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
Corne d'auroch
Georges Brassens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tout l'monde peut pas s'appeler Durand, au gué, au gué
Il avait nom corne d'Aurochs, au gué, au gué
Tout l'monde peut pas s'appeler Durand, au gué, au gué
En le regardant avec un œil de poète
On aurait pu croire à son frontal de prophète
Qu'il avait les grandes eaux de Versailles dans la tête
Corne d'Aurochs
Mais que le bon dieu lui pardonne, au gué, au gué
C'étaient celles du robinet, au gué, au gué
Que le bon dieu lui pardonne, au gué, au gué
C'étaient celles du robinet, au gué, au gué
Il proclamait à son de trompe à tous les carrefours
"Il n'y a qu'les imbéciles qui sachent bien faire l'amour
La virtuosité c'est une affaire de balourds!"
Corne d'Aurochs
Il potassait à la chandelle, au gué, au gué
Des traités de maintien sexuel, au gué, au gué
Et sur les femmes nues des musées, au gué, au gué
Faisait l'brouillon de ses baisers, au gué, au gué
Petit à petit, au gué, au gué
On a tout su, au gué, au gué
On a su qu'il était enfant de la Patrie
Qu'il était incapable de risquer sa vie
Pour cueillir un myosotis à une fille
Corne d'Aurochs
Qu'il avait un petit cousin, au gué, au gué
Haut placé chez les argousins, au gué, au gué
Et que les jours de pénurie, au gué, au gué
Il prenait ses repas chez lui, au gué, au gué
C'est même en revenant d'chez cet antipathique
Qu'il tomba victime d'une indigestion critique
Et refusa l'secours de la thérapeutique
Corne d'Aurochs
Parce que c'était à un Allemand, au gué, au gué
Qu'on devait le médicament, au gué, au gué
Parce que c'était à un Allemand, au gué, au gué
Qu'on devait le médicament, au gué, au gué
Il rendit comme il put son âme machinale
Et sa vie n'ayant pas été originale
L'État lui fit des funérailles nationales
Corne d'Aurochs
Alors sa veuve en gémissant, au gué, au gué
Coucha avec son remplaçant, au gué, au gué
Alors sa veuve en gémissant, au gué, au gué
Coucha avec son remplaçant, au gué, au gué
Georges Brassens's "Corne d'aurochs" tells the story of a man named Corne d'Aurochs, whose name simply means "aurochs horn." The chorus repeats the statement that not everyone can be named Durand, a common French surname, creating a playful tone to the song. However, the verses reveal the complexity and tragedy behind Corne d'Aurochs's life.
The song portrays Corne d'Aurochs as a dreamer and a poet, with a forehead like a prophet and the grand waters of Versailles in his mind. He proclaims that only fools are good at making love, and that true virtuosity is a matter for clowns. But gradually, as the song progresses, the truth of Corne d'Aurochs's life is revealed. He is an "enfant de la Patrie," or a child of the state, who is incapable of risking his life for a girl or even picking her a wildflower. He is also revealed to have taken meals with a high-ranking officer during times of scarcity, and later to have died from an indigestion that he refused treatment for because an German was responsible for the medication.
Line by Line Meaning
Il avait nom corne d'Aurochs, au gué, au gué
He was named Aurochs Horn, at the ford, at the ford
Tout l'monde peut pas s'appeler Durand, au gué, au gué
Not everyone can be named Durand, at the ford, at the ford
En le regardant avec un œil de poète
Looking at him through a poet's eye
On aurait pu croire à son frontal de prophète
One could have believed that his forehead was that of a prophet
Qu'il avait les grandes eaux de Versailles dans la tête
That he had the great waters of Versailles in his head
Mais que le bon dieu lui pardonne, au gué, au gué
But may God forgive him, at the ford, at the ford
C'étaient celles du robinet, au gué, au gué
They were those from the tap, at the ford, at the ford
Il proclamait à son de trompe à tous les carrefours
He proclaimed with a blast at all the crossroads
"Il n'y a qu'les imbéciles qui sachent bien faire l'amour
"Only fools know how to make love well
La virtuosité c'est une affaire de balourds!"
"Virtuosity is a matter for fools!"
Il potassait à la chandelle, au gué, au gué
He studied by candlelight, at the ford, at the ford
Des traités de maintien sexuel, au gué, au gué
Treatises on sexual maintenance, at the ford, at the ford
Et sur les femmes nues des musées, au gué, au gué
And on the naked women in museums, at the ford, at the ford
Faisait l'brouillon de ses baisers, au gué, au gué
He made a draft of his kisses, at the ford, at the ford
Petit à petit, au gué, au gué
Little by little, at the ford, at the ford
On a tout su, au gué, au gué
We found out everything, at the ford, at the ford
On a su qu'il était enfant de la Patrie
We found out that he was a child of the country
Qu'il était incapable de risquer sa vie
That he was incapable of risking his life
Pour cueillir un myosotis à une fille
To pick a forget-me-not for a girl
Qu'il avait un petit cousin, au gué, au gué
That he had a little cousin, at the ford, at the ford
Haut placé chez les argousins, au gué, au gué
High up in the police force, at the ford, at the ford
Et que les jours de pénurie, au gué, au gué
And that on days of shortage, at the ford, at the ford
Il prenait ses repas chez lui, au gué, au gué
He took his meals at his cousin's, at the ford, at the ford
C'est même en revenant d'chez cet antipathique
It was even on his return from that disagreeable man's
Qu'il tomba victime d'une indigestion critique
That he fell victim to a critical indigestion
Et refusa l'secours de la thérapeutique
And refused the help of a cure
Parce que c'était à un Allemand, au gué, au gué
Because it was from a German, at the ford, at the ford
Qu'on devait le médicament, au gué, au gué
That they owed the medicine, at the ford, at the ford
Il rendit comme il put son âme machinale
He gave back his mechanical soul as best he could
Et sa vie n'ayant pas été originale
And his life not having been original
L'État lui fit des funérailles nationales
The state gave him a national funeral
Alors sa veuve en gémissant, au gué, au gué
Then his widow, moaning, at the ford, at the ford
Coucha avec son remplaçant, au gué, au gué
Slept with his replacement, at the ford, at the ford
Lyrics © WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC FRANCE
Written by: Georges Brassens
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mika Nissarda
Sacré Georges