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 Messe Au Pendu
Georges Brassens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gros mangeur d'écclésiastiques,
Cet aveu me coûte beaucoup,
Mais ces hommes d'Eglise, hélas !
Ne sont pas tous des dégueulasses,
Témoin le curé de chez nous.
Quand la foule qui se déchaîne
Sans forme aucune de remords,
Ce ratichon fit scandale
Et rugit à travers les stalles,
"Mort à toute peine de mort!"
Puis, on le vit, étrange rite,
Qui baptisait les marguerites
Avec l'eau de son bénitier
Et qui prodiguait les hosties,
Le pain bénit, l'Eucharistie,
Aux petits oiseaux du moutier.
Ensuite, il retroussa ses manches,
Prit son goupillon des dimanches
Et, plein d'une sainte colère,
Il partit comme à l'offensive
Dire une grand' messe exclusive
A celui qui dansait en l'air.
C'est à du gibier de potence
Qu'en cette triste circonstance
L'Hommage sacré fut rendu.
Ce jour là, le rôle du Christ(e),
Bonne aubaine pour le touriste,
Eté joué par un pendu.
Et maintenant quand on croasse,
Nous, les païens de sa paroisse,
C'est pas lui qu'on veut dépriser.
Quand on crie "A bas la calotte"
A s'en faire péter la glotte,
La sienne n'est jamais visée.
Anticléricaux fanatiques
Gros mangeur d'écclésiastiques,
Quand vous vous goinfrerez un plat
De cureton, je vous exhorte,
Camarades, à faire en sorte
Que ce ne soit pas celui-là.
The song La Messe Au Pendu by Georges Brassens is a satirical commentary on the hypocrisy of the clergy during the time of execution and public punishment. The song speaks of an anticlerical fanatic who eats priests for breakfast and is critical of the Catholic church. However, this fanatic admits that not all priests are despicable, citing an example of a priest from their locality who is not like the others.
The song then talks about how the priest was scandalized when a man was hanged from a tree, and the crowd didn't show any remorse. The priest, however, took up a strange rite where he baptized daisies with water from his holy water, and gave the Eucharist and the Holy bread to the birds. But then, the priest become enraged and took his Sunday sprinkler, and in a fit of holy anger, conducted an exclusive Mass for the hanged man. The song also explores the relationship between the anticlerical fanatics and the church, where they call for the downfall of the church but not the priest from their own locality.
The song is a reflection of Brassens's views towards religion and provides social commentary on the hypocrisy of the church. The song also explores the relationship between the common people and the clergy during the time of public hangings.
Line by Line Meaning
Anticlérical fanatique
I am strongly opposed to the clergy
Gros mangeur d’ecclésiastiques,
I have no respect for the clergy and even criticize them
Cet aveu me coûte beaucoup,
Confessing this isn't easy for me
Mais ces hommes d’Église, hélas!
Unfortunately, not all clergymen are despicable
Ne sont pas tous des dégueulasses,
Not all of them are disgustingly immoral
Témoin le curé de chez nous.
As evidenced by our local priest
Quand la foule qui se déchaîne
When the violent mob
Pendit un homme au bout d'un chêne
Hung a man from an oak tree
Sans forme aucune de remords,
Without the slightest bit of remorse
Ce ratichon fit scandale
This priest reacted in scandalous outrage
Et rugit à travers les stalles,
Roaring from the choir stalls
"Mort à toute peine de mort!"
"Death to all forms of capital punishment!"
Puis, on le vit, étrange rite,
Then, he performed a strange ritual
Qui baptisait les marguerites
He baptized daisies
Avec l'eau de son bénitier
Using water from his holy water font
Et qui prodiguait les hosties,
And doled out Communion wafers
Le pain bénit, l'Eucharistie,
The blessed bread and Eucharist as well
Aux petits oiseaux du moutier.
To the little birds in the churchyard
Ensuite, il retroussa ses manches,
Next, he rolled up his sleeves
Prit son goupillon des dimanches
He picked up his Sunday sprinkler
Et, plein d'une sainte colère,
And, filled with righteous anger
Il partit comme à l'offensive
He marched off on the attack
Dire une grand' messe exclusive
To perform an exclusive mass
A celui qui dansait en l'air.
For the one who was dancing in the air (referring to the executed man)
C'est à du gibier de potence
It was for the hanged man
Qu’en cette triste circonstance
That, in this sad circumstance
L’hommage sacré fut rendu.
Sacred tribute was paid
Ce jour là, le rôle du Christ,
That day, the role of Christ
Bonne aubaine pour le touriste,
Was a good experience for the tourist
Été joué par un pendu.
Was played by a hanged man
Et maintenant quand on croasse,
And now, when we croak
Nous, les païens de sa paroisse,
Us, the pagans in his parish
C'est pas lui qu'on veut dépriser.
We don't want to criticize him
Quand on crie "A bas la calotte"
When we yell "Down with the clergy's hats"
A s'en faire péter la glotte,
Until our throats are about to burst
La sienne n'est jamais visée.
His is never among them
Anticléricaux fanatiques
Anticlerical fanatics
Gros mangeur d’ecclésiastiques,
Big eater of clergymen
Quand vous vous goinfrerez un plat
When you stuff yourself with a dish
De cureton, je vous exhorte,
Of priest meat, I implore you
Camarades, à faire en sorte
To make sure
Que ce ne soit pas celui-là.
That it's not him you eat.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Georges Charles Brassens, Joel Favreau
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind