Georges Brassens was a French singer and songwriter known for accompanying … Read Full Bio ↴Georges Brassens was a French singer and songwriter known for accompanying himself with his acoustic guitar. He wrote some extremely controversial, yet poetic songs. In doing so, he managed to change attitudes across France.
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
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
Comme une s%C5%93ur
Georges Brassens Lyrics
Comme une sœur, tête coupée, tête coupée
Elle ressemblait à sa poupée, à sa poupée
Dans la rivière, elle est venue
Tremper un peu son pied menu, son pied menu
Par une ruse à ma façon, à ma façon
Je fais semblant d'être un poisson, d'être un poisson
Je me déguise en cachalot
Et je me couche au fond de l'eau, au fond de l'eau
J'ai le bonheur, grâce à ce biais, grâce à ce biais
De lui croquer un bout de pied, un bout de pied
Jamais requin n'a, j'en réponds
Jamais rien goûté d'aussi bon, rien d'aussi bon
Elle m'a puni de ce culot, de ce culot
En me tenant le bec dans l'eau, le bec dans l'eau
Et j'ai dû, pour l'apitoyer
Faire mine de me noyer, de me noyer
Convaincue de m'avoir occis, m'avoir occis
La voilà qui se radoucit, se radoucit
Et qui m'embrasse et qui me mord
Pour me ressusciter des morts, citer des morts
Si c'est le sort qu'il faut subir, qu'il faut subir
À l'heure du dernier soupir, dernier soupir
Si, des noyés, tel est le lot
Je retourne me fiche à l'eau, me fiche à l'eau
Chez ses parents, le lendemain, le lendemain
J'ai couru demander sa main, d'mander sa main
Mais comme je n'avais rien dans
La mienne, on m'a crié "Va-t'en", crié "Va-t'en"
On l'a livrée aux appétits, aux appétits
D'une espèce de mercanti, de mercanti
Un vrai maroufle, un gros sac d'or
Plus vieux qu'Hérode et que Nestor, et que Nestor
Et depuis leurs noces j'attends, noces j'attends
Le cœur sur des charbons ardents, charbons ardents
Que la Faucheuse vienne cou-
-Per l'herbe aux pieds de ce grigou, de ce grigou
Quand elle sera veuve éplorée, veuve éplorée
Après l'avoir bien enterré, bien enterré
J'ai l'espérance qu'elle viendra
Faire sa niche entre mes bras, entre mes bras
Elle ressemblait à sa poupée, à sa poupée
Dans la rivière, elle est venue
Tremper un peu son pied menu, son pied menu
Par une ruse à ma façon, à ma façon
Je fais semblant d'être un poisson, d'être un poisson
Je me déguise en cachalot
Et je me couche au fond de l'eau, au fond de l'eau
De lui croquer un bout de pied, un bout de pied
Jamais requin n'a, j'en réponds
Jamais rien goûté d'aussi bon, rien d'aussi bon
Elle m'a puni de ce culot, de ce culot
En me tenant le bec dans l'eau, le bec dans l'eau
Et j'ai dû, pour l'apitoyer
Faire mine de me noyer, de me noyer
Convaincue de m'avoir occis, m'avoir occis
La voilà qui se radoucit, se radoucit
Et qui m'embrasse et qui me mord
Pour me ressusciter des morts, citer des morts
Si c'est le sort qu'il faut subir, qu'il faut subir
À l'heure du dernier soupir, dernier soupir
Si, des noyés, tel est le lot
Je retourne me fiche à l'eau, me fiche à l'eau
Chez ses parents, le lendemain, le lendemain
J'ai couru demander sa main, d'mander sa main
Mais comme je n'avais rien dans
La mienne, on m'a crié "Va-t'en", crié "Va-t'en"
On l'a livrée aux appétits, aux appétits
D'une espèce de mercanti, de mercanti
Un vrai maroufle, un gros sac d'or
Plus vieux qu'Hérode et que Nestor, et que Nestor
Et depuis leurs noces j'attends, noces j'attends
Le cœur sur des charbons ardents, charbons ardents
Que la Faucheuse vienne cou-
-Per l'herbe aux pieds de ce grigou, de ce grigou
Quand elle sera veuve éplorée, veuve éplorée
Après l'avoir bien enterré, bien enterré
J'ai l'espérance qu'elle viendra
Faire sa niche entre mes bras, entre mes bras
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Georges Brassens
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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