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
Clairette Et La Fourmi
Georges Brassens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mais son ami.
De jamais lui conter fleurette
J'avais promis.
Un jour qu'on cardait ses chevrettes
Aux champs, parmi
L'herbe tendre et les pâquerettes,
Elle s'endormit.
Elle s'endormit.
Durant son sommeil, indiscrète,
Une fourmi
Se glissa dans sa collerette,
Quelle infamie !
Moi, pour secourir la pauvrette,
Vite je mis
Ma patte sur sa gorgerette :
Elle a blêmi.
Ma patte sur sa gorgerette :
Elle a blêmi.
Crime de lèse-bergerette
J'avais commis.
Par des gifles que rien n'arrête
Je suis puni,
Et pas des gifles d'opérette,
Pas des demies.
J'en ai gardé belle lurette
Le cou démis.
J'en ai gardé belle lurette
Le cou démis.
Quand j'ai tort, moi, qu'on me maltraite,
D'accord, admis !
Mais quand j'ai rien fait, je regrette,
C'est pas permis.
Voilà qu'à partir je m'apprête
Sans bonhomie,
C'est alors que la guillerette
Prend l'air soumis.
C'est alors que la guillerette
Prend l'air soumis.
Elle dit, baissant les mirettes :
"C'est moi qui ai mis,
Au-dedans de ma collerette,
Cette fourmi."
Les clés de ses beautés secrètes
Ell' m'a remis.
Le ciel me tombe sur la crête
Si l'on dormit.
Le ciel me tombe sur la crête
Si l'on dormit.
Je suis plus l'ami de Clairette,
Mais son promis.
Je ne lui contais pas fleurette,
Je m'y suis mis.
De jour en jour notre amourette
Se raffermit.
Dieu protège les bergerettes
Et les fourmis !
Dieu protège les bergerettes
Et les fourmis !
The song "Clairette Et La Fourmi" by Georges Brassens tells the story of a man who is not Clairette's lover, but her friend. He promises never to flirt with her, but one day while they were carding their goats, Clairette fell asleep. While she was sleeping, an ant crawled into her collar, and the man panicked to save her. In his haste, he grabbed her by the neck, causing her to wake up frightened. He was then punished with a merciless beating by her.
The second part of the song reveals that Clairette apologizes for punishing him too much as he was actually trying to save her. She admits that she placed the ant in her shirt. As a result, the man's relationship with Clairette undergoes a significant shift. They become romantically involved, and their love grows stronger every day. The song concludes with the man praying for God to protect both Clairette and the ants.
The song masterfully captures the beauty and simplicity of an uncomplicated life in a rural setting. It portrays love in its purest and most innocent form, providing listeners with the warmth and tenderness of a soothing lullaby.
Line by Line Meaning
J'étais pas l'amant de Clairette,
I was not Clairette's lover,
Mais son ami.
but her friend.
De jamais lui conter fleurette
I had promised not to flirt with her
J'avais promis.
I had promised.
Un jour qu'on cardait ses chevrettes
One day while combing her goats,
Aux champs, parmi
In the fields, amid
L'herbe tendre et les pâquerettes,
the soft grass and daisies,
Elle s'endormit.
she fell asleep.
Durant son sommeil, indiscrète,
During her sleep, indiscreet,
Une fourmi
an ant
Se glissa dans sa collerette,
crawled into her collar,
Quelle infamie !
What an outrage!
Moi, pour secourir la pauvrette,
I, to rescue the poor girl,
Vite je mis
quickly placed my
Ma patte sur sa gorgerette :
foot on her neck,
Elle a blêmi.
and she turned pale.
Crime de lèse-bergerette
A crime against shepherdesses
J'avais commis.
I had committed.
Par des gifles que rien n'arrête
with no end to the slaps,
Je suis puni,
I am punished,
Et pas des gifles d'opérette,
not some mere slapstick slaps,
Pas des demies.
not half-hearted ones.
J'en ai gardé belle lurette
I have long kept
Le cou démis.
a dislocated neck.
Quand j'ai tort, moi, qu'on me maltraite,
When I'm wrongfully abused,
D'accord, admis !
I agree, admitted!
Mais quand j'ai rien fait, je regrette,
But when I did nothing, I regret,
C'est pas permis.
It's not allowed.
Voilà qu'à partir je m'apprête
So I'm about to leave,
Sans bonhomie,
without cheer,
C'est alors que la guillerette
And then, the lively girl
Prend l'air soumis.
took on a submissive air.
Elle dit, baissant les mirettes :
She said, eyes lowered:
"C'est moi qui ai mis,
"It was me who put
Au-dedans de ma collerette,
inside my collar,
Cette fourmi."
that ant."
Les clés de ses beautés secrètes
The keys to her secret beauty
Ell' m'a remis.
She handed over to me.
Le ciel me tombe sur la crête
The sky falls on my crest
Si l'on dormit.
if we slept together.
Je suis plus l'ami de Clairette,
I am no longer Clairette's friend,
Mais son promis.
but her fiancé.
Je ne lui contais pas fleurette,
I did not flirt with her,
Je m'y suis mis.
but now I am.
De jour en jour notre amourette
Our little love affair, day by day
Se raffermit.
grows stronger.
Dieu protège les bergerettes
God protect the shepherdesses
Et les fourmis !
and the ants!
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GEORGES CHARLES BRASSENS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Manuela Leal
❤️
andré guardiola
Merci de mettre ces chansons inconnues de Brassens que Bertola interprète avec la simplicité qu'il faut.
roglo
Ah zut, il la joue en si b et la partition est en ré... je vais quand même pas mettre le capodastre à la 9e case... va falloir transposer...
jeanmariefagon
Il la joue en La, je crois. Donc: / A / A / D / Db7 / F#m / F#m / B7 / E7 / A7 / A7 / D F#7 / Bm / Adim / Adim/ A7 G7 / F#7 / B7 / E7 / A /
ANNETTE PROUTEAU
qui en est l'interprète dans cette vidéo ?
Jo Elsass
https://youtu.be/sygQ6htyFP4?list=PLPUw1IDl-jfimfGxBKmzaUW2_uI7uIT8e
Abraham Benabou
Tout ressemble à la musique que c’est comme let it be des Beatles
Et la panthère noire en peluche du soldat rose
Et les comédiens de aznavour!
Et la chanson paillarde de David Bowie
Et la chanson des petits pois et carottes de Matan Ariel
Et la chanson française qui s’appellera Malbrough
Et la chanson de l’extraterrestre de Émilie jolie
Et when the saints go marching in
Et the entertainer de Scott Joplin
Et alouette gentille alouette !
Et c’est la mère Michel qui a perdu son 🐈⬛ !
Et le jazz
Et diams
Et kirikou
Et uzi Hitman
Et ludwig van Beethoven
Et elle descend de la montagne à cheval
Et l’empereur sa femme et le petit prince
Et j’ai perdu le do de ma clarinette
Et Brassens
Et Joe Dassin
Et le bon roi Dagobert
Et cadet rousselle
Et kalinka
Et Thomas Dutronc
Abraham Benabou
Et hamilton de lin manuel Miranda
Et spot le chien en hébreu
Abraham Benabou
Et when im 64 des Beatles
Et glory hallelujah
Et Bob Marley
Et Eric clapton
Et twelve days of christmas
cerna jean-philippe
Jean bertola