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
Vénus Callipyge
Georges Brassens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
N'enlève à vos attraits ce volume étonnant
Au temps où les faux culs sont la majorité
Gloire à celui qui dit toute la vérité
Votre dos perd son nom avec si bonne grâce
Qu'on ne peut s'empêcher de lui donner raison
Que ne suis-je, madame, un poète de race
En le voyant passer, j'en eus la chair de poule
Enfin, je vins au monde et, depuis, je lui voue
Un culte véritable et, quand je perds aux boules
En embrassant Fanny, je ne pense qu'à vous
Pour obtenir, madame, un galbe de cet ordre
Vous devez torturer les gens de votre entour
Donner aux couturiers bien du fil à retordre
Et vous devez crever votre dame d'atour
C'est le duc de Bordeaux qui s'en va, tête basse
Car il ressemble au mien comme deux gouttes d'eau
S'il ressemblait au vôtre, on dirait, quand il passe
"C'est un joli garçon que le duc de Bordeaux!"
Ne faites aucun cas des jaloux qui professent
Que vous avez placé votre orgueil un peu bas
Que vous présumez trop, en somme de vos fesses
Et surtout, par faveur, ne vous asseyez pas
Laissez-les raconter qu'en sortant de calèche
La brise a fait voler votre robe et qu'on vit
Ecrite dans un c?ur transpercé d'une flèche
Cette expression triviale, "A Julot pour la vie"
Laissez-les dire encor qu'à la cour d'Angleterre
Faisant la révérence aux souverains anglois
Vous êtes, patatras ! tombée assise à terre
La loi d'la pesanteur est dure, mais c'est la loi
Nul ne peut aujourd'hui trépasser sans voir Naples
A l'assaut des chefs-d'œuvre ils veulent tous courir
Mes ambitions à moi sont bien plus raisonnables
Voir votre académie, madame, et puis mourir
Que jamais l'art abstrait, qui sévit maintenant
N'enlève à vos attraits ce volume étonnant
Au temps où les faux culs sont la majorité
Gloire à celui qui dit toute la vérité
The song Vénus Callipyge by Georges Brassens is an ode to the beauty of a woman's backside, specifically praising the volume and grace of the subject's derriere. Brassens acknowledges that in a world where hypocrisy is prevalent, it is important to celebrate someone who tells the truth, and he is unabashed in his admiration for this woman's figure. He imagines himself as a poet who could write immortal verses about her remarkable attributes, and even says that when he loses a game of boules and has to kiss Fanny, he thinks only of her.
Brassens advises the woman that to achieve such a perfect posterior, she must be willing to sacrifice the comfort of those around her, torment the tailors with difficult clothing, and endure the weight of layers of clothing and accessories. He dismisses the criticism of jealous people who claim that she is too proud or too focused on her own posterior, and urges her not to sit down because it ruins the appearance of the shape. He even encourages her to ignore gossip about her embarrassing moments, like when her skirt flew up, or when she fell down in front of the Queen of England, saying that these insignificant incidents won't matter in the long run. The song ends with Brassens expressing his desire to see the woman's "académie" (a French term for art nudes) and dying content knowing that he had witnessed such beauty.
Overall, the song is a humorous, exaggerated, and charming tribute to the female body, with Brassens using his unique wit and wordplay to create a memorable and fun melody.
Line by Line Meaning
Que jamais l'art abstrait, qui sévit maintenant
N'enlève à vos attraits ce volume étonnant
May abstract art, which is rampant now, never take away from your striking figure
Au temps où les faux culs sont la majorité
Gloire à celui qui dit toute la vérité
At a time when fake people reign, praise to the one who speaks the truth
Votre dos perd son nom avec si bonne grâce
Qu'on ne peut s'empêcher de lui donner raison
Your back loses its identity with such good grace that it cannot help but earn admiration
Que ne suis-je, madame, un poète de race
Pour dire à sa louange un immortel blason
If only I were, madam, a poet of ability to sing an immortal ode to your beauty
En le voyant passer, j'en eus la chair de poule
Enfin, je vins au monde et, depuis, je lui voue
Un culte véritable et, quand je perds aux boules
En embrassant Fanny, je ne pense qu'à vous
Seeing your figure gives me goosebumps; since I came into this world, I've been deeply devoted to you. Even when I lose in games, I think only of you when I kiss Fanny
Pour obtenir, madame, un galbe de cet ordre
Vous devez torturer les gens de votre entour
Donner aux couturiers bien du fil à retordre
Et vous devez crever votre dame d'atour
To attain such a figure, madam, you must torture those around you, give dressmakers a hard time, and make your dressmaker work hard
C'est le duc de Bordeaux qui s'en va, tête basse
Car il ressemble au mien comme deux gouttes d'eau
S'il ressemblait au vôtre, on dirait, quand il passe
"C'est un joli garçon que le duc de Bordeaux!"
Duke of Bordeaux slinks away because he resembles mine so closely that one would say 'what a lovely boy' were he to look like yours
Ne faites aucun cas des jaloux qui professent
Que vous avez placé votre orgueil un peu bas
Que vous présumez trop, en somme de vos fesses
Et surtout, par faveur, ne vous asseyez pas
Ignore the jealous people who claim you value your pride a bit low and are presumptuous about your behind. And, by all means, do not sit down
Laissez-les raconter qu'en sortant de calèche
La brise a fait voler votre robe et qu'on vit
Ecrite dans un c?ur transpercé d'une flèche
Cette expression triviale, "A Julot pour la vie"
Let them tell the story of how the breeze blew your dress up as you got out of the carriage and wrote the trite phrase 'To Julot for Life' in a pierced heart
Laissez-les dire encor qu'à la cour d'Angleterre
Faisant la révérence aux souverains anglois
Vous êtes, patatras ! tombée assise à terre
La loi d'la pesanteur est dure, mais c'est la loi
Let them also say that at the court of England, while curtsying to the English monarchs, you fell and sat on the ground. The law of gravity is harsh, but it is the law
Nul ne peut aujourd'hui trépasser sans voir Naples
A l'assaut des chefs-d'œuvre ils veulent tous courir
Mes ambitions à moi sont bien plus raisonnables
Voir votre académie, madame, et puis mourir
No one can now pass away without seeing Naples; everyone wants to go see the masterpieces. But my ambitions are much more reasonable: to see your academy, madam, and then die
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GEORGES CHARLES BRASSENS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind