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 Petit Joueur De Flûteau
Georges Brassens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Menait la musique au château
Pour la grâce de ses chansons
Le roi lui offrit un blason
Je ne veux pas être noble
Répondit le croque-note
Avec un blason à la clé
Mon la se mettrait à gonfler
Le joueur de flûte a trahi
Et mon pauvre petit clocher
Me semblerait trop bas perché
Je ne plierais plus les genoux
Devant le bon Dieu de chez nous
Il faudrait à ma grande âme
Tous les saints de Notre-Dame
Avec un évêque à la clé
Mon la se mettrait à gonfler
On dirait par tout le pays
Le joueur de flûte a trahi
Et la chambre où j'ai vu la jour
Me serait un triste séjour
Je quitterai mon lit mesquin
Pour une couche à baldaquin
Je changerais ma chaumière
Pour une gentilhommière
Avec un manoir à la clé
Mon la se mettrait à gonfler
On dirait par tout le pays
Le joueur de flûte a trahi
Je serai honteux de mon sang
Des aïeux de qui je descends
On me verrait bouder dessus
La branche dont je suis issu
Je voudrais un magnifique
Arbre généalogique
Avec du sang bleu a la clé
Mon la se mettrait à gonfler
On dirait par tout le pays
Le joueur de flûte a trahi
Je ne voudrais plus épouser
Ma promise, ma fiancée
Je ne donnerais pas mon nom
A une quelconque Ninon
Il me faudrait pour compagne
La fille d'un grand d'Espagne
Avec un' princesse à la clé
Mon la se mettrait à gonfler
On dirait par tout le pays
Le joueur de flûte a trahi
Le petit joueur de flûteau
Fit la révérence au château
Sans armoiries, sans parchemin
Sans gloire il se mit en chemin
Vers son clocher, sa chaumine
Ses parents et sa promise
Nul ne dise dans le pays
Le joueur de flûte a trahi
Et Dieu reconnaisse pour sien
Le brave petit musicien
The song "Le Petit Joueur de Flûteau" by Georges Brassens is about a simple flute player who plays music in the castle. The king is so impressed with his music that he offers him a coat of arms. The flute player, however, refuses the offer, stating that he does not want to be noble. He fears that if he accepts the coat of arms, his head would become too big and his neighbors will think that he has betrayed them. The flute player would not want to forget his humble roots or compromise his integrity, even if it means missing out on opportunities for fame and fortune.
The flute player goes on to reject other offers of nobility, such as a bishop, a grand estate, and a princess. He returns to his humble life, his parents, and his fiancé without any honors or fame. His refusal of nobility and his commitment to his roots are celebrated in the final lines of the song, where he is recognized as a "brave little musician" deserving of God's recognition.
The song celebrates the value of cultural heritage and the importance of staying true to oneself. It praises simple folks and critizes the societal pressure to conform to the norms of the elite. Brassens, who was known for his socially conscious songs, also used the song to comment on the political climate of France during his time.
Line by Line Meaning
Le petit joueur de flûteau
The young flute player
Menait la musique au château
Played music at the castle
Pour la grâce de ses chansons
For the beauty of his songs
Le roi lui offrit un blason
The king offered him a coat of arms
Je ne veux pas être noble
I don't want to be noble
Répondit le croque-note
Replied the music player
Avec un blason à la clé
With a coat of arms in hand
Mon la se mettrait à gonfler
My ego would start to swell
On dirait par tout le pays
People would say throughout the land
Le joueur de flûte a trahi
The flute player has betrayed us
Et mon pauvre petit clocher
And my poor little bell tower
Me semblerait trop bas perché
Would seem too lowly
Je ne plierais plus les genoux
I wouldn't bow down anymore
Devant le bon Dieu de chez nous
Before our local God
Il faudrait à ma grande âme
It would take, for my great soul
Tous les saints de Notre-Dame
All the saints of Notre-Dame
Avec un évêque à la clé
With a bishop in hand
Et la chambre où j'ai vu la jour
And the room where I was born
Me serait un triste séjour
Would be a sad place to be
Je quitterai mon lit mesquin
I would leave my humble bed
Pour une couche à baldaquin
For a canopy bed
Je changerais ma chaumière
I would change my thatched cottage
Pour une gentilhommière
For a nobleman's house
Avec un manoir à la clé
With a manor in hand
Je serai honteux de mon sang
I would be ashamed of my own blood
Des aïeux de qui je descends
Of the ancestors from whom I descend
On me verrait bouder dessus
People would see me sulking
La branche dont je suis issu
The branch from which I come
Je voudrais un magnifique
I would want a magnificent
Arbre généalogique
Family tree
Avec du sang bleu a la clé
With blue blood in hand
Je ne voudrais plus épouser
I wouldn't want to marry
Ma promise, ma fiancée
My promised one, my fiancée
Je ne donnerais pas mon nom
I wouldn't give my name
A une quelconque Ninon
To any ordinary girl
Il me faudrait pour compagne
I would need, as a companion
La fille d'un grand d'Espagne
The daughter of a great Spanish nobleman
Avec un' princesse à la clé
With a princess in hand
Le petit joueur de flûteau
The young flute player
Fit la révérence au château
Bowed at the castle
Sans armoiries, sans parchemin
Without coat of arms, without parchment
Sans gloire il se mit en chemin
Without glory, he set out on his way
Vers son clocher, sa chaumine
Towards his bell tower, his cottage
Ses parents et sa promise
His parents and his promised one
Nul ne dise dans le pays
No one in the land may say
Le joueur de flûte a trahi
The flute player has betrayed us
Et Dieu reconnaisse pour sien
And God recognize as His own
Le brave petit musicien
The brave little musician
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GEORGES CHARLES BRASSENS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind