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.
Fils de...
Jacques Brel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ou fils d`apôtres
Tous les enfants
Sont comme les vôtres
Fils de César
Ou fils de rien
Tous les enfants
Sont comme le tien
Les mêmes larmes
Les mêmes alarmes
Les mêmes soupirs
Fils de César
Ou fils de rien
Tous les enfants
Sont comme le tien
Ce n`est qu`après
Longtemps après
Mais fils de sultan
Fils de fakir
Tous les enfants
Ont un empire
Sous voûtes d`or
Sous toits de chaumes
Tous les enfants
Ont un royaume
Un coin de vague
Une fleur qui tremble
Un oiseau mort
Qui leur ressemble
Fils de sultan
Fils de fakir
Tous les enfants
Ont un empire
Ce n`est qu`après
Longtemps après
Mais fils de bon fils
Ou fils d`étranger
Tous les enfants
Sont des sorciers
Fils de l`amour
Fils d`amourettes
Tous les enfants
Sont des poètes
Ils sont bergers
Ils sont rois mages
Font des nuages
Pour mieux voler
Mais fils de bon fils
Ou fils d`étranger
Tous les enfants
Sont des sorciers
Ce n`est qu`après
Longtemps après
Mais fils de bourgeois
Ou fils d`apôtres
Tous les enfants
Sont comme les vôtres
Fils de César
Ou fils de rien
Tous les enfants
Sont comme le tien
Le même sourire
Les mêmes larmes
Les mêmes alarmes
Les mêmes soupirs
Fils de César
Ou fils de rien
Tous les enfants
Sont comme le tien
In "Fils de...", Jacques Brel sings about the universal nature of childhood experiences and emotions, regardless of a child's social status or background. He acknowledges that all children, whether they are born to wealthy families or grow up in poverty, experience similar joys and pains, including the same smiles, tears, fears, and sighs. Brel argues that even if there may be significant differences in the material conditions in which they grow up, all children share a common humanity that transcends such differences.
In the second half of the song, Brel emphasizes that all children, regardless of their origins or circumstances, have an innate capacity for imagination and creativity. He portrays children as possessing an inner kingdom or empire, which they can access through their imagination, and where they can find solace and joy. Brel suggests that this imaginative world is an equalizer, where all children can find refuge and express themselves freely, without the constraints of class or social hierarchy.
In summary, "Fils de..." celebrates the universality of childhood experiences and the imaginative capacities of children. It is a song that urges listeners to recognize the shared humanity and creativity of all children, regardless of their social origins or circumstances.
Line by Line Meaning
Fils de bourgeois
Whether the child is born into a wealthy family or not, they are all the same.
Ou fils d`apôtres
It doesn't matter if the child belongs to a family of apostles or not, they all share the same value.
Tous les enfants
All children
Sont comme les vôtres
Are like your own
Fils de César
Whether the child is the son of a Roman emperor or not, they are all the same in the end.
Ou fils de rien
It doesn't matter if the child is born into poverty or not, they still have the same worth as any other.
Le même sourire
They all have the same smile
Les mêmes larmes
And the same tears
Les mêmes alarmes
They share the same fears
Les mêmes soupirs
And the same sighs
Fils de César
Whether the child is wealthy or not, their value cannot be measured by their social status in the society.
Ou fils de rien
Whether the child is born into poverty or not, every child is equal and deserves love and respect.
Tous les enfants
All children
Sont comme le tien
Are like your own child
Ce n`est qu`après
Only afterwards, looking back on life,
Longtemps après
After a long time
Mais fils de sultan
Even a child born into royalty, such as the son of a sultan,
Fils de fakir
Or the child of a beggar or a fakir,
Tous les enfants
All children
Ont un empire
Have their own little empire
Sous voûtes d`or
Under golden domes
Sous toits de chaumes
Or thatched roofs
Tous les enfants
All children, regardless of their social background, have their own small world to rule.
Ont un royaume
They have their own kingdom
Un coin de vague
A corner of the ocean
Une fleur qui tremble
A trembling flower
Un oiseau mort
Even a dead bird
Qui leur ressemble
That resembles them
Fils de sultan
Regardless of their social background or ethnicity, every child has their own imaginary world to play in.
Fils de fakir
Even the children of poor people, like fakirs, have their own fantasies and dreams to escape to.
Tous les enfants
All children
Ont un empire
Have their own little world
Ce n`est qu`après
Only afterwards, looking back on life,
Longtemps après
After a long time
Mais fils de bon fils
Whether the child is the son of a good man or a bad one,
Ou fils d`étranger
Or the child of a foreigner
Tous les enfants
All children
Sont des sorciers
Are little wizards
Fils de l`amour
Children born of love
Fils d`amourettes
Or children born from flings
Tous les enfants
All children have a spark of magic in them.
Sont des poètes
Are poets at heart
Ils sont bergers
They are shepherds
Ils sont rois mages
They are kings and magicians
Font des nuages
Who make clouds
Pour mieux voler
So they can fly higher
Mais fils de bon fils
Regardless of their social background or ethnicity, every child has a creative streak
Ou fils d`étranger
Even if they are from a different cultural background or country, they still have the same imagination as anyone else.
Tous les enfants
All children are little sorcerers and poets deep down.
Ce n`est qu`après
Only afterwards, looking back on life,
Longtemps après
After a long time
Mais fils de bourgeois
Regardless of their social background, every child is like yours
Ou fils d`apôtres
It doesn't matter whether they are born in a religious family or not, they are all equal
Tous les enfants
All children
Sont comme les vôtres
Are like your own
Fils de César
Whether they are born into an aristocratic family or not, all children are the same in the end.
Ou fils de rien
It doesn't matter where they come from, all children share the same humanity and deserve to be loved and respected.
Tous les enfants
All children
Sont comme le tien
Are like your own child
Le même sourire
They all have the same smile
Les mêmes larmes
And the same tears
Les mêmes alarmes
They share the same fears
Les mêmes soupirs
And the same sighs
Fils de César
It is not the social status that defines a child's worth, but who they are and what they can give back to the world.
Ou fils de rien
Every child is born with an innate value and deserves to be treated with respect and dignity, regardless of their social background.
Tous les enfants
All children, rich or poor, smart or not, are like your own.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ERIC BLAU, GERARD JOUANNEST, JACQUES ROMAN BREL, MORT SHUMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
l'herbe tendre
Fils de bourgeois ou fils d'apôtres
Tous les enfants sont comme les vôtres
Fils de César ou fils de rien
Tous les enfants sont comme le tien
Le même sourire
Les mêmes larmes
Les mêmes alarmes
Les mêmes soupirs
Fils de César ou fils de rien
Tous les enfants sont comme le tien
Ce n'est qu'après
Longtemps après
Mais fils de sultan, fils de fakir
Tous les enfants ont un empire
Sous voûtes d'or, sous toit de chaumes
Tous les enfants ont un royaume
Un coin de vague, une fleur qui tremble
Un oiseau mort qui leur ressemble
Fils de sultan, fils de fakir
Tous les enfants ont un empire
Ce n'est qu'après
Longtemps après
Mais fils de ton fils ou fils d'étranger
Tous les enfants sont des sorciers
Fils de l'amour ou fils d'amourettes
Tous les enfants sont des poètes
Ils sont bergers
Ils sont rois mages
Font des nuages
Pour mieux voler
Fils de ton fils ou fils d'étranger
Tous les enfants sont des sorciers
Ce n'est qu'après
Longtemps après
Mais fils de bourgeois ou fils d'apôtres
Tous les enfants sont comme les vôtres
Fils de César ou fils de rien
Tous les enfants sont comme le tien
Le même sourire
Les mêmes larmes
Les mêmes alarmes
Les mêmes soupirs
Fils de César ou fils de rien
Tous les enfants sont comme le tien
blanche nej
Chef d 'œuvre. Majestueux beauté de l âme et du cœur de ce grand Monsieur, chanteur, inegalable💚💛
christian derbuel
A faire écouter à tous ceux qui ont la haine de l'autre pour seule philosophie de vie.
Brel, toujours et encore Brel !
Un monument !Le plus grand des plus grands !
Yves T
Bravo pour votre commentaire ! D'accord à 200 % ! Chanson absolument superbe.
Yves T
Cette chanson absolument extraordinaire me prend aux tripes ! Littéralement ! Comme beaucoup de chansons de cet immense artiste, parti trop tôt comme tant d'autres. Ah, si seulement il n'avait jamais fumé !
Pierre Degré
Cette chanson peu connue est pour moi un chef d’œuvre…. 67 et pourtant toujours d’actualité en 2022 à faire écouter à tous les gens aigris sur notre civilisation nous sommes tous frères et sœurs …. Tous les enfants sont comme les nôtres Fils,de César ou fils de rien ☺️ Merci,Jacquot
World Citizen
Le plus bel hymne a la tolerance que j'ai jamais entendu.
The most beautiful anthem for tolerance I ever heard.
Kate
Like Russians by Sting - both are beautiful anthems for tolerance!
Jean Dumans
Trés belle chanson. Pas de frontière pour chanter humanité et égalité. Merci JACQUES BREL
light asmr
Je viens après l'audition d'une fille de The Voice Kids. Je ne connaissais pas cette chanson, belle découverte
ノ_ノ
C'est Lou hein?