Brel was born on 8th April 1929 in Schaarbeek, a district of Brussels, and lived half of his life in Paris. He died of lung cancer on 9th October 1978 in Bobigny in the suburbs of Paris, and is buried in the Marquesas Islands.
Although the Brels spoke French, they were of Flemish descent, with some of the family originating from Zandvoorde, near Ieper. Brel's father was co-owner of a cardboard factory and Brel started his professional life at that firm, apparently destined to follow in his father's footsteps. However he had no interest in it, showing instead an interest in the arts, having joined the Catholic-humanist youth organisation Franche Cordée, where he did some singing and acting. At Franche Cordée he met Thérèse Michielsen ('Miche'), and they married in 1950.
In the early 1950s Brel achieved some minor success in Belgium, singing his own songs. A 78rpm record ("La foire"/"Il y a") was released as a result. From 1954 Brel seriously pursued a singing career. He quit his job and moved to Paris, writing music and singing in the city's cabarets and music-halls.. In January 1955 he supported in the Ancienne Belgique in Brussels the performances of the Belgian pop and variety pioneer Bobbejaan Schoepen. After some success his wife and daughters joined him from Belgium. By 1956 he was touring Europe and he recorded the song "Quand on n'a que l'amour", which brought him his first major recognition. He appeared in a show with Maurice Chevalier and Michel Legrand.
By the end of the 1950s Miche and Brel's three daughters moved to Brussels. He and his family led separate lives from then on. Under the influence of his friend Georges Pasquier ('Jojo') and pianists Gérard Jouannest and François Rauber, Brel's style changed. He was no longer a Catholic-humanist troubadour, but sang grimmer songs about love, death, and the struggle that is life. The music became more complex and his themes more diverse, exploring love ("Je t'aime", "Litanies pour un retour"), society ("Les singes", "Les bourgeois", "Jaurès") and spiritual concerns ("Le bon Dieu", "Dites, si c'était vrai", "Fernand"). His work is not limited to one style. He was as proficient in comic compositions ("Le lion", "Comment tuer l'amant de sa femme...") as in more emotional ones ("Voir un ami pleurer", "Fils de...", "Jojo"). He composed and recorded his songs almost exclusively in French, and is widely recognised in French-speaking countries as one of the best French-language composers of all time.
Brel himself occasionally included parts of his songs in Flemish (Dutch), one of the three official languages of Belgium, as in Marieke. He also recorded eight other Flemish versions of songs, such as Mijn vlakke land (Le plat Pays), Laat Me Niet Alleen (Ne me quitte pas), Rosa, De Burgerij (Les Bourgeois), and De Nuttelozen van de Nacht (Les paumés du petit matin). Since his own command of the language was poor, these were translated by Ernst van Altena, renowned translator of French song. Although France was Brel's "spiritual home" and he expressed contradictory statements about his native Belgium, some of his best compositions pay tribute to Belgium.
A very successful theatrical review of his songs, "Jacques Brel is Alive and Living in Paris," was launched in 1968. It featured English translations of his songs, and it was late made into a film.
To English-speaking listeners, Brel's best-known song is probably "Seasons in the Sun," a hit for Terry Jacks in 1973. Its English lyrics are a translation by Rod McKuen of Brel's "Le Moribond."
For twenty years he was a major star gaining recognition beyond French audiences. In 1973 he retreated to French Polynesia, remaining there until 1977 when he returned to Paris and recorded his well-received final album.
A heavy smoker, it was discovered in 1973 that Brel had lung cancer. He died in 1978 and was buried in Calvary Cemetery in Atuona, Hiva Oa, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia only a few yards away from painter Paul Gauguin.
