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 Romance de la pluie
Georges Brassens Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

J'adore entendre le gai flic-flac,
Le son joyeux de la goutte d'eau
Qui tombe et qui claqu',
Ce clapotis qu'en pizzicato
Font les petit's flaqu's,
C'est la romance de la pluie...

Si quand il pleut mon cour fait tic-tac,

C'est que le jour où je t'ai connu
L'eau tombait en vrac
Aussi depuis j'ai mieux retenu
Qu'un air d'Offenbach
Cette romance de la pluie...

Quand elle nous arrose
La rose fleurit
Donc, moi je suppose
Qu'elle fait s'épanouir notre amour aussi

Voilà pourquoi j'aime le flic-clac
Le son joyeux de la goutte d'eau
Qui tombe et qui claqu'
Puisque mon cour fait comme un duo

Avec le tic-tac
De la romance de la pluie...

Overall Meaning

The first verse of Georges Brassens's song La Romance De La Pluie exudes a sense of joy and serenity in the sound of rain. The lyricist expresses a fondness for the happy sound of raindrops that fall and create a pizzicato-like tinkling, akin to a romantic song. The writer emphasizes the musicality of rain and portrays its sound as a melody that calms the soul.

In the second verse, the lyrics intimate that the sound of raindrops also evokes sentimental feelings and memories of past love. The ticking sound of the heart, described as a tic-tac, in synchrony with the sound of rain, creates a musical duet between the two. The writer reminisces on the day he fell in love with someone, the same day it rained, and feels proud that the only love song he can recall is the "romance of the rain." He states that rain provides an environment in which love blossoms and prospers, making his love life all the more vibrant and full of life.

Line by Line Meaning

J'adore entendre le gai flic-flac,
I love to hear the cheerful drip-drop sound,

Le son joyeux de la goutte d'eau
the happy sound of a droplet of water,

Qui tombe et qui claqu',
that falls and snaps,

Ce clapotis qu'en pizzicato
This clattering, almost like a musical pizzicato,

Font les petit's flaqu's,
made by the little puddles,

C'est la romance de la pluie...
is the romance of the rain...

Si quand il pleut mon cour fait tic-tac,
If when it rains, my heart goes tick-tock,

C'est que le jour où je t'ai connu
it's because the day I met you,

L'eau tombait en vrac
the rain poured down,

Aussi depuis j'ai mieux retenu
so since then, I've remembered better

Qu'un air d'Offenbach
than an Offenbach tune,

Cette romance de la pluie...
this romance of the rain...

Quand elle nous arrose
When it showers upon us,

La rose fleurit
the rose blooms,

Donc, moi je suppose
so I suppose

Qu'elle fait s'épanouir notre amour aussi
that it also makes our love blossom

Voilà pourquoi j'aime le flic-clac
That's why I love the drip-drop sound,

Le son joyeux de la goutte d'eau
the happy sound of a droplet of water,

Qui tombe et qui claqu'
that falls and snaps,

Puisque mon cour fait comme un duo
because my heart beats like a duet,

Avec le tic-tac
with the tick-tock

De la romance de la pluie...
of the romance of the rain...

Contributed by Hudson I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Hannah Perez

5y↑10

La romance de la pluie
Georges Brassens

J'adore entendre le gai flic-flac, Le son joyeux de la goutte d'eau
Qui tombe et qui claqu', Ce clapotis qu'en pizzicato
Font les petit's flaqu's, C'est la romance de la pluie...
Si quand il pleut mon cour fait tic-tac, C'est que le jour où je t'ai connu
L'eau tombait en vrac
Aussi depuis j'ai mieux retenu
Qu'un air d'Offenbach
Cette romance de la pluie...
Quand elle nous arrose
La rose fleurit
Donc, moi je suppose
Qu'elle fait s'épanouir notre amour aussi
Voilà pourquoi j'aime le flic-clac
Le son joyeux de la goutte d'eau
Qui tombe et qui claqu'Puisque mon cour fait comme un duo
Avec le tic-tac
De la romance de la pluie...
Paroliers : Andre Hornez / Jack Meskill / Jack Stern