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
Oncle Archibald
Georges Brassens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tous les cafards, les charlatans
Les prophètes
Comptez plus sur oncle Archibald
Pour payer les violons du bal
A vos fêtes
En courant sus à un voleur
A sa montre
Oncle Archibald, coquin de sort!
Fit, de Sa Majesté la Mort
La rencontre
Telle une femme de petite vertu
Elle arpentait le trottoir du
Cimetière
Aguichant les hommes en troussant
Un peu plus haut qu'il n'est décent
Son suaire
Oncle Archibald, d'un ton gouailleur
Lui dit: " Va-t'en faire pendre ailleurs
Ton squelette
Fi! Des femelles décharnees!
Vive les belles un tantinet
Rondelettes!"
Lors, montant sur ses grands chevaux
La Mort brandit la longue faux
D'agronome
Qu'elle serrait dans son linceul
Et faucha d'un seul coup, d'un seul
Le bonhomme
Comme il n'avait pas l'air content
Elle lui dit: " Ça fait longtemps
Que je t'aime
Et notre hymen à tous les deux
Etait prévu depuis le jour de
Ton baptême
"Si tu te couches dans mes bras
Alors la vie te semblera
Plus facile
Tu y seras hors de portée
Des chiens, des loups, des hommes et des
Imbéciles
"Nul n'y contestera tes droits
Tu pourras crier "Vive le roi!"
Sans intrigue
Si l'envi' te prend de changer
Tu pourras crier sans danger
"Vive la Ligue!"
"Ton temps de dupe est révolu
Personne ne se paiera plus
Sur ta bête
Les "Plaît-il, maître?" auront plus cours
Plus jamais tu n'auras à cour-
Ber la tête"
Et mon oncle emboîta le pas
De la belle, qui ne semblait pas
Si féroce
Et les voilà, bras d'ssus, bras d'ssous
Les voilà partis je n' sais où
Faire leurs noces
O vous, les arracheurs de dents
Tous les cafards, les charlatans
Les prophètes
Comptez plus sur oncle Archibald
Pour payer les violons du bal
A vos fêtes
The song "Oncle Archibald" by Georges Brassens is a satirical take on death and the tendency of people to glorify it. The song depicts Uncle Archibald as a mischievous old man who is not afraid of death and is prepared to face it head-on. In the first verse, Brassens sings about how the dentists, charlatans, and prophets can no longer rely on Uncle Archibald to be the life of their parties. The second verse describes how Uncle Archibald confronts death after chasing a thief who stole his watch. He refers to death as a "coquin de sort," which can be translated to "a rogue of fate." In the third verse, Brassens personifies death as a woman of ill-repute who tries to seduce Uncle Archibald by flashing her shroud. However, Uncle Archibald snaps back at her by telling her to find someone else to seduce and praises the beauty of curvy women instead. The final verse is a conversation between Uncle Archibald and death. Death is portrayed as a comforting figure who promises Uncle Archibald a life free of troubles and people who annoy him. Uncle Archibald follows her into the afterlife, leaving the people he used to entertain behind.
Line by Line Meaning
O vous, les arracheurs de dents
Oh you, tooth pullers
Tous les cafards, les charlatans
All you cockroaches, charlatans
Les prophètes
And you prophets
Comptez plus sur oncle Archibald
Don't rely on uncle Archibald anymore
Pour payer les violons du bal
To pay for the violins at your parties
A vos fêtes
At your celebrations
En courant sus à un voleur
Chasing after a thief
Qui venait de lui chiper l'heure
Who had just stolen his watch
A sa montre
From his wrist
Oncle Archibald, coquin de sort!
Uncle Archibald, you sly dog!
Fit, de Sa Majesté la Mort
Met with her majesty death
La rencontre
Face to face
Telle une femme de petite vertu
Like a woman of loose morals
Elle arpentait le trottoir du
She walked the sidewalk of the
Cimetière
Cemetery
Aguichant les hommes en troussant
Teasing men by lifting
Un peu plus haut qu'il n'est décent
A little higher than is decent
Son suaire
Her shroud
Oncle Archibald, d'un ton gouailleur
Uncle Archibald, in a mocking tone
Lui dit: " Va-t'en faire pendre ailleurs
Told her to go hang herself elsewhere
Ton squelette
Your skeleton
Fi! Des femelles décharnees!
Phooey! Skinny females!
Vive les belles un tantinet
Hurray for the slightly
Rondelettes!"
Plump ones!
Lors, montant sur ses grands chevaux
Then, getting on his high horse
La Mort brandit la longue faux
Death brandished her long scythe
D'agronome
Like a farmer
Qu'elle serrait dans son linceul
That she held in her shroud
Et faucha d'un seul coup, d'un seul
And with one swift stroke
Le bonhomme
She reaped the old man
Comme il n'avait pas l'air content
As he didn't seem happy about it
Elle lui dit: " Ça fait longtemps
She said to him, "It's been a long time
Que je t'aime
That I have loved you
Et notre hymen à tous les deux
And our union was planned
Etait prévu depuis le jour de
Since the day of your baptism
Ton baptême
Our union
"Si tu te couches dans mes bras
"If you lie down in my arms
Alors la vie te semblera
Then life will seem
Plus facile
Easier
Tu y seras hors de portée
You will be out of reach
Des chiens, des loups, des hommes et des
Of dogs, wolves, men, and
Imbéciles
Fools
Nul n'y contestera tes droits
No one will contest your rights
Tu pourras crier "Vive le roi!
You can shout "Long live the king!"
Sans intrigue
Without scheming
Si l'envi' te prend de changer
If you ever want to change
Tu pourras crier sans danger
You can safely shout
"Vive la Ligue!
"Long live the league!"
"Ton temps de dupe est révolu
"Your time as a dupe is over
Personne ne se paiera plus
No one will be mocking you again
Sur ta bête
With your beast
Les "Plaît-il, maître?
The "Yes, master?"
Auront plus cours
Will no longer apply
Plus jamais tu n'auras à cour-
You will never again have to
Ber la tête
Bow your head
Et mon oncle emboîta le pas
And my uncle followed suit
De la belle, qui ne semblait pas
Of the beautiful one, who didn't seem
Si féroce
So fierce
Et les voilà, bras d'ssus, bras d'ssous
And there they were, arm in arm
Les voilà partis je n' sais où
Off they went, I don't know where
Faire leurs noces
To celebrate their marriage
O vous, les arracheurs de dents
Oh you, tooth pullers
Tous les cafards, les charlatans
All you cockroaches, charlatans
Les prophètes
And you prophets
Comptez plus sur oncle Archibald
Don't rely on uncle Archibald anymore
Pour payer les violons du bal
To pay for the violins at your parties
A vos fêtes
At your celebrations
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Georges Charles Brassens
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Muriel Sothys Fremon
Excellent ! Merci à mon père de m'avoir fait découvrir Brassens ❤
Philoupaulo 62
Georges, siempre estarás en nuestros corazones.
Christophe Schwartz
Le génialissime Georges Brassens! Merci pour le partage nostalgique.🤗👍
fredrivegauche
Dans l'album "Les suites de Brassens" du groupe Rive gauche ! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QukFV4qtY-U
Artic fox FBS
Lolilol