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 Mouton De Panurge
Georges Brassens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
La flèche qui doit percer son flanc
Et dans son cœur rien ne s'allume
Quand elle cède à ses galants
Elle se rit bien des gondoles
Des fleurs bleues, des galants discours
Des Vénus de la vieille école
Cell's qui font l'amour par amour
N'allez pas croire davantage
Que le démon brûle son corps
Il s'arrête au premier étage
Son septième ciel, et encor
Elle n'est jamais langoureuse
Passée par le pont des soupirs
Et voit comme des bêtes curieuses
Celles qui font l'amour par plaisir
Croyez pas qu'elle soit à vendre
Quand on l'a mise sur le dos
On n'est pas tenu de se fendre
D'un somptueux petit cadeau
Avant d'aller en bacchanale
Elle présente pas un devis
Elle n'a rien de ces belles vénales
Celles qui font l'amour par profit
Mais alors, pourquoi cède-t-elle
Sans cœur, sans lucre, sans plaisir
Si l'amour vaut pas la chandelle
Pourquoi le joue-t-elle à loisir
Si quiconque peut, sans ambages
L'aider à dégrafer sa robe
C'est parce qu'elle veut être à la page
Que c'est la mode et qu'elle est snob
Mais changent coutumes et filles
Un jour, peut-être, en son sein nu
Va se planter pour toute la vie
Une petite flèche perdue
On n'verra plus qu'elle en gondole
Elle ira jouer, à son tour
Les Vénus de la vieille école
Cell's qui font l'amour par amour
The song "Le Mouton De Panurge" by Georges Brassens is an ironic commentary on the social mores and values of the time. In the first stanza, Brassens speaks of a woman who is not yet ready for romantic love, and who does not feel anything in her heart when she gives in to her suitors. She is cynical of romantic gestures and mocking of the old-fashioned Venus who still believe in love for love's sake. She does not believe in love, or sex, for that matter. The second stanza reveals that, in fact, she is not a prostitute either. She is free-spirited and does not follow the norms of society, but she does not sell herself for sex.
So, why does she give in to her suitors? Brassens argues that she does so out of boredom, ennui, and a sense of duty to the new social norms. She is not motivated by love, lust, or profit, but by social expectation. She wants to be fashionable and cool, and conform to the new standards of being liberated and unattainable. The chorus suggests that she is a sheep following the herd, and will eventually find herself in love, despite her efforts to resist it. She will become one of the old-fashioned Venus, who makes love for love's sake.
The song is a commentary on the changing values of society, especially when it comes to love, sex, and gender roles. Brassens questions the idea that women can only be either prostitutes or faithful lovers, and shows that there is also a third way, a way of self-expression and freedom. The song is full of irony, wit, and sarcasm, and challenges the listener to think about their own beliefs and values.
Line by Line Meaning
Elle n'a pas encor de plumes
She hasn't grown any feathers yet
La flèche qui doit percer son flanc
The arrow that will pierce her side hasn't been shot yet
Et dans son cœur rien ne s'allume
And in her heart, nothing ignites
Quand elle cède à ses galants
When she gives in to her suitors
Elle se rit bien des gondoles
She laughs at gondolas
Des fleurs bleues, des galants discours
At blue flowers and gallant speeches
Des Vénus de la vieille école
And at the Venuses of old school
Cell's qui font l'amour par amour
Those who make love for love's sake.
N'allez pas croire davantage
Don't go believing anything more
Que le démon brûle son corps
That the devil is burning her body
Il s'arrête au premier étage
He stops at the first level
Son septième ciel, et encor
His seventh heaven, and still
Elle n'est jamais langoureuse
She's never languorous
Passée par le pont des soupirs
Having gone over the Bridge of Sighs
Et voit comme des bêtes curieuses
And sees like curious animals
Celles qui font l'amour par plaisir
Those who make love for pleasure.
Croyez pas qu'elle soit à vendre
Don't believe she's for sale
Quand on l'a mise sur le dos
When you put her on her back
On n'est pas tenu de se fendre
You're not obligated to split open
D'un somptueux petit cadeau
With a sumptuous little gift
Avant d'aller en bacchanale
Before going to the bacchanal
Elle présente pas un devis
She doesn't give an estimate
Elle n'a rien de ces belles vénales
She doesn't have anything in common with those pretty mercenary girls
Celles qui font l'amour par profit
Those who make love for profit.
Mais alors, pourquoi cède-t-elle
But then why does she give in
Sans cœur, sans lucre, sans plaisir
Without heart, without profit, without pleasure?
Si l'amour vaut pas la chandelle
If love isn't worth it
Pourquoi le joue-t-elle à loisir
Then why play with it at her leisure?
Si quiconque peut, sans ambages
If anybody can, without hesitation
L'aider à dégrafer sa robe
Help her undo her dress
C'est parce qu'elle veut être à la page
It's because she wants to be up-to-date
Que c'est la mode et qu'elle est snob
That it's fashionable and she's snobbish.
Mais changent coutumes et filles
But customs and girls change
Un jour, peut-être, en son sein nu
Perhaps one day, in her bare breast
Va se planter pour toute la vie
A small arrow will plant itself for life
Une petite flèche perdue
A little lost arrow
On n'verra plus qu'elle en gondole
We'll only see her in gondolas
Elle ira jouer, à son tour
She'll go on to play, in her turn
Les Vénus de la vieille école
The Venuses of old school
Cell's qui font l'amour par amour
Those who make love for love's sake.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GEORGES CHARLES BRASSENS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jean-Manu
Superbe chanson. Une pensée tout de même pour le contre-bassiste...
Kongsmo
clearly
Nada 13006
Dans mon top 5 de Brassens, d'une beauté cette chanson.
Tetsuo Moi
Avec "les passantes" ou "les oiseaux de passage" ?
Ou bien.. ;)a
Prince Rod
Tellement moderne...
bereault jean pierre
pas compris j'ai tous les disques et cd de georges et sur aucun je n'ai cette chanson qui est magnifique
Tetsuo Moi
Bizarre parce qu'elle n'est pas censurée, et figure sur n'importe quelle compile, collection, ou vinyle..
Alexandre
Il est sur l album "les copain d abord",sur la collection de la construction de guitare,c est le 8 ème.
Sylvain Sanchez
C'est drôle... les 3 notes rapides que fait Brassens à la fin de la chanson font la mélodie de sa chanson "Clairette et la fourmi", enregistrée par Bertola à titre posthume...
Anthony Tuttle
Et le début de "Misogynie à part" ;)