Parmi la foule un amour se pose
Sur une âme de vingt ans.
Pour elle tout se métamorphose
Tous est couleur de printemps.
À Paris dans chaque faubourg
À vingt ans on fait des rêves
Tout est couleur d'amour
À Paris dans chaque faubourg
Quand la nuit rêveuse est venue
À toute heure une âme émue
Évoque un rêve d′amour.
Des jours heureux il ne reste trace
Tout est couleur de la nuit.
Mais a vingt ans l'avenir efface
Le passé quand l'espoir luit
À Paris dès la nuit venue
À Paris dans chaque faubourg
À toute heure une âme émue
Rêve encore à l′amour.
Georges Brassens's song A Paris Dans Chaque Faubourg is a beautiful tribute to the power of love that transcends time and space. The song reveals that in every district of Paris, the sun of each day brings forth a dream of love, and every dreamer sees a different destiny. The lyrics go on to say that even amidst the crowds of the city, love finds a way to touch the hearts of young people and make them see the world in a different light. For them, everything is color of spring, and the city takes on a romantic hue that is impossible to resist.
The second verse of the song speaks of the night, which brings its own kind of magic to the city. The lyrics describe how young people, their dreams of love still alive, continue to be moved by the magic of the city at night. Even though the days of happiness may be far behind them, the hope of a brighter future still shines bright in their hearts. This is the power of love in Paris, where there is always hope, always a reason to keep dreaming.
Line by Line Meaning
À Paris dans chaque faubourg
In Paris, in every neighborhood
Le soleil de chaque journée
The sun of each day
Fait en quelques destinées
Causes in some destinies
Eclore un rêve d'amour.
The blooming of a love dream.
Parmi la foule un amour se pose
Among the crowd, love settles
Sur une âme de vingt ans.
On a twenty-year-old's soul.
Pour elle tout se métamorphose
For her, everything metamorphoses
Tout est couleur de printemps.
Everything is the color of spring.
À Paris quand le jour se lève
In Paris when the day rises
À Paris dans chaque faubourg
In Paris, in every neighborhood
À vingt ans on fait des rêves
At twenty years old, we have dreams.
Tout est couleur d'amour
Everything is the color of love.
À Paris dans chaque faubourg
In Paris, in every neighborhood
Quand la nuit rêveuse est venue
When the dreamy night has come
À toute heure une âme émue
At any time, an emotional soul
Évoque un rêve d'amour.
Evokes a love dream.
Des jours heureux il ne reste trace
Of happy days there is no trace left
Tout est couleur de la nuit.
Everything is the color of the night.
Mais à vingt ans l'avenir efface
But at twenty years old, the future erases
Le passé quand l'espoir luit
The past when hope shines
À Paris dès la nuit venue
In Paris from the moment the night comes
À Paris dans chaque faubourg
In Paris, in every neighborhood
À toute heure une âme émue
At any time, an emotional soul
Rêve encore à l'amour.
Still dreams of love.
Writer(s): Maurice Jaubert, Jean Gremillon, Rene Clair
Contributed by Anna Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.