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
La Chasse Aux Papillons
Georges Brassens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
La jambe légère et l'œil polisson
Et la bouche pleine de joyeux ramages
Allait à la chasse aux papillons
Comme il atteignait l'orée du village
Filant sa quenouille, il vit Cendrillon
Il lui dit "bonjour, que Dieu te ménage
Cendrillon ravie de quitter sa cage
Met sa robe neuve et ses bottillons
Et bras d'ssus, bras d'ssous vers les frais bocages
Ils vont à la chasse aux papillons
Il ne savait pas que sous les ombrages
Se cachait l'amour et son aiguillon
Et qu'il transperçait les cœurs de leur âge
Les cœurs des chasseurs de papillons
Quand il se fit tendre, elle lui dit "j'présage
Qu'c'est pas dans les plis de mon cotillon
Ni dans l'échancrure de mon corsage
Qu'on va à la chasse aux papillons"
Sur sa bouche en feu qui criait "sois sage!"
Il posa sa bouche en guise de bâillon
Et c'fut l'plus charmant des remue-ménage
Qu'on ait vu d'mémoire de papillon
Un volcan dans l'âme, ils r'vinrent au village
En se promettant d'aller des millions
Des milliards de fois, et même davantage
Ensemble à la chasse aux papillons
Mais tant qu'ils s'aimeront, tant que les nuages
Porteurs de chagrins, les épargneront
Il f'ra bon voler dans les frais bocages
Ils feront pas la chasse aux papillons
Pas la chasse aux papillons!
The lyrics to Georges Brassens's song "La chasse aux papillons" tells the story of a young devil who is carefree and mischievous, and who sets out to hunt butterflies. As he arrives at the edge of the village, he meets Cinderella, who he invites to come along with him on his butterfly hunt. Cinderella is thrilled to leave her confined life behind and dresses up in her new dress and boots. They walk arm in arm through the cool groves, where they both discover that love has pierced their hearts. They share a passionate embrace, without any regard for the butterflies they set out to catch. They return back to the village with volcanic passion, promising to go butterfly hunting again, as long as they love each other because they will not need to go on the butterfly hunt anymore.
The song's lyrics brings forth a deeper meaning that reflects the idea that love can come unexpectedly, and when it strikes, it can be incredibly intense and passionate, something that the young devil and Cinderella experience on their butterfly hunt. They both found themselves in a moment of surprise when their love got hit by sudden love arrows, which is symbolized by the "aiguillon" and "transperçait les cœurs de leur âge" referred to in the song. They set out for one thing and ended up with something different altogether, which is the beauty of such unexpected events, a metaphor that the song seamlessly weaves into its narrative.
Line by Line Meaning
Un bon petit diable à la fleur de l'âge
A mischievous young sprout in the prime of his youth
La jambe légère et l'œil polisson
Light on his feet and with a playful twinkle in his eye
Et la bouche pleine de joyeux ramages
With a mouth full of happy chirping
Allait à la chasse aux papillons
He went out to hunt for butterflies
Comme il atteignait l'orée du village
As he reached the outskirts of the village
Filant sa quenouille, il vit Cendrillon
Spinning his yarn, he saw Cinderella
Il lui dit "bonjour, que Dieu te ménage
He said to her, "Hello, may God look after you
J't'emmène à la chasse aux papillons"
"I'll take you butterfly hunting"
Cendrillon ravie de quitter sa cage
Cinderella delighted to escape her captivity
Met sa robe neuve et ses bottillons
Put on her new dress and boots
Et bras d'ssus, bras d'ssous vers les frais bocages
Arm in arm, towards the cool groves
Ils vont à la chasse aux papillons
They are going to hunt butterflies
Il ne savait pas que sous les ombrages
He did not know that beneath the shadows
Se cachait l'amour et son aiguillon
Lurked love and its sting
Et qu'il transperçait les cœurs de leur âge
And pierced the hearts of these young hunters
Les cœurs des chasseurs de papillons
The hearts of the butterfly hunters
Quand il se fit tendre, elle lui dit "j'présage
When he became affectionate, she said to him, "I sense
Qu'c'est pas dans les plis de mon cotillon
That it's not inside my petticoat folds
Ni dans l'échancrure de mon corsage
Nor in the low-cut of my bodice
Qu'on va à la chasse aux papillons"
"That's not how one goes butterfly hunting"
Sur sa bouche en feu qui criait "sois sage!
On her fiery mouth that cried, "Be good!
Il posa sa bouche en guise de bâillon
He placed his mouth over hers as a gag
Et c'fut l'plus charmant des remue-ménage
And that was the most charming commotion
Qu'on ait vu d'mémoire de papillon
That anyone can remember in butterfly history
Un volcan dans l'âme, ils r'vinrent au village
A volcano in their souls, they returned to the village
En se promettant d'aller des millions
Promising each other to go millions of times
Des milliards de fois, et même davantage
Billions of times, and even more
Ensemble à la chasse aux papillons
Together to hunt for butterflies
Mais tant qu'ils s'aimeront, tant que les nuages
But as long as they love each other, as long as the clouds
Porteurs de chagrins, les épargneront
Carriers of sorrows, spare them
Il f'ra bon voler dans les frais bocages
It will be good to fly around the cool groves
Ils feront pas la chasse aux papillons
They will not go butterfly hunting
Pas la chasse aux papillons!
Definitely not butterfly hunting!
Lyrics © WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC FRANCE
Written by: Georges Brassens
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jeannine Clemencon
Excellente interprétation et merveilleux Jean-Claude Pascal...
oldiesgo
Bonjour Marc,je ne suis pas trop Français excepté lorsque j'entend un de ces superbes morceaux .Bien à toi mon ami.
SOULMAN5501
Bonjour Diego, j'ai beaucoup de difficulté a répondre "a cause que les misses a jour ne sont plus faite j'ai encore Windows XP" en tout cas Merci pour tes commentaires
Bon W/E bien a toi mon ami
Rocco M
Questa musica Francese e veramente fantastico !!!