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.
Comment tuer l'amant de sa femme quand on a été élevé comme moi dans la tradition
Jacques Brel Lyrics
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Quand on a été, comme moi
Élevé dans les traditions
Comment tuer l’amant d’sa femme
Quand on a été, comme moi
Élevé dans la religion
Il me faudrait du temps
Pour elle, je travaille tout l’temps
La nuit, je veille de nuit
Le jour, je veille de jour
Le dimanche, je fais des extras
Et même si j’étais moins lâche
Je trouve que ce s’rait dommage
De salir ma réputation
Bien sûr, je dors dans le garage
Bien sûr, ils dorment dans mon lit
Bien sûr, c’est moi qui fais l’ménage
Mais qui n’a pas ses p’tits soucis
Comment tuer l’amant d’sa femme
Quand on a été comme moi
Élevé dans les traditions
Y a l’arsenic, oui, mais c’est trop long
Y a l’revolver, mais c’est trop court
Y a l’amitié, mais c’est trop cher
Y a le mépris, c’est un péché
Comment tuer l’amant d’sa femme
Quand on a reçu, comme moi
La croix d’honneur chez les bonnes sœurs
Comment tuer l’amant d’sa femme
Moi qui n’ose même pas
Le lui dire avec des fleurs
Comme je n’ai pas l’courage
De l’insulter tout le temps
Il dit que l’amour me rend lâche
Comme il est en chômage
Il dit, en me frappant
Qu’l’amour le rend imprévoyant
S’il croit que c’est amusant
Pour un homme qui a mon âge
Qui n’a plus d’femme et onze enfants
Bien sûr, je leur fais la cuisine
Je bats les chiens et les tapis
Le soir, je leur chante “Nuits de Chine”
Mais qui n’a pas ses p’tits soucis
Pourquoi tuer l’amant d’sa femme
Puisque c’est à cause de moi
Qu’il est un peu vérolé
Pourquoi tuer l’amant d’ma femme
Puisque c’est à cause de moi
Qu’il est pénicilliné
In Jacques Brel's song "Comment Tuer L'Amant De Sa Femme Quand On A Eté Elevé Comme Moi Dans La Tradition?", he laments about the predicament of being a man who was brought up in the traditions and religion where one is taught not to kill, but finds himself wanting to kill his wife's lover. He discusses various methods of killing, such as arsenic or a revolver, but finds that it is too long or too short, respectively. He also considers the option of ending the affair by insulting his wife's lover continuously, but he doesn't want to tarnish his reputation. He is also conflicted about why he should even kill the lover since it's because of him that the lover is receiving treatment for venereal disease.
The song's title translates to "How to Kill One's Wife's Lover When One Has Grown Up Like Me in Tradition?" which sets the tone for the lyrics. The song is filled with irony as Brel sings about his inability to kill his wife's lover despite feeling the need to do so. He painted a picture of a man who is a victim of society's expectations and his own principles, and is trapped between them. He ends the song by questioning why he should kill his wife's lover, seeing that he is the reason the lover is receiving treatment for venereal disease.
Line by Line Meaning
Comment tuer l'amant de sa femme
How to kill your wife's lover
Quand on a été comme moi élevé
When you've been brought up like me
Dans les traditions?
In certain old-fashioned customs?
Il me faudrait du temps
It takes time
Et du temps j'en ai pas.
And I don't have any.
Pour elle je travaille tout l'temps
I work all the time for her
La nuit je veille de nuit
At night, I stay awake
Le jour je veille de jour
During the day, I stay alert
Le dimanche je fais des extras.
On Sunday, I take on extra work.
Et même si j'étais moins lâche
And even if I were less cowardly
Je trouve que ce serait dommage
I think it would be a shame
De salir ma réputation.
To tarnish my reputation.
Bien sûr je dors dans le garage.
Of course, I sleep in the garage.
Bien sûr il dort dans mon lit.
And yes, he sleeps in my bed.
Bien sûr c'est moi qui fait l'ménage.
And of course, I do the cleaning.
Mais qui n'a pas ses p'tits soucis?
But who doesn't have their little problems?
Il y a l'arsenic, ouais
There's arsenic, yeah
C'est trop long.
It takes too long.
Il y a le revolver
There's a revolver
Mais c'est trop court.
But it's too quick.
Il y a l'amitié
There's friendship
C'est trop cher.
It's too expensive.
Il y a le mépris
There's contempt
C'est un péché.
But it's a sin.
Comment tuer l'amant d'sa femme
How to kill your wife's lover
Quand on a reçu comme moi
When you've received, like me
La croix d'honneur
The Medal of Honor
Chez les bonnes sœurs?
From the good Sisters?
Comment tuer l'amant d'sa femme
How to kill your wife's lover
Moi qui n'ose même pas
Me, who doesn't even dare
Le lui dire avec des fleurs?
To tell him with flowers?
Comme je n'ai pas l'courage
Because I don't have the courage
De l'insulter tout l'temps
To insult him all the time
Il dit que l'amour me rend lâche.
He says love makes me weak.
Comme il est en chômage
Since he's unemployed
Il dit en me frappant
He says while hitting me
Que l'amour le rend imprévoyant.
That love makes him imprudent.
Il croit que c'est amusant
He thinks it's funny
Pour un homme qui a mon âge
For a man my age
Qui n'a plus de femme et onze enfants.
Who no longer has a wife and eleven children.
Bien sûr je leur fais la cuisine
Of course, I cook for them
Je bats les chiens et les tapis
I beat the dogs and the rugs
Le soir je leur chante "Nuit de Chine".
At night, I sing them "Chinese Night".
Mais qui n'a pas ses p'tits soucis?
But who doesn't have their little problems?
Pourquoi tuer l'amant d'sa femme
Why kill your wife's lover
Puisque c'est à cause de moi
Since it's because of me
Qu'il est un peu vérolé?
That he's a bit infected?
Pourquoi tuer l'amant d'ma femme
Why kill my wife's lover
Puisque c'est à cause de moi
Since it's because of me
Qu'il est pénicilliné?
That he's taking penicillin?
Lyrics © WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC FRANCE
Written by: Gerard JOUANNEST, Jacques BREL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mary M. Brandes
on La Valse à Mille Temps
I love Jacques Brel songs.