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
Une jolie fleur
Georges Brassens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Plus aveugles que moi dans tous les âges
Mais faut dire, je m'étais crevé les yeux
En regardant de trop près son corsage
Une jolie fleur dans une peau d'vache
Une jolie vache déguisée en fleur
Qui fait la belle et qui vous attache
Le ciel l'avait pourvue des mille appâts
Qui vous font prendre feu dès qu'on y touche
L'en avait tant que je ne savais pas
Ne savais plus où donner de la bouche
Une jolie fleur dans une peau d'vache
Une jolie vache déguisée en fleur
Qui fait la belle et qui vous attache
Puis, qui vous mène par le bout du cœur
Elle n'avait pas de tête, elle n'avait pas
L'esprit beaucoup plus grand qu'un dé à coudre
Mais pour l'amour on ne demande pas
Aux filles d'avoir inventé la poudre
Une jolie fleur dans une peau d'vache
Une jolie vache déguisée en fleur
Qui fait la belle et qui vous attache
Puis, qui vous mène par le bout du cœur
Puis un jour, elle a pris la clef des champs
En me laissant à l'âme un mal funeste
Et toutes les herbes de la Saint-Jean
N'ont pas pu me guérir de cette peste
Je lui en ai bien voulu, mais à présent
J'ai plus d'rancune et mon cœur lui pardonne
D'avoir mis mon cœur à feu et à sang
Pour qu'il ne puisse plus servir à personne
Une jolie fleur dans une peau d'vache
Une jolie vache déguisée en fleur
Qui fait la belle et qui vous attache
Puis, qui vous mène par le bout du cœur
The song "Une jolie fleur" by Georges Brassens tells the story of a man who falls in love with a woman who is not who she seems to be. The singer describes himself as the most blind lover on earth, having fallen for the woman's beauty without seeing her true nature. He acknowledges that he blinded himself by looking too closely at her cleavage. The woman is described as a pretty flower in the skin of a cow, meaning that she looks beautiful but is not of the same quality on the inside.
The singer is led on by the woman, despite realizing that she is leading him on, and he describes her as having all of the charms that make a person fall for her. She has the ability to make him feel on fire just by touching her, and he becomes lost in her charms, not knowing where to focus his attention. Despite noting that she is not particularly intelligent, he still loves her because he believes that love does not require intelligence.
The song ends with the woman leaving the singer, leading to his devastation which no herbs or remedies can heal. Eventually, he forgives her and moves on from the pain, recognizing that his heart cannot be used by anyone else again. Through his lyrics, Brassens reminds listeners of the dangers of judging people based on their appearance and highlights the fact that one should not allow themselves to be deceived by outward appearances.
Line by Line Meaning
Jamais sur Terre il n y eut d'amoureux Plus aveugles que moi dans tous les âges
There's never been a lover more blind than myself throughout all ages
Mais faut dire, je m'étais crevé les yeux En regardant de trop près son corsage
But I have to admit, I poked my eyes out trying to get a better look at her cleavage
Le ciel l'avait pourvue des mille appâts Qui vous font prendre feu dès qu'on y touche L'en avait tant que je ne savais pas Ne savais plus où donner de la bouche
The heavens had endowed her with a thousand lures that ignite you when you touch them. She had so many that I didn't know where to put my mouth anymore
Elle n'avait pas de tête, elle n'avait pas L'esprit beaucoup plus grand qu'un dé à coudre Mais pour l'amour on ne demande pas Aux filles d'avoir inventé la poudre
She didn't have a head, she didn't have a mind bigger than a sewing thimble, but for love, we don't expect girls to have invented gunpowder
Puis un jour, elle a pris la clef des champs En me laissant à l'âme un mal funeste Et toutes les herbes de la Saint-Jean N'ont pas pu me guérir de cette peste
Then one day, she took off and left me with a fatal illness in my soul, and all the Saint-John's wort couldn't cure me of this plague
Je lui en ai bien voulu, mais à présent J'ai plus d'rancune et mon cœur lui pardonne D'avoir mis mon cœur à feu et à sang Pour qu'il ne puisse plus servir à personne
I resented her for a while, but now I have no grudge and my heart forgives her for setting it on fire and bleeding it so it can't serve anyone else
Une jolie fleur dans une peau d'vache Une jolie vache déguisée en fleur Qui fait la belle et qui vous attache Puis, qui vous mène par le bout du cœur
A pretty flower in a cow's hide, a pretty cow disguised as a flower that looks beautiful and attaches itself to you, then leads you by the heartstrings
Lyrics © WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC FRANCE
Written by: Georges Charles Brassens
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind