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 bistrot
Georges Brassens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sur une place
L'est un vieux bistrot, tenu pas un gros
Dégueulasse
Si t'as le bec fin, s'il te faut du vin
D'première classe
Va boire à Passy, le nectar d'ici
Mais si t'as l'gosier qu'une armure d'acier
Matelasse
Goûte à ce velours, ce petit bleu lourd
De menace
Tu trouveras là, la fine fleur de la
Populace
Tous les marmiteux, les calamiteux
De la place
Qui viennent en rang comme les harengs
Voir en face
La belle du bistrot, la femme à ce gros
Dégueulasse
Que je boive à fond, l'eau de tout's les fon-
-Taines Wallace
Si, dès aujourd'hui, tu n'es pas séduit
Par la grâce
De cette jolie fée qui, d'un bouge, a fait
Un palace
Avec ses appâts, du haut jusqu'en bas
Bien en place
Ces trésors exquis, qui les embrasse, 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, tâche que tes discours
Ne l'agacent
Sois poli, mon gars, pas de geste ou ga-
-Rre à la casse
Car sa main qui claque 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 dégèlera ce
Bloc de glace
Qui fera dans l'dos, les cornes à ce gros
Dégueulasse
Dans un coin pourri, du pauvre Paris
Sur une place
Une espèce de fée, d'un vieux bouge, a fait
Un palace
In 'Le Bistrot,' Georges Brassens tells the story of a rundown bar in a poor part of Paris that has become a haven for the "fine flower of the populace," or the dregs of society. He contrasts this with the high-end wine bars in the upscale Passy neighborhood, implying that the quality of the patrons is not related to the quality of the establishment. Brassens describes the bartender as a "big, disgusting" man and refers to him throughout the song as "Dégueulasse."
Despite the fact that the bar is dirty and the bartender is unpleasant, Brassens warns potential suitors to be polite and not provoke him, as he is quick to punish those who step out of line. The song is a commentary on the nature of class and the arbitrary barriers we create between people based on their social status.
The lyrics are characteristic of Brassens's biting wit and social commentary, as well as his talent for conveying complex ideas through simple poetic language.
Line by Line Meaning
Dans un coin pourri du pauvre Paris
In a run-down corner of poor Paris
Sur une place
In a square
L'est un vieux bistrot, tenu pas un gros dégueulasse
There is an old, dingy bar, run by a big, disgusting person
Si t'as le bec fin, s'il te faut du vin D'première classe
If you have a refined palate and need first-class wine
Va boire à Passy, le nectar d'ici te dépasse
Go drink in Passy, the nectar here won't satisfy you
Mais si t'as l'gosier qu'une armure d'acier Matelasse
But if you have a throat like padded armor
Goûte à ce velours, ce petit bleu lourd De menace
Taste this velvet, this heavy blue that threatens
Tu trouveras là, la fine fleur de la Populace
You'll find the cream of the crop of the people there
Tous les marmiteux, les calamiteux De la place
All of the cooks and the unfortunate ones from the area
Qui viennent en rang comme les harengs Voir en face
Who come in like herrings to face
La belle du bistrot, la femme à ce gros Dégueulasse
The beauty of the bar, the woman with that big, disgusting person
Que je boive à fond, l'eau de tout's les fon- -Taines Wallace
Even if I drink from all the Wallace fountains to the bottom
Si, dès aujourd'hui, tu n'es pas séduit Par la grâce
If you're not seduced by the grace today
De cette jolie fée qui, d'un bouge, a fait Un palace
Of this pretty fairy who turned a dive into a palace
Avec ses appâts, du haut jusqu'en bas Bien en place
With her charms, from top to bottom, in all the right places
Ces trésors exquis, qui les embrasse, qui Les enlace?
Who kisses and hugs these exquisite treasures?
Vraiment, c'en est trop, tout ça pour ce gros Dégueulasse
Honestly, it's too much, all this for that big, disgusting person
C'est injuste et fou, mais que voulez-vous Qu'on y fasse?
It's unfair and crazy, but what can you do?
L'amour se fait vieux, il a plus les yeux Bien en face
Love grows old and doesn't have its eyes right in front anymore
Si tu fais ta cour, tâche que tes discours Ne l'agacent
If you court her, make sure your speeches don't annoy her
Sois poli, mon gars, pas de geste ou ga- -Rre à la casse
Be polite, my dude, no gestures or fighting
Car sa main qui claque punit d'un flic-flac Les audaces
Because her slapping hand punishes daring moves with a snap
Certes, il n'est pas né qui mettra le nez Dans sa tasse
Of course, there is no one who will put their nose in her cup
Pas né, le chanceux qui dégèlera ce Bloc de glace
No lucky person is born thawing this block of ice
Qui fera dans l'dos, les cornes à ce gros Dégueulasse
Who makes a horn behind the back of that big, disgusting person
Dans un coin pourri, du pauvre Paris Sur une place
In a run-down corner of poor Paris in a square
Une espèce de fée, d'un vieux bouge, a fait Un palace
Some sort of fairy turned an old dive into a palace
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Georges Brassens
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@phoebus7629
Brassens, la vraie poésie de Paris par l’homme de Sète, l’homme et ses chansons inoubliables, et ses sourires tellement attachants. il nous manque terriblement!
@Scorpion-ix2fz
Mr Brassens!!!! ou la magie de son écriture, un chef-d œuvre parmi tant d autres
@fanfanlegrand451
Un bijou, que dis je une merveille..... Je pense souvent à vous Monsieur Brassens, vous êtes le maître de la chanson française.
@oculus3192
Une de mes preferees avec le vin..et pourtant je ne bois pas d alcool 😂
@fabiengiroud1389
Aucuns mots n'est remplaçable dans cette merveille
@saadfezd5843
Les yeux bien en place au lieu de bien en face haha !
@fabiengiroud1389
Mouahahaha
@chud3778
Entièrement d'accord !!!!
@rafaelguevara830
@@saadfezd5843bien en face - des trous ;)
@fredericpoisson3679
il me manque ce type