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
En Quittant La Ville J'Entends
Georges Brassens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Qui font au fond de mon cœur
Des sérénades
J'entends le triste appel des bateaux
Et la chanson des oiseaux
Sur l'esplanade
On voit le ciel peuplé
De ses moutons blancs
Spectacle troublant
J'entends la ville qui me dit bonsoir
Et moi, sur le quai de la gare,
Je dis d'mon mieux des mots d'adieu
Dans le train de nuit, y a des fantômes
Qui nous sourient quand nous passons dans les prairies
Dans le train de nuit, y a des royaumes
Et puis du bruit et puis Paris au bout d'la nuit
Des souvenirs plus tendres
Viennent s'y faire entendre
J'entends la voix des flots enchanteurs
Qui font au fond de mon cœur
Des sérénades
J'entends le triste appel des bateaux
Et la chanson des oiseaux
Sur l'esplanade
On voit le ciel peuplé
De ses moutons blancs
On voit la mer troublée
Spectacle troublant
J'entends la ville qui me dit bonsoir
Et moi, sur le quai de la gare,
Je dis d'mon mieux des mots d'adieu
The song En Quittant La Ville J'Entends by Georges Brassens is about leaving the city and embarking on a journey. It is a nostalgic and sentimental song that portrays both the beauty of the natural world and the sadness of leaving loved ones behind. The song begins with the singer hearing the enchanting voice of the waves and the sad cry of the boats, along with the melody of the birds on the esplanade. The sky is full of white sheep and the sea is troubled, creating an awe-inspiring spectacle.
As the singer prepares to leave the city, they hear the city itself say goodbye. It is a poignant moment as the singer stands on the train platform and says their goodbye as well. The second half of the song shifts toward a dreamlike state. The singer describes a train ride into the night, where they encounter ghosts in the meadows and kingdoms in the darkness. The memories of loved ones come flooding back, and they hear the same enchanting voice of the waves from earlier.
The song portrays a sense of longing and nostalgia for the natural world and the loved ones left behind. It paints a vivid picture of the beauty of the natural world while also acknowledging the sadness of leaving behind familiar places and people. The dream-like second half adds a sense of whimsy and magic to the song, emphasizing the power of memories and the imagination.
Line by Line Meaning
J'entends la voix des flots enchanteurs
I can hear the delightful voice of the waves in my heart, playing serenades.
Qui font au fond de mon cœur
It reaches deep into my heart, creating a magical feeling.
Des sérénades
Creating peaceful and romantic music.
J'entends le triste appel des bateaux
I can also hear the sad and melancholic sound of the boats.
Et la chanson des oiseaux
Along with the sweet melody sung by the birds on the esplanade.
Sur l'esplanade
On the open space by the sea.
On voit le ciel peuplé
We can see a sky full of fluffy white clouds.
De ses moutons blancs
Resembling flocks of white sheep.
On voit la mer troublée
The sea appears to be restless and uneasy.
Spectacle troublant
A sight that is unsettling and disturbing to witness.
J'entends la ville qui me dit bonsoir
As I leave the city, I can hear it saying goodbye to me.
Et moi, sur le quai de la gare,
Standing on the train station platform, I try my best to say farewell.
Je dis d'mon mieux des mots d'adieu
With all my might, I utter words of goodbye.
Dans le train de nuit, y a des fantômes
Inside the night train, there are ghosts roaming around.
Qui nous sourient quand nous passons dans les prairies
They smile at us as we pass through the meadows.
Dans le train de nuit, y a des royaumes
There are kingdoms passing by as we journey through the night.
Et puis du bruit et puis Paris au bout d'la nuit
And then, after all the commotion, we finally reach Paris at the end of the night.
Des souvenirs plus tendres
Memories of a more tender nature.
Viennent s'y faire entendre
Echoing and making themselves heard.
Writer(s): Charles Trenet
Contributed by Caden K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.