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 fille à cent sous
Georges Brassens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ivrogne, immonde, infâme
Un plus soûlaud que moi, contre une pièce de cent sous
M'avait vendu sa femme
Quand je l'eus mise au lit, quand je voulus l'étrenner
Quand je fis voler sa jupe
Il m'apparut alors que j'avais été berné
Remballe tes os, ma mie, et garde tes appas
Tu es bien trop maigrelette
Je suis un bon vivant, ça ne me concerne pas
D'étreindre des squelettes
Retourne à ton mari, qu'il garde les cent sous
Je n'en fais pas une affaire
Mais elle me répondit, le regard en dessous
"C'est vous que je préfère"
Je suis pas bien grosse, fit-elle, d'une voix qui se noue
Mais ce n'est pas ma faute
Alors, moi, tout ému, je la pris sur mes genoux
Pour lui compter les côtes
Toi que j'ai payé cent sous, dis-moi quel est ton nom
Ton petit nom de baptême?
"Je m'appelle Ninette" Eh bien, pauvre Ninon
Console-toi, je t'aime
Et ce brave sac d'os dont je n'avais pas voulu
Même pour une thune
M'est entré dans le cœur et n'en sortirait plus
Pour toute une fortune
Du temps que je vivais dans le troisième dessous
Ivrogne, immonde, infâme
Un plus soûlaud que moi, contre un' pièce de cent sous
M'avait vendu sa femme
The first verse of Georges Brassens's song, "La fille à cent sous," tells the story of a time in the singer's past when he lived in a basement apartment and was a disgusting, drunken man. He purchased a woman from a man even more drunk than he was, paying only 100 sous for her. He brought her home, ready to take advantage of their agreement, but as soon as he lifted her skirt, he realized that he had been duped. The woman was incredibly thin, almost skeletal. He refused to touch her and told her to return to her husband and keep the money.
However, the woman responded by telling him that she preferred him to her husband. She explained that she was not responsible for her thinness and that it was not her choice. Moved by her response, he took her onto his lap to count her ribs and asked her name. She told him her name was Ninette and he lovingly responded that he would call her Ninon instead. Despite his initial disgust with her, he realized that he had fallen in love with her and could not bear to be without her.
The song tells a complicated story of love found in unexpected places and the complexities of the human heart. It shows how love can grow even in the most unlikely of situations, and that sometimes we are surprised by our own emotions. The story also touches on themes of poverty, desperation, and the power dynamic between men and women in relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Du temps que je vivais dans le troisième dessous
When I was living in the third basement
Ivrogne, immonde, infâme
I was a drunk, filthy, and vile
Un plus soûlaud que moi, contre une pièce de cent sous
A more drunken man than me, for a hundred sous coins
M'avait vendu sa femme
Sold me his wife
Quand je l'eus mise au lit, quand je voulus l'étrenner
When I put her in bed, when I wanted to use her for the first time
Quand je fis voler sa jupe
When I lifted her skirt
Il m'apparut alors que j'avais été berné
It then appeared to me that I had been deceived
Dans un marché de dupe
In a scam
Remballe tes os, ma mie, et garde tes appas
Pack up your bones, my darling, and keep your looks
Tu es bien trop maigrelette
You are too thin
Je suis un bon vivant, ça ne me concerne pas
I'm a good liver, that doesn't concern me
D'étreindre des squelettes
To embrace skeletons
Retourne à ton mari, qu'il garde les cent sous
Go back to your husband, and let him keep the hundred sous coins
Je n'en fais pas une affaire
I don't care about it
Mais elle me répondit, le regard en dessous
But she answered me, looking down
"C'est vous que je préfère"
"I prefer you"
Je suis pas bien grosse, fit-elle, d'une voix qui se noue
I'm not very big, she said, with a choked voice
Mais ce n'est pas ma faute
But it's not my fault
Alors, moi, tout ému, je la pris sur mes genoux
So, moved, I took her on my knees
Pour lui compter les côtes
To count her ribs for her
Toi que j'ai payé cent sous, dis-moi quel est ton nom
You that I paid a hundred sous coins, tell me, what's your name
Ton petit nom de baptême?
Your baptismal name?
"Je m'appelle Ninette"
"My name is Ninette"
Eh bien, pauvre Ninon
Well, poor Ninon
Console-toi, je t'aime
Take comfort, I love you
Et ce brave sac d'os dont je n'avais pas voulu
And this brave bag of bones that I didn't want
Même pour une thune
Even for a coin
M'est entré dans le cœur et n'en sortirait plus
Entered my heart and wouldn't go away
Pour toute une fortune
For a whole fortune
Du temps que je vivais dans le troisième dessous
When I was living in the third basement
Ivrogne, immonde, infâme
I was a drunk, filthy, and vile
Un plus soûlaud que moi, contre un' pièce de cent sous
A more drunken man than me, for a hundred sous coins
M'avait vendu sa femme
Sold me his wife
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GEORGES CHARLES BRASSENS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Un artiste maîtrisant la prose
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