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
Le Grand Chêne
Georges Brassens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ce n'était nullement un arbre de métier
Il n'avait jamais vu l'ombre d'un bûcheron
Ce grand chêne fier sur son tronc
Il eût connu des jours filés d'or et de soie
Sans ses proches voisins, les pires gens qui soient
Des roseaux mal pensant, pas même des bambous
Du matin jusqu'au soir ces petit rejetons
Tout juste cann' à pêch', à peine mirlitons
Lui tournant tout autour chantaient, in extenso
L'histoire du chêne et du roseau
Et, bien qu'il fût en bois, les chênes, c'est courant
La fable ne le laissait pas indifférent
Il advint que lassé d'être en but aux lazzi
Il se résolu à l'exi(l)
A grand-peine il sortit ses grands pieds de son trou
Et partit sans se retourner ni peu ni prou
Mais, moi qui l'ai connu, je sais qu'il en souffrit
De quitter l'ingrate patrie
A l'orée des forêts, le chêne ténébreux
A lié connaissance avec deux amoureux
Grand chêne laisse-nous sur toi graver nos noms
Le grand chêne n'as pas dit non
Quand ils eur'nt épuisé leur grand sac de baisers
Quand, de tant s'embrasser, leurs becs furent usés
Ils ouïrent alors, en retenant des pleurs
Le chêne contant ses malheurs
Grand chên', viens chez nous, tu trouveras la paix
Nos roseaux savent vivre et n'ont aucun toupet
Tu feras dans nos murs un aimable séjour
Arrosé quatre fois par jour
Cela dit, tous les trois se mettent en chemin
Chaque amoureux tenant une racine en main
Comme il semblait content ! Comme il semblait heureux
Le chêne entre ses amoureux
Au pied de leur chaumière, ils le firent planter
Ce fut alors qu'il commença de déchanter
Car, en fait d'arrosage, il n'eut rien que la pluie
Des chiens levant la patt' sur lui
On a pris tous ses glands pour nourrir les cochons
Avec sa belle écorce on a fait des bouchons
Chaque fois qu'un arrêt de mort était rendu
C'est lui qui héritait du pendu
Puis ces mauvaises gens, vandales accomplis
Le coupèrent en quatre et s'en firent un lit
Et l'horrible mégère ayant des tas d'amants
Il vieillit prématurément
Un triste jour, enfin, ce couple sans aveu
Le passa par la hache et le mit dans le feu
Comme du bois de caisse, amère destinée
Il périt dans la cheminée
Le curé de chez nous, petit saint besogneux
Doute que sa fumée s'élève jusqu'à Dieu
Qu'est-c'qu'il en sait, le bougre, et qui donc lui a dit
Qu'y a pas de chêne en paradis
Qu'y a pas de chêne en paradis
In the song Le Grand Chêne, Georges Brassens tells the story of a proud old oak tree that lived off the beaten forest paths, away from the woodcutter's sight. The grand chêne, or grand oak tree, had never seen a woodcutter's shadow nor felt their axe on its trunk. However, it did have unpleasant neighbours, some malicious reeds and bamboo shoots that teased and taunted the oak tree every day. They sang the fable of the oak and the reed, driving the grand chêne to the point of leaving his hapless land. The oak eventually found refuge with two lovers who invited him to stay with them in their reed-lined abode. Initially elated, the grand chêne gradually recognized that his stay was ill-fated. The final verses of the song lead to the oak's sad end, cut into pieces and burned into ashes, without even the curé believing his soul will reach heaven.
Line by Line Meaning
Il vivait en dehors des chemins forestiers
The great oak existed outside of the usual paths taken through the forest.
Ce n'était nullement un arbre de métier
The oak was not a tree for any specific purpose.
Il n'avait jamais vu l'ombre d'un bûcheron
The great oak had never encountered or even witnessed the presence of a lumberjack.
Ce grand chêne fier sur son tronc
This magnificent oak tree was proud and steadfast.
Il eût connu des jours filés d'or et de soie
The oak could have experienced glorious and opulent days.
Sans ses proches voisins, les pires gens qui soient
However, the oak's neighbors were the worst sort of people.
Des roseaux mal pensant, pas même des bambous
These ill-intentioned neighbors were not even bamboo but rather small, inconsiderable reeds.
S'amusant à le mettre à bout
They enjoyed taunting and tormenting the oak, making it lose patience and composure.
Du matin jusqu'au soir ces petit rejetons
These little troublemakers were up to no good from the moment they woke up until the night fell.
Tout juste cann' à pêch', à peine mirlitons
They were not even good at catching fish or playing simple tunes on a flute.
Lui tournant tout autour chantaient, in extenso
These reeds circled the oak, singing and provoking it with their rendition of the fable of the oak and the reed.
L'histoire du chêne et du roseau
They told the story of the oak and the reed, highlighting how the oak's pride led to its downfall while the flexible reed managed to survive.
