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

La Nymphomane
Georges Brassens Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Les joies charnell's m'emmerdent. {2x}

J'ai beau demander grâce, invoquer la migraine,
Les joies charnell's me perdent,
Sur l'autel conjugal, implacable, ell' me traîne,
Les joies charnell's m'emmerdent. {2x}

Et je courbe l'échine en déplorant, morose,
Les joies charnell's me perdent,
Qu'on trouv' plus les enfants dans les choux, dans les roses,
Les joies charnell's m'emmerdent. {2x}

Et je croque la pomme, après quoi, je dis pouce.
Les joies charnell's me perdent,
Quand la pomme est croquée, de plus belle ell' repousse,
Les joies charnell's m'emmerdent. {2x}

Métamorphose inouïe, métempsycose infâme,
Les joies charnell's me perdent,
C'est le tonneau des Danaïd's changé en femme,
Les joies charnell's m'emmerdent. {2x}

J'en arrive à souhaiter qu'elle se dévergonde,
Les joies charnell's me perdent,
Qu'elle prenne un amant ou deux qui me secondent,
Les joies charnell's m'emmerdent. {2x}

Or, malheureusement, la bougresse est fidèle,
Les joies charnell's me perdent,
Pénélope est une roulure à côté d'elle,
Les joies charnell's m'emmerdent. {2x}

Certains à coups de dents creusent leur sépulture,
Les joies charnell's me perdent,
Moi j'use d'un outil de tout autre nature,
Les joies charnell's m'emmerdent. {2x}

Après que vous m'aurez emballé dans la bière,
Les joies charnell's me perdent,
Prenez la précaution de bien sceller la pierre,
Les joies charnell's m'emmerdent. {2x}

Car, même mort, je devrais céder à ses rites,
Les joies charnell's me perdent,
Et mes os n'auraient pas le repos qu'ils méritent,
Les joies charnell's m'emmerdent. {2x}

Qu'on m'incinère plutôt ! Ell' n'os'ra pas descendre,
Les joies charnell's me perdent,
Sacrifier à Vénus, avec ma pauvre cendre,
Les joies charnell's m'emmerdent. {2x}

Mânes de mes aïeux, protégez-moi, bons mânes !
Les joies charnell's me perdent,

La femme de ma vie, hélas ! est nymphomane,
Les joies charnell's m'emmerdent. {2x}

Overall Meaning

In "La Nymphomane," Georges Brassens sings about the difficulties he faces as a man whose life seems to revolve around the pleasures of the flesh. His partner is a nymphomaniac who insists on using the marital bed for her own satisfaction. Brassens laments his inability to resist her advances and his desire for children, despite his distaste for the physical act of sex. The lyrics repeatedly emphasize his frustration and despair, with the refrain "Les joies charnell's m'emmerdent" (The pleasures of the flesh bore me) highlighting his struggle.

Throughout the song, Brassens calls on the spirits of his ancestors to help him resist temptation and protect him from his own weakness. He compares his situation to the myth of the Danaids, who were condemned to endlessly pour water into a leaky jar in the underworld. For Brassens, the pleasure of sex is similarly unsatisfying and unfulfilling, a never-ending task that requires constant attention and effort.

Ultimately, Brassens expresses a desire to escape his situation, either through his partner's infidelity or his own death. He hopes that by being cremated, he will be spared the indignity of his bones being used for sexual pleasure after his passing. "La Nymphomane" is a raw and introspective look at the complexities of human desire and the difficulties of finding satisfaction in a world that constantly demands more.

Line by Line Meaning

Mânes de mes aïeux, protégez-moi, bons mânes !
An invocation to the spirits of his ancestors to protect him

Les joies charnell's me perdent,
He is losing himself in carnal pleasures

La femme de ma vie, hélas ! est nymphomane,
His life partner is a nymphomaniac

Les joies charnell's m'emmerdent. {2x}
He is annoyed and frustrated by these carnal pleasures

Sous couleur de me donner une descendance,
His partner is using the ruse of wanting children to indulge in excessive sexual activity

Dans l'alcôve ell' me fait passer mon existence,
His entire life is spent in the bedroom with his nymphomaniac partner

J'ai beau demander grâce, invoquer la migraine,
He tries to beg off but to no avail

Sur l'autel conjugal, implacable, ell' me traîne,
He is dragged to the marital bed with no choice

Et je courbe l'échine en déplorant, morose,
He is resigned but unhappy

Qu'on trouv' plus les enfants dans les choux, dans les roses,
He laments that children are no longer found in the cabbage patch or rose garden

