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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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Les Ricochets
by Georges Brassens
J'avais dix-huit ans
Tout juste et quittant
Ma ville natale
Un beau jour, o gue
Je vins debarquer
dans la capitale
J'entrai pas aux cris
D'"A nous deux Paris"
En Ile-de-France
Que ton Rastignac
N'ait cure, Balzac !
De ma concurrence
De ma concurrence
Gens en place, dormez
Sans vous alarmer,
Rien ne vous menace
Ce n'est qu'un jeune sot
qui monte a l'assaut
du p'tit montparnasse
On n's'etonnera pas
Si mes premiers pas
tout droit me menerent
Au pont Mirabeau
pour un coup de chapeau
A l'Apolinaire
A l'Apolinaire
Bec enfarine
Pouvaisje deviner
Le remue-mnage
Que dans mon destin
Causerait soudain
Ce plerinage ?
Que circonvenu
Mon caeur ingenu
Allait faire des siennes
Tomber amoureux
De sa toute pre-
miere Parisienne
miere Parisienne
N'anticipons pas,
Sur la berge en bas
Tout contre une pile,
La belle tchait
D' fair' des ricochets
D'un' main malhabile
Moi, dans ce temps-la
Je n' dis pas cela
En bombant le torse,
L'air avantageux
J'tais a ce jeu
De premier force
De premier force
Tu m' donn's un baiser,
Ai-je propose
A la demoiselle;
Et moi, sans retard
J' t'apprends de cet art
Toutes les ficelles.
Affaire conclue,
En une heure elle eut,
L'adresse requise.
En change, moi
J' cueillis plein d'moi
Ses lvres exquises
Ses lvres exquises
Et durant un temps
Les journaux d'antan
D'ailleurs le relatent
Fallait se lever
Matin pour trouver
Une pierre plate.
On redessina
Du pont d'Iena
Au pont Alexandre
Jusqu' Saint-Michel,
Mais notre echelle,
La carte du tendre
La carte du tendre
Mais c'tait trop beau:
Au pont Mirabeau
La belle volage
Un jour se perchait
Sur un ricochet
Et gagnait le large.
Ell' me fit faux-bond
Pour un vieux barbon,
La petite ingrate,
Un Crsus vivant
Detail aggravant
Sur la rive droite
Sur la rive droite
J'en pleurai pas mal,
Le flux lacrymal
Me fit la quinzaine.
Au viaduc d'Auteuil
Parait qu'a vue d'œil
Grossissait la Seine.
Et si, pont d' l'Alma,
J'ai pas noy ma
Detresse ineffable,
C'est qu' l'eau coulant sous
Les pieds du zouzou
Etait imbuvable
Etait imbuvable
Et qu' j'avais acquis
Cett' conviction qui
Du reste me navre
Que mort ou vivant
Ce n'est pas souvent
Qu'on arrive au havre.
Nous attristons pas,
Allons de ce pas
Donner, debonnaires,
Au pont Mirabeau
Un coup de chapeau
A l'Apollinaire
A l'Apollinaire
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GEORGES CHARLES BRASSENS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
by Georges Brassens
J'avais dix-huit ans
Tout juste et quittant
Ma ville natale
Un beau jour, o gue
Je vins debarquer
dans la capitale
J'entrai pas aux cris
D'"A nous deux Paris"
En Ile-de-France
Que ton Rastignac
N'ait cure, Balzac !
De ma concurrence
De ma concurrence
Gens en place, dormez
Sans vous alarmer,
Rien ne vous menace
Ce n'est qu'un jeune sot
qui monte a l'assaut
du p'tit montparnasse
On n's'etonnera pas
Si mes premiers pas
tout droit me menerent
Au pont Mirabeau
pour un coup de chapeau
A l'Apolinaire
A l'Apolinaire
Bec enfarine
Pouvaisje deviner
Le remue-mnage
Que dans mon destin
Causerait soudain
Ce plerinage ?
Que circonvenu
Mon caeur ingenu
Allait faire des siennes
Tomber amoureux
De sa toute pre-
miere Parisienne
miere Parisienne
N'anticipons pas,
Sur la berge en bas
Tout contre une pile,
La belle tchait
D' fair' des ricochets
D'un' main malhabile
Moi, dans ce temps-la
Je n' dis pas cela
En bombant le torse,
L'air avantageux
J'tais a ce jeu
De premier force
De premier force
Tu m' donn's un baiser,
Ai-je propose
A la demoiselle;
Et moi, sans retard
J' t'apprends de cet art
Toutes les ficelles.
Affaire conclue,
En une heure elle eut,
L'adresse requise.
En change, moi
J' cueillis plein d'moi
Ses lvres exquises
Ses lvres exquises
Et durant un temps
Les journaux d'antan
D'ailleurs le relatent
Fallait se lever
Matin pour trouver
Une pierre plate.
On redessina
Du pont d'Iena
Au pont Alexandre
Jusqu' Saint-Michel,
Mais notre echelle,
La carte du tendre
La carte du tendre
Mais c'tait trop beau:
Au pont Mirabeau
La belle volage
Un jour se perchait
Sur un ricochet
Et gagnait le large.
Ell' me fit faux-bond
Pour un vieux barbon,
La petite ingrate,
Un Crsus vivant
Detail aggravant
Sur la rive droite
Sur la rive droite
J'en pleurai pas mal,
Le flux lacrymal
Me fit la quinzaine.
Au viaduc d'Auteuil
Parait qu'a vue d'œil
Grossissait la Seine.
Et si, pont d' l'Alma,
J'ai pas noy ma
Detresse ineffable,
C'est qu' l'eau coulant sous
Les pieds du zouzou
Etait imbuvable
Etait imbuvable
Et qu' j'avais acquis
Cett' conviction qui
Du reste me navre
Que mort ou vivant
Ce n'est pas souvent
Qu'on arrive au havre.
Nous attristons pas,
Allons de ce pas
Donner, debonnaires,
Au pont Mirabeau
Un coup de chapeau
A l'Apollinaire
A l'Apollinaire
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GEORGES CHARLES BRASSENS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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