Et, bien qu'il fût en bois, les chênes, c'est courant
Despite being an oak tree, he was not immune to the story of the oak and the reed.
La fable ne le laissait pas indifférent
The fable affected the oak and made him think about his own situation.
Il advint que lassé d'être en but aux lazzi
Eventually, tired of being the object of mockery and ridicule,
Il se résolu à l'exi(l)
the oak decided to leave and go into exile.
A grand-peine il sortit ses grands pieds de son trou
It was a struggle for the oak to uproot itself and leave, but eventually, it managed to do so.
Et partit sans se retourner ni peu ni prou
The oak left without looking back at its tormentors or even caring much about its destination.
Mais, moi qui l'ai connu, je sais qu'il en souffrit
However, the singer knew the oak personally and knew that it was not happy about having to leave its home.
De quitter l'ingrate patrie
The oak did not want to leave its ungrateful homeland.
A l'orée des forêts, le chêne ténébreux
At the edge of the forest, the dark oak tree
A lié connaissance avec deux amoureux
began talking to a couple of lovers.
Grand chêne laisse-nous sur toi graver nos noms
The lovers asked the oak's permission to inscribe their names on his trunk.
Le grand chêne n'as pas dit non
The oak agreed and did not refuse their request.
Quand ils eur'nt épuisé leur grand sac de baisers
After they had kissed enough to tire themselves out,
Quand, de tant s'embrasser, leurs becs furent usés
when their lips were chafed from all the kissing,
Ils ouïrent alors, en retenant des pleurs
they listened to the oak's story, holding back tears.
Le chêne contant ses malheurs
The oak recounted his misfortunes and all that had happened to him.
Grand chên', viens chez nous, tu trouveras la paix
The lovers invited the oak to come live with them, promising peace and quiet.
Nos roseaux savent vivre et n'ont aucun toupet
They assured the oak that their reeds were not like his previous tormentors and would never harass him.
Tu feras dans nos murs un aimable séjour
They promised the oak a pleasant stay inside their home.
Arrosé quatre fois par jour
They even promised to water him four times a day.
Cela dit, tous les trois se mettent en chemin
Satisfied, the oak and the lovers set off together.
Chaque amoureux tenant une racine en main
The lovers each held onto one of the oak's roots as they walked.
Comme il semblait content ! Comme il semblait heureux
The oak appeared very happy and content to be finally leaving its lonely existence.
Le chêne entre ses amoureux
The great oak walked alongside the couple, feeling the warmth of their love.
Au pied de leur chaumière, ils le firent planter
When they arrived at the couple's home, they planted the oak in the front yard.
Ce fut alors qu'il commença de déchanter
Unfortunately, the oak soon lost his initial enthusiasm and began to feel disappointed.
Car, en fait d'arrosage, il n'eut rien que la pluie
Despite the couple's promises, the oak was only watered by the rain.
Des chiens levant la patt' sur lui
Even worse, dogs came and urinated on him.
On a pris tous ses glands pour nourrir les cochons
The couple even took all of the oak's acorns and fed them to their pigs.
Avec sa belle écorce on a fait des bouchons
They also used the oak's beautiful bark to make bottle stoppers.
Chaque fois qu'un arrêt de mort était rendu
Whenever someone was executed,
C'est lui qui héritait du pendu
they used the oak as the site to hang the condemned man.
Puis ces mauvaises gens, vandales accomplis
These horrible people were complete vandals.
Le coupèrent en quatre et s'en firent un lit
They even cut up the oak and used it as their mattress.
Et l'horrible mégère ayant des tas d'amants
The woman, who had many lovers,
Il vieillit prématurément
caused the oak to wither and die before its time.
Un triste jour, enfin, ce couple sans aveu
In the end, the couple committed a sad and illegal act.
Le passa par la hache et le mit dans le feu
They chopped the oak down and burned it.
Comme du bois de caisse, amère destinée
The oak's fate was a bitter one, as it was treated like mere firewood.
Il périt dans la cheminée
The oak met its end in the fireplace.
Le curé de chez nous, petit saint besogneux
The local priest, a tireless worker in the church,
Doute que sa fumée s'élève jusqu'à Dieu
doubted that the oak's smoke could reach up to God.
Qu'est-c'qu'il en sait, le bougre, et qui donc lui a dit
But who is he to know or to say?
Qu'y a pas de chêne en paradis
Who can say that there are no oaks in heaven?
Qu'y a pas de chêne en paradis
Who can say that there are no oaks in heaven?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GEORGES CHARLES BRASSENS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
josé cosoleto
tout juste cannes à peche à peine mirliton....petit saint besogneux ...mais qui donc lui a dit qu'il n'y pas de chene au paradis...tes metaphores ne seront jamais égalées tonton georges merci pour tout (josé06)