Avec Élégance
Jacques Brel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mais au temps de la décadence
Gratter sa mémoire à deux mains
Ne plus parler qu'à son silence et
Ne plus vouloir se faire aimer
Pour cause de trop peu d'importance
Être désespéré
Mais avec élégance
Sentir la pente plus glissante
Qu'au temps où le corps était mince
Lire dans les yeux des ravissantes
Que cinquante ans c'est la province et
Brûler sa jeunesse mourante
Mais faire celui qui s'en dispense
Être désespéré
Mais avec élégance
Sortir pour traverser des bars
Où l'on est chaque fois le plus vieux
Y éclabousser de pourboires
Quelques barmans silencieux et
Grignoter des banalités
Avec des vieilles en puissance
Être désespéré
Mais avec élégance
Savoir qu'on a toujours eu peur
Savoir son poids de lâcheté
Pouvoir se passer de bonheur
Savoir ne plus se pardonner et
N'avoir plus grand chose à rêver
Mais écouter son cœur qui danse
Être désespéré
Mais avec espérance
The song "Avec Élégance" by Jacques Brel is a melancholic yet elegant reflection on aging and the existential crisis that comes with it. The lyrics describe the feeling of being somewhat Roman, but in a time of decadence, where one must dig deep into their memories and speak only to their own silence. The song speaks to the feeling of no longer wanting to be loved, but not because you're too aloof or complicated, but because you simply don't think you matter enough anymore. It's a song about despair, but with a touch of grace and poise.
The verses continue with reflections on the physical and mental changes that come with age. The singer talks about feeling the slope getting steeper, and no longer being the young person among the ravishing crowd. There is a sense of resigned acceptance that comes through the lyrics, and while it may be painful to observe, the singer is determined to maintain his dignity and make the most of what remains of his life. He recognizes his fears and weaknesses but is willing to embrace the heart that still dances within him.
Overall, "Avec Élégance" is a deeply introspective and philosophical song that speaks to the experience of many or most individuals as they grow older. It is a thoughtful meditation on mortality, resilience, and one's journey through life, and Jacques Brel's poignant delivery and beautiful music only heighten its impact and relevance.
Line by Line Meaning
Se sentir quelque peu romain
To feel somewhat like a Roman
Mais au temps de la décadence
But in a time of decline
Gratter sa mémoire à deux mains
To scratch one's memory with both hands
Ne plus parler qu'à son silence et
To no longer speak except to one's own silence
Ne plus vouloir se faire aimer
To no longer want to be loved
Pour cause de trop peu d'importance
Due to too little significance
Être désespéré
To be desperate
Mais avec élégance
But with elegance
Sentir la pente plus glissante
To feel the slope becoming more slippery
Qu'au temps où le corps était mince
Than in the time when the body was thin
Lire dans les yeux des ravissantes
To read in the eyes of the beautiful
Que cinquante ans c'est la province et
That fifty years is the countryside
Brûler sa jeunesse mourante
To burn one's dying youth
Mais faire celui qui s'en dispense
But to act like one who abstains
Être désespéré
To be desperate
Mais avec élégance
But with elegance
Sortir pour traverser des bars
To go out to cross bars
Où l'on est chaque fois le plus vieux
Where one is always the oldest
Y éclabousser de pourboires
To splash tips around
Quelques barmans silencieux et
Some silent bartenders
Grignoter des banalités
To nibble on banalities
Avec des vieilles en puissance
With potential old ladies
Être désespéré
To be desperate
Mais avec élégance
But with elegance
Savoir qu'on a toujours eu peur
To know that one has always been afraid
Savoir son poids de lâcheté
To know one's weight of cowardice
Pouvoir se passer de bonheur
To be able to do without happiness
Savoir ne plus se pardonner et
To know no longer forgive oneself and
N'avoir plus grand chose à rêver
To have nothing left to dream of
Mais écouter son cœur qui danse
But to listen to one's heart dancing
Être désespéré
To be desperate
Mais avec espérance
But with hope
Lyrics © WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC FRANCE
Written by: Jacques Brel, Francois Rauber
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mary M. Brandes
on La Valse à Mille Temps
I love Jacques Brel songs.