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.
Dites
Jacques Brel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
S'il était né vraiment à Bethléem, dans une étable
Dites, si c'était vrai
Si les rois Mages étaient vraiment venus de loin, de fort loin
Pour lui porter l'or, la myrrhe, l'encens
Dites, si c'était vrai
Si c'était vrai tout ce qu'ils ont écrit Luc, Matthieu
Et les deux autres,
Si c'était vrai le coup des Noces de Cana
Et le coup de Lazare
Dites, si c'était vrai
Si c'était vrai ce qu'ils racontent les petits enfants
Le soir avant d'aller dormir
Vous savez bien, quand ils disent Notre Père, quand ils disent Notre Mère
Si c'était vrai tout cela
Je dirais oui
Oh, sûrement je dirais oui
Parce que c'est tellement beau tout cela
Quand on croit que c'est vrai.
The song "Dites" by Jacques Brel revolves around the questioning and contemplation of whether the story of Jesus and his birth, as well as other biblical events, are true. The singer asks if it is true that Jesus was truly born in a stable in Bethlehem and if the Three Wise Men came from far away to bring him gifts. The singer also questions if the miracles mentioned in the Bible, such as the wedding at Cana where Jesus turned water into wine and the resurrection of Lazarus, are factual.
The singer then poses the question, "If it was all true, would you believe?" The singer admits that they would say yes, because it is such a beautiful story to believe in. This song is not meant to discredit religion or spirituality but shines a light on the power belief has on people. Even if people may have doubts about the validity of certain events or stories, the beauty of the story is enough to make them see the world in a new light once they believe in it.
Line by Line Meaning
Dites, dites, si c'était vrai
Tell me, tell me, if it was true
S'il était né vraiment à Bethléem, dans une étable
If he was really born in Bethlehem, in a stable
Dites, si c'était vrai
Tell me, if it was true
Si les rois Mages étaient vraiment venus de loin, de fort loin
If the Wise Men really came from far, far away
Pour lui porter l'or, la myrrhe, l'encens
To bring him gold, myrrh, and frankincense
Dites, si c'était vrai
Tell me, if it was true
Si c'était vrai tout ce qu'ils ont écrit Luc, Matthieu
If everything written by Luke, Matthew was true
Et les deux autres,
And the other two,
Dites, si c'était vrai
Tell me, if it was true
Si c'était vrai le coup des Noces de Cana
If the story of the Wedding Feast at Cana was true
Et le coup de Lazare
And the story of Lazarus
Dites, si c'était vrai
Tell me, if it was true
Si c'était vrai ce qu'ils racontent les petits enfants
If what children are told is true
Le soir avant d'aller dormir
At night before going to sleep
Vous savez bien, quand ils disent Notre Père, quand ils disent Notre Mère
You know, when they say Our Father, when they say Our Mother
Si c'était vrai tout cela
If all of that was true
Je dirais oui
I would say yes
Oh, sûrement je dirais oui
Oh, surely I would say yes
Parce que c'est tellement beau tout cela
Because it's all so beautiful
Quand on croit que c'est vrai.
When one believes it's true.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Marie-Claude Simoneau
Magnifique!
SYLVIE Sylvie
🙏💞🌟🕊 À nos Étoiles ✨
Murielle David
Super poème personne ne peux l egaler
Jean Dumans
Cette recherche sans cesse de ces interrogations sur la FOI, ce désir immense de recherche de la vérité, et puis MONSIEUR BREL laisse la place à ces nombreuses questions de Ĺ'INCONNU.
Now Opening
Oui c'est vrai. Jésus est venu par amour pour nous et a donné sa vie pour nous sur la croix. " Car Dieu a tant aimé le monde, qu'il a donné son fils unique Jésus-Christ, afin que quiconque croît en lui ne périsse point mais qu'il ait la vie éternelle " Jean 3:16 ( lisez la Bible pour découvrir ces magnifiques versets). Ainsi Dieu ne souhaite pas nous enfermer dans une religion mais développer avec nous une relation au travers de son fils Jésus. N'hésitez pas à lui demander qu'il se révèle en vous, lui notre Sauveur et Seigneur au travers d'une prière sincère. Il vous répondra car son désir 1er est de se révéler en vous et de vous donner un avenir et de l'espérance !
gerard fournier
Si !
Nd3.0 Vv
Gay