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 gorille
Georges Brassens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Que les femelles du canton
Contemplaient un puissant gorille
Sans souci du qu'en-dira-t-on
Avec impudeur, ces commères
Lorgnaient même un endroit précis
Que, rigoureusement, ma mère
M'a défendu d'nommer ici
Tout à coup la prison bien close
Où vivait le bel animal
S'ouvre, on n'sait pourquoi, je suppose
Qu'on avait dû la fermer mal
Le singe, en sortant de sa cage
Dit "c'est aujourd'hui que j'le perds!"
Il parlait de son pucelage
Vous aviez deviné, j'espère!
Gare au gorille!
L'patron de la ménagerie
Criait, éperdu "nom de nom!
C'est assommant, car le gorille
N'a jamais connu de guenon!"
Dès que la féminine engeance
Sut que le singe était puceau
Au lieu de profiter de la chance
Elle fit feu des deux fuseaux!
Gare au gorille!
Celles-là même qui, naguère
Le couvaient d'un œil décidé
Fuirent, prouvant qu'elles n'avaient guère
De la suite dans les idées
D'autant plus vaine était leur crainte
Que le gorille est un luron
Supérieur à l'homme dans l'étreinte
Bien des femmes vous le diront!
Gare au gorille!
Tout le monde se précipite
Hors d'atteinte du singe en rut
Sauf une vieille décrépite
Et un jeune juge en bois brut
Voyant que toutes se dérobent
Le quadrumane accéléra
Son dandinement vers les robes
De la vieille et du magistrat!
Gare au gorille!
"Bah! soupirait la centenaire
Qu'on pût encore me désirer
Ce serait extraordinaire
Et, pour tout dire, inespéré!"
Le juge pensait, impassible
"Qu'on me prenne pour une guenon
C'est complètement impossible"
La suite lui prouva que non!
Gare au gorille!
Supposez que l'un de vous puisse être
Comme le singe, obligé de
Violer un juge ou une ancêtre
Lequel choisirait-il des deux?
Qu'une alternative pareille
Un de ces quatre jours, m'échoie
C'est, j'en suis convaincu, la vieille
Qui sera l'objet de mon choix!
Gare au gorille!
Mais, par malheur, si le gorille
Aux jeux de l'amour vaut son prix
On sait qu'en revanche il ne brille
Ni par le goût ni par l'esprit
Lors, au lieu d'opter pour la vieille
Comme l'aurait fait n'importe qui
Il saisit le juge à l'oreille
Et l'entraîna dans un maquis!
Gare au gorille!
La suite serait délectable
Malheureusement, je ne peux
Pas la dire, et c'est regrettable
Ça nous aurait fait rire un peu
Car le juge, au moment suprême
Criait "maman!", pleurait beaucoup
Comme l'homme auquel, le jour même
Il avait fait trancher le cou
Gare au gorille!
The song "Le Gorille" by Georges Brassens describes a story of a gorilla in captivity that escapes its enclosure and runs wild looking for a mate. The song starts with the description of how the females of the town would look at the gorilla through the iron bars of its cage. They would stare, even ogle at certain body parts that the singer's mother forbade him to name. The chorus warns of danger - "Gare au gorille!" - Beware of the gorilla! The gorilla escapes its enclosure and declares that it must lose its virginity that day. The zookeeper is frantic because the gorilla has never mated. The women who once looked at the gorilla now flee. The only ones who remain are an old woman and a young inexperienced judge. The old lady is quite pleased to still be desired, while the judge thinks it is impossible that he could be mistaken for a female gorilla. The gorilla, however, does not have the best taste in his choice of partners and drags the judge into the bushes.
The song uses double entendres and humor to suggest that sometimes fear and panic lead people to make irrational decisions rather than proceeding with prudence or common sense. The song also plays with stereotypes of gender, with the males being either virile or inexperienced and the females the objects of both desire and disgust.
Line by Line Meaning
C'est à travers de larges grilles
In the town, the females were observing a powerful gorilla through large grills, with no care for the opinions of others.
Contemplaient un puissant gorille
The females were admiring a strong gorilla across the fence.
Sans souci du qu'en-dira-t-on
They didn't care what others might say about them.
Avec impudeur, ces commères
These women were looking at a particular area of the gorilla with indecorous curiosity.
Lorgnaient même un endroit précis
These women were shamelessly spying on the gorilla's private parts.
Que, rigoureusement, ma mère
My mother firmly forbade me from mentioning that specific area.
M'a défendu d'nommer ici
The area in question is so inappropriate to discuss that my mother prohibited me from mentioning it here.
Gare au gorille!
Be careful of the gorilla!
Tout à coup la prison bien close
Suddenly, the prison where the gorilla lived was opened, possibly by accident.
Où vivait le bel animal
The prison where the beautiful animal lived was opened.
S'ouvre, on n'sait pourquoi, je suppose
It opened for an unknown reason, I suppose it was by accident.
Qu'on avait dû la fermer mal
Perhaps, they made a mistake while closing it in the past.
Le singe, en sortant de sa cage
Upon leaving his cage, the gorilla was determined to lose his virginity.
Dit 'c'est aujourd'hui que j'le perds!'
He spoke about losing his virginity on this day.
Il parlait de son pucelage
The gorilla was referring to losing his virginity.
Vous aviez deviné, j'espère!
I hope you realized what he meant.
Gare au gorille!
Be careful of the gorilla!
L'patron de la ménagerie
The owner of the animal collection cried out in distress.
Criait, éperdu 'nom de nom!
In despair, he cried 'Good God!'
C'est assommant, car le gorille
It's frustrating for him because the gorilla never had an adult female gorilla companion to mate with.
N'a jamais connu de guenon!
He had never been close to a female gorilla.
Dès que la féminine engeance
As soon as the women there knew the gorilla was a virgin,
Sut que le singe était puceau
they knew the gorilla had not yet lost his virginity.
Au lieu de profiter de la chance
Instead of taking advantage of the opportunity,
Elle fit feu des deux fuseaux!
These women fired insults at him and ran away.
Gare au gorille!
Be careful of the gorilla!
Celles-là même qui, naguère
Those women who were boldly ogling the gorilla a moment ago,
Le couvaient d'un œil décidé
were determined, yet suddenly,
Fuirent, prouvant qu'elles n'avaient guère
they fled, proving that their determination was shallow.
De la suite dans les idées
They are thoughtless and inconsistent in their behavior.
D'autant plus vaine était leur crainte
Their fear was all the more absurd,
Que le gorille est un luron
For the gorilla is known to be more successful in mating than most men.
Supérieur à l'homme dans l'étreinte
He is better at mating than most men.
Bien des femmes vous le diront!
Many women can tell you this!
Gare au gorille!
Be careful of the gorilla!
Tout le monde se précipite
Everyone tries to escape from the horny gorilla.
Hors d'atteinte du singe en rut
Everyone ran out of the gorilla's reach.
Sauf une vieille décrépite
Except for one feeble old lady,
Et un jeune juge en bois brut
And an inexperienced young judge.
Voyant que toutes se dérobent
Seeing all the other women flee,
Le quadrumane accéléra
The gorilla increased his movement speed.
Son dandinement vers les robes
He swaggered towards the clothing of the old woman and the magistrate.
De la vieille et du magistrat!
He moved towards the old woman and the magistrate!
Gare au gorille!
Be careful of the gorilla!
'Bah! soupirait la centenaire
The old lady sighed and expressed gratitude for being desired at her advanced age.
Qu'on pût encore me désirer
She could scarcely believe that she was still alluring.
Ce serait extraordinaire
It would be an extraordinary event.
Et, pour tout dire, inespéré!'
And, to be frank, unexpected even in her wildest dreams!
Le juge pensait, impassible
The judge, with no expression on his face,
'Qu'on me prenne pour une guenon
was certain that the gorilla would take him for a female.
C'est complètement impossible'
He thought it was completely impossible.
La suite lui prouva que non!
However, he would have to change his mind very soon!
Gare au gorille!
Be careful of the gorilla!
Supposez que l'un de vous puisse être
Imagine if one of the listeners were forced to choose
Comme le singe, obligé de
like the gorilla.
Violer un juge ou une ancêtre
to violate either a judge or an aged woman.
Lequel choisirait-il des deux?
Who would they choose between the two?
Qu'une alternative pareille
To face such a dilemma
Un de ces quatre jours, m'échoie
At some point in the future, it may befall upon me.
C'est, j'en suis convaincu, la vieille
I am thoroughly convinced I would choose the old woman.
Qui sera l'objet de mon choix!
She would be the one, and nobody else.
Gare au gorille!
Be careful of the gorilla!
Mais, par malheur, si le gorille
Unfortunately, gorillas may be good at mating
Aux jeux de l'amour vaut son prix
but they may not have other desirable features, such as taste or intelligence.
On sait qu'en revanche il ne brille
People know that they don't excel in other areas.
Ni par le goût ni par l'esprit
Gorillas aren't known for their palatability or intelligence.
Lors, au lieu d'opter pour la vieille
Therefore, instead of choosing the old woman,
Comme l'aurait fait n'importe qui
as anyone else would've done,
Il saisit le juge à l'oreille
the gorilla decided to take hold of the judge's ear
Et l'entraîna dans un maquis!
and dragged him away to a secluded place!
Gare au gorille!
Be careful of the gorilla!
La suite serait délectable
What happened next would be a delightful story, involving the judge crying out for 'mommy,' which was ironic since he was the judge who had recently sentenced a man to death.
Malheureusement, je ne peux
Sadly, I'm not allowed to tell that gruesome tale,
Pas la dire, et c'est regrettable
which is regrettable.
Ça nous aurait fait rire un peu
It would have been amusing to us.
Car le juge, au moment suprême
The judge cried and wept heavily
Criait 'maman!', pleurait beaucoup
calling out for 'mommy!'
Comme l'homme auquel, le jour même
This reaction was especially comical because it was the very same day he had given another man the death penalty.
Il avait fait trancher le cou
It was ironic that he was now facing his own moment of supreme fear.
Gare au gorille!
Be careful of the gorilla!
Lyrics © WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC FRANCE
Written by: Georges Brassens
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind