Jacques Brel (8 April 1929 – 9 October 1978) was a Belgian singer and songw… Read Full Bio ↴Jacques Brel (8 April 1929 – 9 October 1978) was a Belgian singer and songwriter who composed and performed literate, thoughtful, and theatrical songs that generated a large, devoted following in Belgium and France initially, and later throughout the world. He was widely considered a master of the modern chanson. Although he recorded most of his songs in French, he became a major influence on English-speaking songwriters and performers such as David Bowie, Alex Harvey, Leonard Cohen, Marc Almond and Rod McKuen. English translations of his songs were recorded by many top performers in the United States, including Ray Charles, Judy Collins, John Denver, the Kingston Trio, Nina Simone, Frank Sinatra, Scott Walker, and Andy Williams. In French-speaking countries, Brel was also a successful actor, appearing in ten films. He also directed two films, one of which, Le Far West, was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1973. Jacques Brel has sold over 25 million records worldwide, and is the third best-selling Belgian recording artist of all time.

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.

Casse pompon
Jacques Brel Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Mon ami est un type énorme, il aime la trompette et le clairon
Tout en préférant le clairon qu'est une trompette en uniforme
Mon ami est une valeur sûre qui dit souvent, sans prétention
Qu'à la minceur des épluchures, on voit la grandeur des nations

Subséquemment, subséquemment
Subséquemment que j'comprends pas
Pourquoi souvent, ses compagnons

L'appellent, l'appellent caporal casse-pompon

Mon ami est un doux poète, dans son jardin, quand vient l'été
Faut le voir planter ses mitraillettes
Ou bien creuser ses petites tranchées
Mon ami est homme plein d'humour
C’est lui, c’est lui qui a trouvé ce bon mot
Que je vous raconte à mon tour
"Ich slaffen at si auuz wihr prellen zie"

Subséquemment, subséquemment
Subséquemment que j'comprends pas
Pourquoi souvent, ses compagnons
L'appellent, l'appellent caporal casse-pompon

Mon ami est un doux rêveur, pour lui Paris, c'est une caserne
Et Berlin, un petit champ de fleurs qui va de Moscou à l'Auvergne
Son rêve, revoir Paris au printemps, redéfiler à la tête de son groupe
En chantant comme tous les vingt-cinq ans
"Baisse ta gaine Gretchen que je baise ta croupe (ein, zwei)"

Subséquemment, subséquemment
Subséquemment que nous ne comprenons

Comment nos amis les Franzosen
Ils osent, ils osent l'appeler caporal casse-pompon (ein, zwei).

Overall Meaning

The song "Casse pompon" by Jacques Brel is a satirical commentary on the military culture of France. The singer describes his friend, who is a military man, as someone who is devoted to his trumpet and bugle but prefers the latter as it is associated with the military. The friend is described as a reliable person who often says that the greatness of nations can be measured by the value they place on even the smallest things, like peels of vegetables. The singer expresses confusion as to why his friend is often called "caporal casse-pompon" by his companions, suggesting that the title is a mocking term for someone who takes military life too seriously.

The second verse describes the friend as a gentle poet who is fond of tending to his garden during the summer. However, his hobbies seem to be at odds with his profession as he is described as being enthusiastic about planting his "machine guns" and digging "little trenches". The friend is said to have coined the phrase "Ich slaffen at si auuz wihr prellen zie" (German for "I sleep with my eyes open to bounce them off") which is a humorous phrase that further highlights the absurdity of war.

Lastly, the friend is depicted as a dreamer who longs to return to Paris in the spring and lead his group in a traditional military parade, singing a raunchy song that hasn't been performed in 25 years. The singer expresses further confusion at how the French people can mockingly refer to his friend as "caporal casse-pompon" despite his gentle nature and dreams of being a part of a grand tradition. The song ultimately questions the glorification of military culture and highlights the absurdity of war.

Line by Line Meaning

Mon ami est un type énorme, il aime la trompette et le clairon
My friend is a huge guy, he likes trumpet and bugle, although he prefers the bugle since it is a trumpet in uniform

Tout en préférant le clairon qu'est une trompette en uniforme
He prefers the bugle since it looks like a uniformed trumpet

Mon ami est une valeur sûre qui dit souvent, sans prétention
My friend is a reliable person who often says, without any arrogance,

Qu'à la minceur des épluchures, on voit la grandeur des nations
that the greatness of nations can be seen in the meagerness of their peels

Subséquemment, subséquemment
Consequently, consequently

Subséquemment que j'comprends pas
Consequently, I don't understand

Pourquoi souvent, ses compagnons
Why do his companions often

L'appellent, l'appellent caporal casse-pompon
call him, call him Corporal Break-Knob

Mon ami est un doux poète, dans son jardin, quand vient l'été
My friend is a gentle poet, in his garden, when summer comes

Faut le voir planter ses mitraillettes
You have to see him planting his machine guns

Ou bien creuser ses petites tranchées
Or digging his small trenches

Mon ami est homme plein d'humour
My friend is a man full of humor

C’est lui, c’est lui qui a trouvé ce bon mot
He's the one who came up with this good joke

Que je vous raconte à mon tour
That I will tell you in turn

"Ich slaffen at si auuz wihr prellen zie"
"I sleep with my ears closed, please don't jump on me"

Subséquemment, subséquemment
Consequently, consequently

Subséquemment que j'comprends pas
Consequently, I don't understand

Pourquoi souvent, ses compagnons
Why do his companions often

L'appellent, l'appellent caporal casse-pompon
call him, call him Corporal Break-Knob

Mon ami est un doux rêveur, pour lui Paris, c'est une caserne
My friend is a gentle dreamer, for him Paris is a barracks

Et Berlin, un petit champ de fleurs qui va de Moscou à l'Auvergne
And Berlin, a small field of flowers that extends from Moscow to Auvergne

Son rêve, revoir Paris au printemps, redéfiler à la tête de son groupe
His dream is to see Paris again in the spring, and to march at the head of his group

En chantant comme tous les vingt-cinq ans
Singing like every twenty-five years

"Baisse ta gaine Gretchen que je baise ta croupe (ein, zwei)"
"Lower your skirt, Gretchen, so I can kiss your butt (one, two)"

Subséquemment, subséquemment que nous ne comprenons
Consequently, consequently, that we don't understand

Comment nos amis les Franzosen
How our French friends

Ils osent, ils osent l'appeler caporal casse-pompon (ein, zwei).
dare to call him Corporal Break-Knob (one, two).

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Bruno Dangrezat

8y↑12

Jacques Brel 1966 : le caporal casse pompom

Mon ami est un type énorme
Il aime la trompette et le clairon
Tout en préférant le clairon
Qu'est une trompette en uniforme,
Mon ami est une valeur sûre
Qui dit souvent sans prétention
Qu'à la minceur des épluchures
On voit la grandeur des nations

Subséquemment... subséquemment...
Subséquemment que j' comprends pas
Pourquoi souvent ses compagnons
L'appellent, l'appellent
Caporal casse-pompon

Mon ami est un doux poète
Dans son jardin, quand vient l'été
Faut le voir planter ses mitraillettes
Ou bien creuser ses petites tranchées
Mon ami est homme plein d'humour,
C'est lui, c'est lui qu'a trouvé ce bon mot
Que je vous raconte à mon tour,
Ich slaffen at si auuz wihr prellen so

Subséquemment... subséquemment...
Subséquemment que j' comprends pas
Pourquoi souvent ses compagnons
L'appellent, l'appellent
Caporal casse-pompon

Mon ami est un doux rêveur
Pour lui Paris c'est une caserne
Et Berlin un petit champ de fleurs
Qui va de Moscou à l'Auvergne,
Son rêve revoir Paris au printemps
Re défiler en tête de son groupe,
En chantant comme tous les vingt-cinq ans
Baisse ta gaine Gretchen que je baise ta croupe (ein zwei)

Subséquemment... subséquemment...
Subséquemment que nous ne comprenons
Comment nos amis les Franzosen
Ils ozen, ils ozen l'appeler
Caporal casse-pompon (ein zwei) !

All comments from YouTube:

Bruno Dangrezat

8y↑12

Cadavre Exquis

7y↑1

super taf ! et merci d'ailleurs !

Cependant (oui, y'a un "mais") au 1er paragraphe, 6ème ligne, ce n'est pas "qui" mais " 'y" (l'abréviation du pronom "il") -> " Y dit souvent sans prétention".