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
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
Pens%C3%A9es Des Morts
Georges Brassens Lyrics
Voilà les feuilles sans sève
qui tombent sur le gazon
voilà le vent qui s'élève
et gémit dans le vallon
voilà l'errante hirondelle
qui rase du bout de l'aile
l'eau dormante des marais
voilà l'enfant des chaumières
qui glane sur les bruyères
le bois tombé des forets
C'est la saison où tout tombe
aux coups redoublés des vents
un vent qui vient de la tombe
moissonne aussi les vivants
ils tombent alors par mille
comme la plume inutile
que l'aigle abandonne aux airs
lorsque des plumes nouvelles
viennent réchauffer ses ailes
à l'approche des hivers
C'est alors que ma paupière
vous vit palir et mourir
tendres fruits qu'à la lumière
dieu n'a pas laissé murir
quoique jeune sur la terre
je suis dejà solitaire
parmi ceux de ma saison
et quand je dis en moi-meme
où sont ceux que ton c?ur aime?
je regarde le gazon
C'est un ami de l'enfance
qu'aux jours sombres du malheur
nous preta la providence
pour appuyer notre c?ur
il n'est plus : notre âme est veuve
il nous suit dans notre épreuve
et nous dit avec pitié
Ami si ton âme est pleine
de ta joie ou de ta peine
qui portera la moitié?
C'est une jeune fiancée
qui, le front ceint du bandeau
n'emporta qu'une pensée
de sa jeunesse au tombeau
Triste, hélas ! dans le ciel meme
pour revoir celui qu'elle aime
elle revient sur ses pas
et lui dit : ma tombe est verte!
sur cette terre déserte
qu'attends-tu? je n'y suis pas!
C'est l'ombre pâle d'un père
qui mourut en nous nommant
c'est une s?ur, c'est un frère
qui nous devance un moment
tous ceux enfin dont la vie
un jour ou l'autre ravie,
enporte une part de nous
murmurent sous la pierre
vous qui voyez la lumière
de nous vous souvenez vous?
Voilà les feuilles sans sève
qui tombent sur le gazon
voilà le vent qui s'élève
et gémit dans le vallon
voilà l'errante hirondelle
qui rase du bout de l'aile
l'eau dormante des marais
voilà l'enfant des chaumières
qui glane sur les bruyères
le bois tombé des forets
qui tombent sur le gazon
voilà le vent qui s'élève
et gémit dans le vallon
voilà l'errante hirondelle
qui rase du bout de l'aile
l'eau dormante des marais
voilà l'enfant des chaumières
qui glane sur les bruyères
le bois tombé des forets
C'est la saison où tout tombe
aux coups redoublés des vents
un vent qui vient de la tombe
moissonne aussi les vivants
ils tombent alors par mille
comme la plume inutile
que l'aigle abandonne aux airs
lorsque des plumes nouvelles
viennent réchauffer ses ailes
à l'approche des hivers
C'est alors que ma paupière
vous vit palir et mourir
tendres fruits qu'à la lumière
dieu n'a pas laissé murir
quoique jeune sur la terre
je suis dejà solitaire
parmi ceux de ma saison
et quand je dis en moi-meme
où sont ceux que ton c?ur aime?
je regarde le gazon
C'est un ami de l'enfance
qu'aux jours sombres du malheur
nous preta la providence
pour appuyer notre c?ur
il n'est plus : notre âme est veuve
il nous suit dans notre épreuve
et nous dit avec pitié
Ami si ton âme est pleine
de ta joie ou de ta peine
qui portera la moitié?
C'est une jeune fiancée
qui, le front ceint du bandeau
n'emporta qu'une pensée
de sa jeunesse au tombeau
Triste, hélas ! dans le ciel meme
pour revoir celui qu'elle aime
elle revient sur ses pas
et lui dit : ma tombe est verte!
sur cette terre déserte
qu'attends-tu? je n'y suis pas!
C'est l'ombre pâle d'un père
qui mourut en nous nommant
c'est une s?ur, c'est un frère
qui nous devance un moment
tous ceux enfin dont la vie
un jour ou l'autre ravie,
enporte une part de nous
murmurent sous la pierre
vous qui voyez la lumière
de nous vous souvenez vous?
Voilà les feuilles sans sève
qui tombent sur le gazon
voilà le vent qui s'élève
et gémit dans le vallon
voilà l'errante hirondelle
qui rase du bout de l'aile
l'eau dormante des marais
voilà l'enfant des chaumières
qui glane sur les bruyères
le bois tombé des forets
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Georges Charles Brassens, Joel Favreau
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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