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Georges Brassens was a French singer-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. Read Full BioGeorges Brassens was a French singer-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. Read Full BioGeorges Brassens was a French singer-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
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Le bistrot
by Georges Brassens
Dans un coin pourri
Du pauvre Paris,
Sur un' place,
L'est un vieux bistrot
Tenu pas un gros
Dégueulasse.
Si t'as le bec fin,
S'il te faut du vin
D' premièr' classe,
Va boire à Passy,
Le nectar d'ici
Te dépasse.
Mais si t'as l' gosier
Qu'une armur' d'acier
Matelasse,
Goûte à ce velours,
Ce petit bleu lourd
De menaces.
Tu trouveras là
La fin' fleur de la
Populace,
Tous les marmiteux,
Les calamiteux,
De la place.
Qui viennent en rang,
Comme les harengs,
Voir en face
La bell' du bistrot,
La femme à ce gros
Dégueulasse.
Que je boive à fond
L'eau de tout's les fon-
tain's Wallace,
Si, dès aujourd'hui,
Tu n'es pas séduit
Par la grâce.
De cett' joli' fé'
Qui, d'un bouge, a fait
Un palace.
Avec ses appas,
Du haut jusqu'en bas,
Bien en place.
Ces trésors exquis,
Qui les embrass', qui
Les enlace ?
Vraiment, c'en est trop !
Tout ça pour ce gros
Dégueulasse !
C'est injuste et fou,
Mais que voulez-vous
Qu'on y fasse ?
L'amour se fait vieux,
Il a plus les yeux
Bien en face.
Si tu fais ta cour,
Tâch' que tes discours
Ne l'agacent.
Sois poli, mon gars,
Pas de geste ou ga-
re à la casse.
Car sa main qui claqu',
Punit d'un flic-flac
Les audaces.
Certes, il n'est pas né
Qui mettra le nez
Dans sa tasse.
Pas né, le chanceux
Qui dégèl'ra ce
Bloc de glace.
Qui fera dans l' dos
Les corne' à ce gros
Dégueulasse.
Dans un coin pourri
Du pauvre Paris,
Sur un' place,
Une espèc' de fé',
D'un vieux bouge, a fait
Un palace.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GEORGES CHARLES BRASSENS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
by Georges Brassens
Dans un coin pourri
Du pauvre Paris,
Sur un' place,
L'est un vieux bistrot
Tenu pas un gros
Dégueulasse.
Si t'as le bec fin,
S'il te faut du vin
D' premièr' classe,
Va boire à Passy,
Le nectar d'ici
Te dépasse.
Mais si t'as l' gosier
Qu'une armur' d'acier
Matelasse,
Goûte à ce velours,
Ce petit bleu lourd
De menaces.
Tu trouveras là
La fin' fleur de la
Populace,
Tous les marmiteux,
Les calamiteux,
De la place.
Qui viennent en rang,
Comme les harengs,
Voir en face
La bell' du bistrot,
La femme à ce gros
Dégueulasse.
Que je boive à fond
L'eau de tout's les fon-
tain's Wallace,
Si, dès aujourd'hui,
Tu n'es pas séduit
Par la grâce.
De cett' joli' fé'
Qui, d'un bouge, a fait
Un palace.
Avec ses appas,
Du haut jusqu'en bas,
Bien en place.
Ces trésors exquis,
Qui les embrass', qui
Les enlace ?
Vraiment, c'en est trop !
Tout ça pour ce gros
Dégueulasse !
C'est injuste et fou,
Mais que voulez-vous
Qu'on y fasse ?
L'amour se fait vieux,
Il a plus les yeux
Bien en face.
Si tu fais ta cour,
Tâch' que tes discours
Ne l'agacent.
Sois poli, mon gars,
Pas de geste ou ga-
re à la casse.
Car sa main qui claqu',
Punit d'un flic-flac
Les audaces.
Certes, il n'est pas né
Qui mettra le nez
Dans sa tasse.
Pas né, le chanceux
Qui dégèl'ra ce
Bloc de glace.
Qui fera dans l' dos
Les corne' à ce gros
Dégueulasse.
Dans un coin pourri
Du pauvre Paris,
Sur un' place,
Une espèc' de fé',
D'un vieux bouge, a fait
Un palace.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GEORGES CHARLES BRASSENS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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