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 Nous Faut Regarder
Jacques Brel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Derrière les yeux plissés et les visages mous
Au delà de ces mains ouvertes ou fermées
Qui se tendent en vain ou qui sont poing levé
Plus loin que les frontières qui sont de barbelés
Plus loin que la misère il nous faut regarder
Il nous faut regarder ce qu'il y a de beau
L'ami qu'on sait fidèle, le soleil de demain
Le vol d'une hirondelle, le bateau qui revient
L'ami qu'on sait fidèle, le soleil de demain
Le vol d'une hirondelle, le bateau qui revient
Par delà le concert des sanglots et des pleurs
Et des cris de colère des hommes qui ont peur
Par delà le vacarme des rues et des chantiers
Des sirènes d'alarme, des jurons de charretier
Plus fort que les enfants qui racontent les guerres
Et plus fort que les grands qui nous les ont fait faire
Il nous faut écouter l'oiseau au fond des bois
Le murmure de l'été le sang qui monte en soi
Les berceuses des mères, les prières des enfants
Et le bruit de la terre qui s'endort doucement
Les berceuses des mères, les prières des enfants
Et le bruit de la terre qui s'endort doucement
In Jacques Brel's song "Il nous faut regarder", he advocates for a shift in perspective from focusing on the ugliness and despair in the world to finding and appreciating the beauty that still exists around us. The first verse describes the ugliness that is often in front of us, such as poverty and desperation, but urges us to look beyond these things to find the beauty in life. In the second verse, Brel suggests listening for beautiful sounds like the bird in the woods or the murmuring of summer, and paying attention to the small moments of beauty in everyday life like a loyal friend or a returning boat.
Brel explains that focusing on beauty and positivity is more powerful than dwelling on sadness and anger, even in the face of war and injustice. He suggests that by listening to the lullabies of mothers and the prayers of children, we can find hope and a sense of peace.
Overall, "Il nous faut regarder" is a message of hope that encourages people to look beyond the negatives in life and find beauty and joy in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Derrière la saleté s'étalant devant nous
Behind the filth spreading in front of us
Derrière les yeux plissés et les visages mous
Behind the squinted eyes and the unenergetic faces
Au delà de ces mains ouvertes ou fermées
Beyond these open or closed hands
Qui se tendent en vain ou qui sont poing levé
That are extended in vain or raised in a fist
Plus loin que les frontières qui sont de barbelés
Further than the borders that are made of barbed wire
Plus loin que la misère il nous faut regarder
Further than the poverty, we must look
Il nous faut regarder ce qu'il y a de beau
We must look at what is beautiful
Le ciel gris ou bleuté, les filles au bord de l'eau
The gray or blue sky, the girls on the edge of the water
L'ami qu'on sait fidèle, le soleil de demain
The friend who we know is faithful, the sun of tomorrow
Le vol d'une hirondelle, le bateau qui revient
The flight of a swallow, the returning boat
Par delà le concert des sanglots et des pleurs
Beyond the concert of sobs and tears
Et des cris de colère des hommes qui ont peur
And the cries of anger from men who are afraid
Par delà le vacarme des rues et des chantiers
Beyond the noise of the streets and the construction sites
Des sirènes d'alarme, des jurons de charretier
Of the alarm sirens, of the cart driver's curses
Plus fort que les enfants qui racontent les guerres
Stronger than the children who tell the wars
Et plus fort que les grands qui nous les ont fait faire
And stronger than the adults who made us do them
Il nous faut écouter l'oiseau au fond des bois
We must listen to the bird in the backwoods
Le murmure de l'été le sang qui monte en soi
The murmuring of summer, the blood that rises within oneself
Les berceuses des mères, les prières des enfants
The lullabies of mothers, the prayers of children
Et le bruit de la terre qui s'endort doucement
And the sound of the earth that is slowly falling asleep
Les berceuses des mères, les prières des enfants
The lullabies of mothers, the prayers of children
Et le bruit de la terre qui s'endort doucement
And the sound of the earth that is slowly falling asleep
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Jacques Brel
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jericho5x
j'ai bien dis 3000 j'aime pour une surprise demain !! donc a vous de jouer bah après si tu as envie de partager ça me fera plaisir la famille
@marcelcovaci3198
Je te suis depuis le début et moi franchement je préfère les histoires ancien et les quand tu parles de trucs bizarres fin quand tu nous aprent des choses utile 😊
@cheikhcoly6628
J'adore tes vidéo
@Mca.lec25
Jericho® tennis
@jericho5x
donc rate pas la prochaine vidéo car je pense c'est le style de vidéo que tu cherche marcel ^^
@beatboom8095
Jericho® salut jericho je suis le fils à Marcel et je regarde aussi tes vidéos depuis début et je suis du même avis que mon père 😁on te regarde parfois tout les 2 car on aime bien aprendre des histoires surtout moi je te remercie de nous apprendre tout cela j’attends ta prochaine vidéo avec impatience continue vraiment je essaye de faire mais propre vidéo mais je fais beaucoup de efforts pour 20 vu maxi du coup sa me décourage beaucoup car je fais beaucoup de efforts pour le montage des vidéos et tout je voudrais te demander si tu pourrais me aider pour décoller car jais beaucoup de imagination pour des vidéos et c’est dommage que il y pas beaucoup de personne qui vois mais vidéo merci 🙏
@francinedaquin897
Recyclage du zapping, bonne idée quand on en à pas👏.
@elikopter4102
Tu as qu'à le faire !
@kleretnet
Je ne suis pas méchant, mais ces joueurs exceptionnels méritent au moins qu'on les cite . Les commentaires ne volent pas très haut !
@MrElcordo
je suis bien d'accord .ne pas reconnaitre djokovitch,federrer ou nadal c'est vraiment un manque de savoir !! quand on a pas de talent on fait commentateur de video deja diffusé mille fois sur youtube .quel bouffon ce jericho!!!!