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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 testament
by Georges Brassens
Je serai triste comme un saule
Quand le Dieu qui partout me suit
Me dira, la main sur l'épaule
"Va-t'en voir là-haut si j'y suis"
Alors, du ciel et de la terre
Il me faudra faire mon deuil
Est-il encore debout le chêne
Ou le sapin de mon cercueil
S'il faut aller au cimetière
J'prendrai le chemin le plus long
J'ferai la tombe buissonnière
Je quitterai la vie à reculons
Tant pis si les croque-morts me grondent
Tant pis s'ils me croient fou à lier
Je veux partir pour l'autre monde
Par le chemin des écoliers
Avant d'aller conter fleurette
Aux belles âmes des damnées
Je rêve d'encore une amourette
Je rêve d'encore m'enjuponner
Encore un' fois dire: "Je t'aime"
Encore un' fois perdre le nord
En effeuillant le chrysanthème
Qui est la marguerite des morts
Dieu veuille que ma veuve s'alarme
En enterrant son compagnon
Et que pour lui faire verser des larmes
Il n'y ait pas besoin d'oignon
Qu'elle prenne en secondes noces
Un époux de mon acabit
Il pourra profiter de mes bottes
Et de mes pantoufles et de mes habits
Qu'il boive mon vin, qu'il aime ma femme
Qu'il fume ma pipe et mon tabac
Mais que jamais - mort de mon âme
Jamais il ne fouette mes chats
Quoique je n'aie pas un atome
Une ombre de méchanceté
S'il fouette mes chats, y a un fantôme
Qui viendra le persécuter
Ici-gît une feuille morte
Ici finit mon testament
On a marque dessus ma porte
"Fermé pour cause d'enterrement"
J'ai quitté la vie sans rancune
J'aurai plus jamais mal aux dents
Me v'là dans la fosse commune
La fosse commune du temps
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GEORGES CHARLES BRASSENS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
by Georges Brassens
Je serai triste comme un saule
Quand le Dieu qui partout me suit
Me dira, la main sur l'épaule
"Va-t'en voir là-haut si j'y suis"
Alors, du ciel et de la terre
Il me faudra faire mon deuil
Est-il encore debout le chêne
Ou le sapin de mon cercueil
S'il faut aller au cimetière
J'prendrai le chemin le plus long
J'ferai la tombe buissonnière
Je quitterai la vie à reculons
Tant pis si les croque-morts me grondent
Tant pis s'ils me croient fou à lier
Je veux partir pour l'autre monde
Par le chemin des écoliers
Avant d'aller conter fleurette
Aux belles âmes des damnées
Je rêve d'encore une amourette
Je rêve d'encore m'enjuponner
Encore un' fois dire: "Je t'aime"
Encore un' fois perdre le nord
En effeuillant le chrysanthème
Qui est la marguerite des morts
Dieu veuille que ma veuve s'alarme
En enterrant son compagnon
Et que pour lui faire verser des larmes
Il n'y ait pas besoin d'oignon
Qu'elle prenne en secondes noces
Un époux de mon acabit
Il pourra profiter de mes bottes
Et de mes pantoufles et de mes habits
Qu'il boive mon vin, qu'il aime ma femme
Qu'il fume ma pipe et mon tabac
Mais que jamais - mort de mon âme
Jamais il ne fouette mes chats
Quoique je n'aie pas un atome
Une ombre de méchanceté
S'il fouette mes chats, y a un fantôme
Qui viendra le persécuter
Ici-gît une feuille morte
Ici finit mon testament
On a marque dessus ma porte
"Fermé pour cause d'enterrement"
J'ai quitté la vie sans rancune
J'aurai plus jamais mal aux dents
Me v'là dans la fosse commune
La fosse commune du temps
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GEORGES CHARLES BRASSENS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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