Georges Brassens was a French singer and songwriter known for accompanying … Read Full Bio ↴Georges Brassens was a French singer and 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. 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 Vieux L%C3%A9on
Georges Brassens Lyrics
Y a tout à l'heure, quinze ans d'malheur, mon vieux Léon
Que tu es parti au paradis d'l'accordéon
Parti bon train, voir si l'bastringue et la java
Avaient gardé droit de cité chez jéhovah
Quinze ans bientôt qu'musique au dos, tu t'en allais
Mener le bal à l'amicale des feux follets
En cet asile, par sainte-cécile, pardonne-nous
De n'avoir pas su faire cas de ton biniou
C'est une erreur mais les joueurs d'accordéon
Au grand jamais, on ne les met au panthéon
Mon vieux, tu as dû t'contener du champ de navets
Sans grandes pompes et sans pompons et sans ave
Mais les copains suivaient l'sapin, le cœur serré
En rigolant, pour faire semblant de n'pas pleurer
Et dans nos cœurs, pauvre joueur d'accordéon
Il fait ma foi, beaucoup moins froid qu'au panthéon
Depuis mon vieux, qu'au fond des cieux, tu as fait ton trou
Il a coulé de l'eau sous les ponts de chez nous
Les bons enfants d'la rue de vanves à la gaîté
L'un comme l'autre, au gré des flots, furent emportés
Mais aucun d'eux n'a fait fi de son temps jadis
Tous sont restés du parti des myosotis
Tous ces pierrots ont le cœur gros, mon vieux Léon
En entendant le moindre chant d'accordéon
Quel temps fait-il chez les gentils de l'au-delà
Les musiciens ont-ils enfin trouvé le la
Et le p'tit bleu, est-c'que ça n'le rend pas meilleur
D'être servi au sein des vignes du seigneur
Si d'temps en temps, une dame d'antan s'laisse embrasser
Sûrement papa, que tu regrettes pas d'être passé
Et si l'bon dieu aime tant soit peu l'accordéon
Au firmament, tu t'plais sûr'ment, mon vieux Léon
Que tu es parti au paradis d'l'accordéon
Parti bon train, voir si l'bastringue et la java
Avaient gardé droit de cité chez jéhovah
Quinze ans bientôt qu'musique au dos, tu t'en allais
Mener le bal à l'amicale des feux follets
En cet asile, par sainte-cécile, pardonne-nous
De n'avoir pas su faire cas de ton biniou
C'est une erreur mais les joueurs d'accordéon
Mon vieux, tu as dû t'contener du champ de navets
Sans grandes pompes et sans pompons et sans ave
Mais les copains suivaient l'sapin, le cœur serré
En rigolant, pour faire semblant de n'pas pleurer
Et dans nos cœurs, pauvre joueur d'accordéon
Il fait ma foi, beaucoup moins froid qu'au panthéon
Depuis mon vieux, qu'au fond des cieux, tu as fait ton trou
Il a coulé de l'eau sous les ponts de chez nous
Les bons enfants d'la rue de vanves à la gaîté
L'un comme l'autre, au gré des flots, furent emportés
Mais aucun d'eux n'a fait fi de son temps jadis
Tous sont restés du parti des myosotis
Tous ces pierrots ont le cœur gros, mon vieux Léon
En entendant le moindre chant d'accordéon
Quel temps fait-il chez les gentils de l'au-delà
Les musiciens ont-ils enfin trouvé le la
Et le p'tit bleu, est-c'que ça n'le rend pas meilleur
D'être servi au sein des vignes du seigneur
Si d'temps en temps, une dame d'antan s'laisse embrasser
Sûrement papa, que tu regrettes pas d'être passé
Et si l'bon dieu aime tant soit peu l'accordéon
Au firmament, tu t'plais sûr'ment, mon vieux Léon
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Georges Charles Brassens
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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