Et je croque la pomme, après quoi, je dis pouce.
He indulges in the pleasures of the flesh but regrets it afterwards

Quand la pomme est croquée, de plus belle ell' repousse,
Indulging in carnal pleasures only leads to more desire for it

Métamorphose inouïe, métempsycose infâme,
He feels as if he has been transformed into something else, something he despises

C'est le tonneau des Danaïd's changé en femme,
His partner, like the mythical Danaids, is insatiable and impossible to satisfy

J'en arrive à souhaiter qu'elle se dévergonde,
He wishes his partner would take other lovers to relieve him

Qu'elle prenne un amant ou deux qui me secondent,
He wants his partner to have other lovers to help fulfill her sexual desires

Or, malheureusement, la bougresse est fidèle,
Unfortunately, his partner remains faithful

Pénélope est une roulure à côté d'elle,
Compared to his partner, even the mythical Penelope (known for her faithfulness) would seem promiscuous

Certains à coups de dents creusent leur sépulture,
Some people destroy themselves through their actions

Moi j'use d'un outil de tout autre nature,
In contrast, he is destroying himself through his lustful desires

Après que vous m'aurez emballé dans la bière,
Even in death he worries about his partner's influence over him

Prenez la précaution de bien sceller la pierre,
He wants to ensure that his final resting place is secure

Car, même mort, je devrais céder à ses rites,
Even in death he feels that his partner will continue to control him

Et mes os n'auraient pas le repos qu'ils méritent,
His bones would not have the peace they deserve

Qu'on m'incinère plutôt ! Ell' n'os'ra pas descendre,
He prefers to be cremated so that his partner cannot control him even in death

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GEORGES CHARLES BRASSENS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

Georges Msihid

6y↑4

Les deux douzaines de chansons posthumes chantées par Bertola sont toutes magnifiques... les unes plus belles que les autres... et le sieur Bertola les chantent très bien.... mais j'ai quand même un petit regret...c'est que Brassens n'ai pas eu le temps de les chanter lui-même.

INES DEL RIO

Mânes de mes aïeux, protégez-moi, bons mânes !
Les joies charnell's me perdent,
La femme de ma vie, hélas ! est nymphomane,
Les joies charnell's m'emmerdent. {2x}

Sous couleur de me donner une descendance,
Les joies charnell's me perdent,
Dans l'alcôve ell' me fait passer mon existence,
Les joies charnell's m'emmerdent. {2x}

J'ai beau demander grâce, invoquer la migraine,
Les joies charnell's me perdent,
Sur l'autel conjugal, implacable, ell' me traîne,
Les joies charnell's m'emmerdent. {2x}

Et je courbe l'échine en déplorant, morose,
Les joies charnell's me perdent,
Qu'on trouv' plus les enfants dans les choux, dans les roses,
Les joies charnell's m'emmerdent. {2x}

Et je croque la pomme, après quoi, je dis pouce.
Les joies charnell's me perdent,
Quand la pomme est croquée, de plus belle ell' repousse,
Les joies charnell's m'emmerdent. {2x}

Métamorphose inouïe, métempsycose infâme,
Les joies charnell's me perdent,
C'est le tonneau des Danaïd's changé en femme,
Les joies charnell's m'emmerdent. {2x}

J'en arrive à souhaiter qu'elle se dévergonde,
Les joies charnell's me perdent,
Qu'elle prenne un amant ou deux qui me secondent,
Les joies charnell's m'emmerdent. {2x}

Or, malheureusement, la bougresse est fidèle,
Les joies charnell's me perdent,
Pénélope est une roulure à côté d'elle,
Les joies charnell's m'emmerdent. {2x}

Certains à coups de dents creusent leur sépulture,
Les joies charnell's me perdent,
Moi j'use d'un outil de tout autre nature,
Les joies charnell's m'emmerdent. {2x}

Après que vous m'aurez emballé dans la bière,
Les joies charnell's me perdent,
Prenez la précaution de bien sceller la pierre,
Les joies charnell's m'emmerdent. {2x}

Car, même mort, je devrais céder à ses rites,
Les joies charnell's me perdent,
Et mes os n'auraient pas le repos qu'ils méritent,
Les joies charnell's m'emmerdent. {2x}

Qu'on m'incinère plutôt ! Ell' n'os'ra pas descendre,
Les joies charnell's me perdent,
Sacrifier à Vénus, avec ma pauvre cendre,
Les joies charnell's m'emmerdent. {2x}

Mânes de mes aïeux, protégez-moi, bons mânes !
Les joies charnell's me perdent,
La femme de ma vie, hélas ! est nymphomane,
Les joies charnell's m'emmerdent. {2x}