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 prière
Georges Brassens Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Par l'âne qui reçoit des coups de pied au ventre
Et par l'humiliation de l'innocent châtié
Par la vierge vendue qu'on a déshabillée
Par le fils dont la mère a été insultée
Je vous salue, Marie

Par la vieille qui, trébuchant sous trop de poids
S'écrie "mon Dieu !" par le malheureux dont les bras
Ne purent s'appuyer sur une amour humaine
Comme la Croix du Fils sur Simon de Cyrène
Par le cheval tombé sous le chariot qu'il traîne
Je vous salue, Marie

Par les quatre horizons qui crucifient le monde
Par tous ceux dont la chair se déchire ou succombe
Par ceux qui sont sans pieds, par ceux qui sont sans mains
Par le malade que l'on opère et qui geint
Et par le juste mis au rang des assassins
Je vous salue, Marie

Par la mère apprenant que son fils est guéri
Par l'oiseau rappelant l'oiseau tombé du nid
Par l'herbe qui a soif et recueille l'ondée
Par le baiser perdu par l'amour redonné

Et par le mendiant retrouvant sa monnaie
Je vous salue, Marie

Overall Meaning

Georges Brassens's song La prière is a prayer to Virgin Mary where he calls upon her with the imagery of suffering and pain. In the first verse, he juxtaposes the death of a little boy with children playing, and a wounded bird with children's reckless games. He then mentions thirst, hunger, and feverish delirium, symbolizing the harshness of life. Through this verse, Brassens highlights the dichotomy of life's hardships with the innocence and beauty of children and nature while reminding that Mary is the one who understands and soothes the pain of the suffering.

The next verse describes the beatings of children and drunkenness and its effects on innocents. Brassens then refers to the humiliation of a virgin who was sold and stripped, the son who faced his mother's insults, and the innocent punished. This verse shows the injustice and unfairness of life and how Mary's compassion and mercy are essential for those who face such circumstances.

In the final verse, he talks of the weight of life that crushes the elderly woman, the person who needs human companionship but finds none, and the horse that falls under the heavy cart. He ends the prayer by invoking those who are suffering, helpless, and in pain, who cannot even cry out to God for aid. La prière is a profound yet simple prayer that asks for comfort, mercy, and compassion for all of the suffering.

Line by Line Meaning

Par le petit garçon qui meurt près de sa mère
I pray for the little boy who dies near his mother

Tandis que des enfants s'amusent au parterre
while other children play in the garden

Et par l'oiseau blessé qui ne sait pas comment
I also pray for the wounded bird that does not understand

Son aile tout à coup s'ensanglante et descend
why its wing suddenly starts bleeding and takes it down

Par la soif et la faim et le délire ardent
And for those suffering from thirst, hunger, and intense delirium