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.

Grand Jacques (C'est Trop Fa..
Jacques Brel Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

C'est trop facile d'entrer aux églises
De déverser toutes sa saleté
Face au curé qui dans la lumière grise
Ferme les yeux pour mieux nous pardonner

Tais-toi donc Grand Jacques
Que connais-tu du bon Dieu?
Un cantique une image

Tu n'en connais rien de mieux

C'est trop facile quand les guerres sont finies
D'aller gueuler que c'était la dernière
Amis bourgeois vous me faites envie
Vous ne voyez donc point vos cimetières

Tais-toi donc Grand Jacques
Laisse-les donc crier
Laisse-les pleurer de joie
Toi qui ne fus même pas soldat

C'est trop facile quand un amour se meurt
Qu'il craque en deux parce qu'on l'a trop plié
D'aller pleurer comme les hommes pleurent
Comme si l'amour durait l'éternité

Tais-toi donc Grand Jacques
Que connais-tu de l'amour?
Des yeux bleus des cheveux fous
Tu n'en connais rien du tout

Et dis-toi donc Grand Jacques
Dis-le-toi bien souvent
C’est trop facile
C’est trop facile
De faire semblant

Et dis-toi donc Grand Jacques
Dis-le-toi bien souvent
C’est trop facile

C’est trop facile
De faire semblant

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Grand Jacques by Jacques Brel criticize the ease with which people can do certain things, such as entering churches and confessing their sins to a priest who absolves them, without actually taking any real responsibility for their actions. Brel also takes issue with people who claim to want peace after a war but do nothing to prevent another one. The song then moves on to address the way people mourn the end of a relationship, pretending that their love will last forever when really, it was fleeting and weak.

Brel urges the titular "Grand Jacques" character to be quiet, as he doesn't know anything about God, love or war. The criticism is sharp and harsh, but ultimately points out the flaws in the human condition and how some people are content to merely put on a show rather than take real action.

The song is a powerful commentary on the ease with which people can avoid taking responsibility for their actions and how society can be content to put on a façade rather than dealing with real issues head-on.

Line by Line Meaning

C'est trop facile d'entrer aux églises De déverser toutes sa saleté Face au curé qui dans la lumière grise Ferme les yeux pour mieux nous pardonner
It's too easy to enter churches and pour out all our filth in front of the priest who, in a dim light, closes his eyes to forgive us better.

Tais-toi donc Grand Jacques Que connais-tu du bon Dieu? Un cantique une image Tu n'en connais rien de mieux
So be quiet, Grand Jacques, what do you know about God? A hymn or an image, you know nothing better.

C'est trop facile quand les guerres sont finies D'aller gueuler que c'était la dernière Amis bourgeois vous me faites envie Vous ne voyez donc point vos cimetières
It's too easy when wars are over to shout that it's the last one. You bourgeois friends make me envious, can't you see your cemeteries?

Tais-toi donc Grand Jacques Laisse-les donc crier Laisse-les pleurer de joie Toi qui ne fus même pas soldat
So be quiet, Grand Jacques, let them shout, let them cry with joy. You who weren't even a soldier.

C'est trop facile quand un amour se meurt Qu'il craque en deux parce qu'on l'a trop plié D'aller pleurer comme les hommes pleurent Comme si l'amour durait l'éternité
It's too easy when love dies and breaks in two because it was bent too much to cry like men do, as if love lasted for eternity.

Tais-toi donc Grand Jacques Que connais-tu de l'amour? Des yeux bleus des cheveux fous Tu n'en connais rien du tout
So be quiet, Grand Jacques, what do you know about love? Blue eyes, crazy hair, you know nothing at all.

Et dis-toi donc Grand Jacques Dis-le-toi bien souvent C’est trop facile C’est trop facile De faire semblant
And tell yourself, Grand Jacques, tell yourself often, it's too easy, it's too easy to pretend.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JACQUES ROMAIN G. BREL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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