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 Parapluie
Georges Brassens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Elle cheminait sans parapluie
J'en avais un, volé, sans doute
Le matin même à un ami
Courant alors à sa rescousse
Je lui propose un peu d'abri
En séchant l'eau de sa frimousse
D'un air très doux, elle m'a dit "oui"
Un petit coin de parapluie
Contre un coin de paradis
Elle avait quelque chose d'un ange
Un petit coin de paradis
Contre un coin de parapluie
Je ne perdais pas au change, pardi
Chemin faisant, que ce fut tendre
D'ouïr à deux le chant joli
Que l'eau du ciel faisait entendre
Sur le toit de mon parapluie
J'aurais voulu, comme au déluge
Voir sans arrêt tomber la pluie
Pour la garder, sous mon refuge
Quarante jours, quarante nuits
Un petit coin de parapluie
Contre un coin de paradis
Elle avait quelque chose d'un ange
Un petit coin de paradis
Contre un coin de parapluie
Je ne perdais pas au change, pardi
Mais bêtement, même en orage
Les routes vont vers des pays
Bientôt le sien fit un barrage
À l'horizon de ma folie
Il a fallu qu'elle me quitte
Après m'avoir dit grand merci
Et je l'ai vue toute petite
Partir gaiement vers mon oubli
Un petit coin de parapluie
Contre un coin de paradis
Elle avait quelque chose d'un ange
Un petit coin de paradis
Contre un coin de parapluie
Je ne perdais pas au change, pardi
"Le parapluie" is a French song by Georges Brassens that tells the story of a chance encounter on a rainy day. The song begins by describing how it was raining heavily on the grand road, and the singer noticed a woman walking without an umbrella. The singer, who had stolen an umbrella from a friend, ran to the woman’s rescue, offering to share his umbrella with her. She agrees, and the two walk together, listening to the beautiful sound of raindrops on the umbrella.
The singer falls in love with the woman, believing that he has found a little piece of paradise with her. But, despite his determination to keep her safe and dry under his umbrella, she soon continues on her way towards her own life, leaving him with only memories of their time together under the small umbrella.
Brassens’s song expresses the beauty and fleeting nature of love, as well as the idea that sharing a small, seemingly insignificant thing like an umbrella can create a powerful connection between two people.
Line by Line Meaning
Il pleuvait fort sur la grand-route
It was raining heavily on the main road
Elle cheminait sans parapluie
She was walking without an umbrella
J'en avais un, volé, sans doute
I had one, stolen, no doubt
Le matin même à un ami
That same morning from a friend
Courant alors à sa rescousse
Running to her rescue
Je lui propose un peu d'abri
I offered her a bit of shelter
En séchant l'eau de sa frimousse
Drying the water from her face
D'un air très doux, elle m'a dit "oui"
With a very gentle tone, she said "yes"
Un petit coin de parapluie
A small corner of umbrella
Contre un coin de paradis
In exchange for a piece of paradise
Elle avait quelque chose d'un ange
She had something of an angel
Je ne perdais pas au change, pardi
I wasn't losing out, damn it
Chemin faisant, que ce fut tendre
On the way, how tender it was
D'ouïr à deux le chant joli
To hear the pretty song together
Que l'eau du ciel faisait entendre
That the water from the sky made us hear
Sur le toit de mon parapluie
On the roof of my umbrella
J'aurais voulu, comme au déluge
I would have liked, like in the flood
Voir sans arrêt tomber la pluie
To continuously see the rain fall
Pour la garder, sous mon refuge
To keep her, under my shelter
Quarante jours, quarante nuits
Forty days, forty nights
Mais bêtement, même en orage
But stupidly, even in a storm
Les routes vont vers des pays
The roads lead to other places
Bientôt le sien fit un barrage
Soon hers made a barrier
À l'horizon de ma folie
On the horizon of my madness
Il a fallu qu'elle me quitte
She had to leave me
Après m'avoir dit grand merci
After thanking me greatly
Et je l'ai vue toute petite
And I saw her tiny
Partir gaiement vers mon oubli
Leave happily towards my oblivion
Lyrics © WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC FRANCE
Written by: Georges Brassens
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind