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.
Il Neige Sur Liège
Jacques Brel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Et la neige sur Liège pour neiger met des gants
Il neige il neige sur Liège
Croissant noir de la Meuse sur le front d'un clown blanc
Il est brisé le cri
Des heures et des oiseaux
Des enfants à cerceaux
Et do noir et do gris
Que le fleuve traverse sans bruit
Il neige il neige sur Liège
Et tant tourne la neige entre le ciel et Liège
Qu'on ne sait plus s'il neige s'il neige sur Liège
Ou si see'est Liège qui neige vers le ciel
Et la neige marie
Les amants débutants
Les amants promenant
Sur le carré blanchi
Il neige il neige sur Liège
Que le fleuve transporte sans bruit
Ce soir ce soir il neige sur mes rêves et sur Liège
Que le fleuve transperce sans bruit
The song "Il Neige Sur Liège" by Jacques Brel portrays the picturesque landscape of Liege, Belgium covered in snow. The snow has a character of its own, putting on gloves to make it snow more profusely. The persona is describing the snowing using figurative language, as they see the snow as a dark crescent lying on the forehead of a white clown. The singer mourns the fact that the snow has silenced the voices of the rushing hours, chirping birds, and playing children.
The second stanza continues playing with the theme of ambiguity and duality, as there is too much snow that one cannot tell who the snow is coming on - whether it is falling on Liege or Liege is coming up to meet the snow. The snow has the power to bring together people in love, as it becomes a setting for young lovers to prance around. In the last lines, the persona moves from describing the snow on Liege to snow in their dreams.
Overall, the song captures the beauty, magic, and melancholy of Liege, as snow covers it up in a serene and quiet atmosphere. The song's imagery is deep, and the poetic language describing the snow and its effect on people is impressive.
Line by Line Meaning
Il neige il neige sur Liège
It is snowing heavily on the city of Liege.
Et la neige sur Liège pour neiger met des gants
The snowfall is so heavy that it looks like even the snow is wearing gloves to avoid the cold.
Croissant noir de la Meuse sur le front d'un clown blanc
The river Meuse flowing through the city looks like a black crescent on the forehead of a white-faced clown.
Il est brisé le cri / Des heures et des oiseaux / Des enfants à cerceaux / Et do noir et do gris
The usual sounds of the city like the chirping of the birds, the shouts of children playing with hoops and the clanging of church bells are all silenced in the snowfall.
Que le fleuve traverse sans bruit
The river flows quietly through the snowfall.
Et tant tourne la neige entre le ciel et Liège / Qu'on ne sait plus s'il neige s'il neige sur Liège / Ou si see'est Liège qui neige vers le ciel
The snowflakes are falling so much and swirling around so much that it becomes difficult to tell if it is snowing on the city or the city is becoming snow and rising towards the sky.
Et la neige marie / Les amants débutants / Les amants promenant / Sur le carré blanchi
The snow brings together young lovers who walk hand in hand on the snow-covered squares.
Que le fleuve transporte sans bruit
The river flows silently through the city, carrying the snow away.
Ce soir ce soir il neige sur mes rêves et sur Liège / Que le fleuve transperce sans bruit
Tonight, it snows in my dreams and on the city of Liege, and the river flows through it silently.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Diane Boulé
Une chanson qui m'a accompagnée depuis longtemps et qui m'a beaucoup fait pleurer au moment d'une séparation. Merci Jacques Brel
Sebastien Robert
Une musique et des paroles exceptionnelles ! Je suis complètement sous le charme ! J’ai passé une semaine Jacques Brel a 50 ans j’ai découvert un homme dont dans ses musiques transpirent ses déchirures sentimentales Qu’elle perte pour la musique francophone
Tan Goo
"il est brisé le cri, des heures et des oiseaux, des enfants à cerceaux..."chanson si apaisante.
FPT 14
J'espère vraiment, que Brel sera encor entendu et aimé pour ses poème en 2186 !!
Valerio E-lagavinie
2186? Et pourquoi pas au delà ?? UN grand JACQUES ne peut être qu'éternel.
christiane lavigne
@Valerio E-lagavinie
À nous de la faire découvrir au jeunes pleins de rêves et de curiosité j aime l accompagnent musical
sergei sharapova
@Valerio E-lagavinie ce que j'aime bien avec jaques c'est qu'il y a des chansons sur toutes les villes d'europe
Murelle VENDRAMIN
2022 heure ❤️😁
Nikki Reno
La liégeoise que je suis est toujours très émue en entendant cette chanson.
Asuman Birsan
Cok güzel.. Bütün Brel şarkılarını severek dinliyorum.