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Georges Brassens was a French singer-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. Read Full BioGeorges Brassens was a French singer-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
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. Read Full BioGeorges Brassens was a French singer-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
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Le Blason
by Georges Brassens
Ayant avecques lui toujours fait bon ménage
J'eusse aimé célébrer sans être inconvenant
Tendre corps féminin ton plus bel apanage
Que tous ceux qui l'ont vu disent hallucinant
Ceût été mon ultime chant mon chant du cygne
Mon dernier billet doux mon message d'adieu
Or malheureusement les mots qui le désignent
Le disputent à l'exécrable à l'odieux
C'est la grande pitié de la langue française
C'est son talon d'Achille et c'est son déshonneur
De n'offrir que des mots entachés de bassesse
A cette incomparable instrument de bonheur
Alors que tant de fleurs ont des noms poétiques
Tendre corps féminin' c'est fort malencontreux
Que la fleur la plus douce la plus érotique
Et la plus enivrante en ait de plus scabreux
Mais le pire de tous est un petit vocable
De trois lettres pas plus familier coutumier
Il est inexplicable il est irrévocable
Honte à celui-là qui l'employa le premier
Honte à celui-là qui par dépit par gageure
Dota de même terme en son fiel venimeux
Ce grand ami de l'homme et la cinglante injure
Celui-là c'est probable en était un fameux
Misogyne à coup sûr asexué sans doute
Au charmes de Vénus absolument rétif
Etait ce bougre qui toute honte bue toute
Fit ce rapprochement d'ailleurs intempestif
La malpeste soit de cette homonymie
C'est injuste madame et c'est désobligeant
Que ce morceau de roi de votre anatomie
Porte le même nom qu'une foule de gens
Fasse le ciel qu'un jour, dans un trait de génie
Un poète inspiré que Pégase soutient
Donne en effaçant d'un coup des siècles d'avanie
A cette vraie merveille un joli nom chrétien
En attendant madame il semblerait dommage
Et vos adorateurs en seraient tous peinés
D'aller perdre de vue que pour lui rendre hommage
Il est d'autre moyen et que je les connais
Et que je les connais
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GEORGES CHARLES BRASSENS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
by Georges Brassens
Ayant avecques lui toujours fait bon ménage
J'eusse aimé célébrer sans être inconvenant
Tendre corps féminin ton plus bel apanage
Que tous ceux qui l'ont vu disent hallucinant
Ceût été mon ultime chant mon chant du cygne
Mon dernier billet doux mon message d'adieu
Or malheureusement les mots qui le désignent
Le disputent à l'exécrable à l'odieux
C'est la grande pitié de la langue française
C'est son talon d'Achille et c'est son déshonneur
De n'offrir que des mots entachés de bassesse
A cette incomparable instrument de bonheur
Alors que tant de fleurs ont des noms poétiques
Tendre corps féminin' c'est fort malencontreux
Que la fleur la plus douce la plus érotique
Et la plus enivrante en ait de plus scabreux
Mais le pire de tous est un petit vocable
De trois lettres pas plus familier coutumier
Il est inexplicable il est irrévocable
Honte à celui-là qui l'employa le premier
Honte à celui-là qui par dépit par gageure
Dota de même terme en son fiel venimeux
Ce grand ami de l'homme et la cinglante injure
Celui-là c'est probable en était un fameux
Misogyne à coup sûr asexué sans doute
Au charmes de Vénus absolument rétif
Etait ce bougre qui toute honte bue toute
Fit ce rapprochement d'ailleurs intempestif
La malpeste soit de cette homonymie
C'est injuste madame et c'est désobligeant
Que ce morceau de roi de votre anatomie
Porte le même nom qu'une foule de gens
Fasse le ciel qu'un jour, dans un trait de génie
Un poète inspiré que Pégase soutient
Donne en effaçant d'un coup des siècles d'avanie
A cette vraie merveille un joli nom chrétien
En attendant madame il semblerait dommage
Et vos adorateurs en seraient tous peinés
D'aller perdre de vue que pour lui rendre hommage
Il est d'autre moyen et que je les connais
Et que je les connais
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GEORGES CHARLES BRASSENS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on specific lyrics, highlight them
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