Allwright traveled to France in the early 1950's and married Catherine Dasté. His son Christophe Allwright, is a French comedian.
In the early '60s, Allwright sang at a number of clubs in Paris, folk music that was very big in the 60s. He wrote his own music, and created the French language versions of many songs by US and Canadian artists like Tom Paxton ("Sacrée Bouteille" "Qu'as tu appris à l'école?"), Leonard Cohen ("Suzanne") and Pete Seeger ("Jusqu' à la ceinture").
His earlier music focused more on social protest songs. As he matured as an artist, his songs became more personal, and his choice in material included more funny songs, songs with a mystical bent ("Garder le Souvenir", "Lumière"), and songs about the complexities of relationships ("No Man's Land"). Some of his songs are in English, but the vast majority are in French.
He has travelled extensively, to the Himalayas, Réunion Island, and Madascar, among other places. He was strongly influenced by the Indian master and teacher Sri Aurobino, which is reflected in the mystical qualities of some of his songs.
In 2005, he wrote new lyrics for the French National Anthem, "La Marseillaise".
Buddies First Of All
Graeme Allwright Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Les copains d'abord)
Our boat was not a royal barge
For Cleopatra or King George,
It must be said in each port-of-call
In each port-of-call:
Our raft sailed gently in the breeze
A ship named "buddies first of all,"
"Buddies first of all."
Its motto: "Wave-tossed but unsunk"
Was true, and not a load of bunk,
Whatever evil tongues let fall
Evil tongues let fall.
Among the captain and the crew
There were no bad guys, just friends who
Agreed that shipmates must be called
"Buddies first of all."
We were not kids with silver spoons
Not heavenly twins who want the moon
Just normal children having a ball
Children having a ball.
We were not friends in poetry-books,
Sometimes we slung a few right-hooks;
None of our punches hurt at all
"Buddies first of all."
We were no angels, just kids who
Had never read our Bible through
But got the message one and all
Message one and all.
John, Peter, Paul and company
We only knew one litany:
It was our creed, our hymn, our call
"Buddies first of all."
If one friend hit a stormy patch
The good companions took the watch
And steered a course to make land fall
Course to make landfall.
If any one was in distress,
Or if he sent an S.O.S.
No-one ignored the signal call
Buddies First of all.
When some of us were meeting up
We never stood each other up.
If one was overboard when called,
He had died - that's all.
And in the sea of Tinie that flows
We never let the waters close
Upon his memory - most of all
He is missed by all.
Although I've salled in lots of boats
There's only one that stayed afloat
And held its course amid the squalls
Course amid the squalls.
It salled so gently in the breeze
Round the big duck-pond, past the trees,
A ship named "Buddies First of all",
"Buddies First of all".
Georges Brassens "Les copains d'abord".
Adapt. Graeme Allwright.
Traduction: Andrew Kelly
“Buddies First of All” is a song originally titled “Les copains d'abord,” written and composed by Georges Brassens in 1964, and adapted by Graeme Allwright in English in 1966. The song is a tribute to the camaraderie among friends who stick together through thick and thin, with the metaphor of a boat sailing on a “big duck pond” representing their bond. The lyrics express the idea that being friends is more important than anything else, even material possessions or differences in background or personality.
The opening lines of the song set the tone for the rest of the lyrics, emphasizing the simplicity and humility of the boat that represents the friendship among the crew. The ship’s motto, “Wave-tossed but unsunk,” serves as a metaphor for the resilience and perseverance of the friends who face challenges but never give up on each other. The second verse describes the friends as ordinary children instead of “heavenly twins who want the moon,” highlighting their modesty and the fact that they do not take themselves too seriously.
The third verse mentions the names of John, Peter, and Paul, alluding to the New Testament and the idea that true friendship transcends religious or cultural differences. The last verse brings the song full circle by reiterating the bond among the friends, even if some of them have passed on or are geographically separated, and how they continue to hold each other in memory.
Overall, “Buddies First of All” celebrates the enduring nature of friendship as a source of comfort, joy, and support in life, even in times of hardship and adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
Buddies first of all
In our group, friendship always came first
Our boat was not a royal barge For Cleopatra or King George, It must be said in each port-of-call In each port-of-call:
Our raft was just a simple vessel, not meant for royalty, but it was welcome in any port we visited.
Our raft sailed gently in the breeze Round the big duck-pond, past the trees, A ship named "buddies first of all," "Buddies first of all."
Our raft sailed peacefully around the pond with our friends, and we named it "Buddies First of All".
Its motto: "Wave-tossed but unsunk" Was true, and not a load of bunk, Whatever evil tongues let fall Evil tongues let fall.
Our motto, "Wave-tossed but unsunk", proved true, no matter what rumors others may have spread.
Among the captain and the crew There were no bad guys, just friends who Agreed that shipmates must be called "Buddies first of all."
Everyone on board was a friend, and we all believed that friendship should always come first.
We were not kids with silver spoons Not heavenly twins who want the moon Just normal children having a ball Children having a ball.
We were just regular kids having fun, not rich or spoiled or demanding the impossible.
We were not friends in poetry-books, Sometimes we slung a few right-hooks; None of our punches hurt at all "Buddies first of all."
We weren't overly poetic or sentimental friends; we were just normal friends who occasionally fought without causing lasting harm.
We were no angels, just kids who Had never read our Bible through But got the message one and all Message one and all.
We weren't perfect kids, but we all understood the importance of treating each other like true friends.
John, Peter, Paul and company We only knew one litany: It was our creed, our hymn, our call "Buddies first of all."
We didn't need a lot of rules or rituals; we just lived by the simple creed of putting friendship first.
If one friend hit a stormy patch The good companions took the watch And steered a course to make land fall Course to make landfall.
If one of us was going through a tough time, the rest of us would step up and help guide them safely to shore.
If any one was in distress, Or if he sent an S.O.S. No-one ignored the signal call Buddies First of all.
If anyone needed help, we all answered the call without hesitation, putting our friendship first.
When some of us were meeting up We never stood each other up. If one was overboard when called, He had died - that's all.
We never bailed on each other, and if someone couldn't make it, we accepted that they were gone for good.
And in the sea of Tinie that flows We never let the waters close Upon his memory - most of all He is missed by all.
We never forget our friends, even if they're no longer with us, and we always remember them fondly.
Although I've salled in lots of boats There's only one that stayed afloat And held its course amid the squalls Course amid the squalls.
Even though I've experienced many friendships in my life, the one that stood the test of time was the one where buddies always came first.
Georges Brassens "Les copains d'abord". Adapt. Graeme Allwright. Traduction: Andrew Kelly
This song is an adaptation of Georges Brassens' "Les copains d'abord", and the English translation was done by Andrew Kelly.
Contributed by David P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
michel morissette
Very good and Happy birthday Dan ! Michel
Daniel Guilloton
Merci Michel !