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

Le mauvais sujet repenti
Georges Brassens Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Elle avait la taille faite au tour, les hanches pleines
Et chassait l'mâle aux alentours de la Madeleine
À sa façon d'me dire, mon rat
Est-ce que j'te tente?
Je vis que j'avais affaire à
Une débutante

L'avait l'don, c'est vrai, j'en conviens, l'avait l'génie

Mais sans technique, un don n'est rien qu'une sale manie
Certes, on ne se fait pas putain
Comme on s'fait nonne
C'est du moins c'qu'on prêche, en latin
À la Sorbonne

Me sentant rempli de pitié pour la donzelle
J'lui enseignais, de son métier les p'tites ficelles
J'lui enseignais l'moyen d'bientôt
Faire fortune
En bougeant l'endroit où le dos
Ressemble à la lune

Car, dans l'art de faire le trottoir, je le confesse
Le difficile est d'bien savoir jouer des fesses
On n'tortille pas son popotin
D'la même manière
Pour un droguiste, un sacristain
Un fonctionnaire

Rapidement instruite par mes bons offices
Elle m'investit d'une part d'ses bénéfices
On s'aida mutuellement
Comme dit l'poète
Elle était l'corps, naturellement
Puis moi la tête

Un soir, à la suite de manœuvres douteuses
Elle tomba victime d'une maladie honteuse
Lors, en tout bien, toute amitié
En fille probe
Elle me passa la moitié
De ses microbes

Après des injections aiguës d'antiseptique
J'abandonnais l'métier d'cocu systématique
Elle eut beau pousser des sanglots
Braire à tue-tête
Comme je n'étais qu'un salaud
J'me fis honnête

Sitôt privée de ma tutelle, ma pauvre amie
Courut essuyer du bordel les infamies
Paraît qu'elle s'vend même à des flics
Quelle décadence

Y a plus d'moralité publique
Dans notre France

Overall Meaning

"Le mauvais sujet repenti" is a song by Georges Brassens that tells the story of a man who is seduced by a prostitute near the Madeleine church in Paris. The song explains how he teaches her the tricks of the trade and how to make more money, but also how she eventually contracts a venereal disease, which he suspects is from her sleeping around with police officers. It is a narrative that explores themes of morality, friendship, and prostitution.

The first verse describes the physical attributes of the prostitute and how she tries to lure the singer in. He quickly realizes that she is inexperienced and starts to teach her how to make more money. In the second verse, he explains that having a talent without technique is useless and that it takes practice to become good at something, even prostitution. The third verse explains how their friendship changes when the prostitute contracts a venereal disease, and the singer abandons his life of infidelity to become "honest."

The song is a commentary on the vices and virtues of prostitution, and the consequences that come with the lifestyle. The narrative structure presents the story in a way that is both playful and reflective, using humor and irony to highlight the hypocrisy and moral ambiguity present in society's attitudes towards prostitution.

Le mauvais sujet repentiGeorges Brassens Lyrics

@lysgauty1

@wallersayn7975

@jean-marcstassart7343

@lysgauty1

Le mauvais sujet repenti
Georges Brassens Lyrics