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.
L'Age Idiot
Jacques Brel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Quand le ventre brûle de faim
Qu'on croit se laver le cœur
Rien qu'en se lavant les mains
Qu'on a les yeux plus grands qu'le ventre
Qu'on a les yeux plus grands qu'le cœur
Qu'on a le cœur encore trop tendre
Qu'on a les yeux encore pleins d'fleurs
L'odeur des tambours mal battus
Qu'on sent les clairons refroidis
Et les lits de petite vertu
Et qu'on s'endort toutes les nuits
Dans les casernes
L'âge idiot, c'est à trente fleurs
Quand le ventre prend naissance
Quand le ventre prend puissance
Qu'il vous grignote le cœur
Quand les yeux se font plus lourds
Quand les yeux marquent les heures
Eux qui savent qu'à trente fleurs
Commence le compte à rebours
Qu'on rejette les vieux dans leur caverne
Qu'on offre à Dieu des bonnets d'âne
Mais que le soir on s'allume des feux
En frottant deux cœurs de femmes
Et qu'on regrette déjà un peu
Le temps des casernes
L'âge idiot c'est soixante fleurs
Quand le ventre se ballotte
Quand le ventre ventripote
Qu'il vous a bouffé le cœur
Quand les yeux n'ont plus de larmes
Quand les yeux tombent en neige
Quand les yeux perdent leurs pièges
Quand les yeux rendent les armes
Qu'on se ressent de ses amours
Mais qu'on se sent des patiences
Pour des vieilles sur le retour
Ou des trop jeunes en partance
Et qu'on se croit protégé
Par les casernes
L'âge d'or c'est quand on meurt
Qu'on se couche sous son ventre
Qu'on se cache sous son ventre
Les mains protégeant le cœur
Qu'on a les yeux enfin ouverts
Mais qu'on ne se regarde plus
Qu'on regarde la lumière
Et ses nuages pendus
L'âge d'or c'est après l'enfer
C'est après l'âge d'argent
On redevient petit enfant
Dedans le ventre de la terre
L'âge d'or c'est quand on dort
Dans sa dernière caserne
In Jacques Brel's song "L'Age Idiot," he describes the stages of life and the naivete that comes with each stage. The first stage he describes is the age of twenty, where people believe that by washing their hands, they can cleanse their hearts. They have big eyes and a big heart, but their hearts are still tender and naive. Brel also describes this stage as feeling the scent of the fields of luzerne, the smell of poorly beaten drums, the cold sounds of trumpets, and the presence of small virtue beds. Despite these factors, people at this stage still sleep soundly in barracks every night.
The next stage is at the age of thirty. At this age, people have begun to take responsibility for their lives and have become more aware of their mortality. They understand that time is running out and that their lives are limited. They reject the elderly and offer God dunce caps, but at night, they indulge in the pleasures of women. They now know the value of time and have started counting every hour. They begin to feel their bellies growing, and this is a sign that their time is limited. Brel describes this stage as the age of silver.
The final stage described in the song is at sixty years old. People at this age have experienced much in their lives, and their bodies have started to deteriorate. The belly has become big, the heart has been consumed, and the eyes have lost their spark. They still feel love, but it has become practical, patient, and full of wisdom. Brel emphasizes the importance of the barracks, as they represent the final moments before one's ultimate sleep. He describes this stage as the age of gold, as it symbolizes the end of one's journey through life.
Line by Line Meaning
L'âge idiot, c'est à vingt fleurs
The idiotic age is at twenty years old
Quand le ventre brûle de faim
When the stomach burns from hunger
Qu'on croit se laver le cœur
When one believes they can wash their heart
Rien qu'en se lavant les mains
Just by washing their hands
Qu'on a les yeux plus grands qu'le ventre
When one's eyes are bigger than their stomach
Qu'on a les yeux plus grands qu'le cœur
When one's eyes are bigger than their heart
Qu'on a le cœur encore trop tendre
When one's heart is still too tender
Qu'on a les yeux encore pleins d'fleurs
When one's eyes are still full of flowers
Mais qu'on sent bon les champs de luzerne
But one smells the fields of alfalfa
L'odeur des tambours mal battus
The smell of poorly beaten drums
Qu'on sent les clairons refroidis
When one senses the chilling clarions
Et les lits de petite vertu
And the beds of questionable morality
Et qu'on s'endort toutes les nuits
And one falls asleep every night
Dans les casernes
In the barracks
L'âge idiot, c'est à trente fleurs
The idiotic age is at thirty years old
Quand le ventre prend naissance
When the stomach starts growing
Quand le ventre prend puissance
When the stomach gains power
Qu'il vous grignote le cœur
When it nibbles on your heart
Quand les yeux se font plus lourds
When the eyes become heavier
Quand les yeux marquent les heures
When the eyes mark the hours
Eux qui savent qu'à trente fleurs
They who know that at thirty years old
Commence le compte à rebours
The countdown begins
Qu'on rejette les vieux dans leur caverne
When one rejects the old in their cavern
Qu'on offre à Dieu des bonnets d'âne
When one offers God dunce caps
Mais que le soir on s'allume des feux
But in the evening, one lights fires
En frottant deux cœurs de femmes
By rubbing two women's hearts
Et qu'on regrette déjà un peu
And one already regrets a little
Le temps des casernes
The time of the barracks
L'âge idiot c'est soixante fleurs
The idiotic age is at sixty years old
Quand le ventre se ballotte
When the stomach jiggles
Quand le ventre ventripote
When the stomach expands
Qu'il vous a bouffé le cœur
When it has devoured your heart
Quand les yeux n'ont plus de larmes
When the eyes have no more tears
Quand les yeux tombent en neige
When the eyes fall like snow
Quand les yeux perdent leurs pièges
When the eyes lose their traps
Quand les yeux rendent les armes
When the eyes surrender
Qu'on se ressent de ses amours
When one feels their loves again
Mais qu'on se sent des patiences
But one feels patience
Pour des vieilles sur le retour
For the old ones on the way back
Ou des trop jeunes en partance
Or the too young ones leaving
Et qu'on se croit protégé
And one thinks they're protected
Par les casernes
By the barracks
L'âge d'or c'est quand on meurt
The golden age is when one dies
Qu'on se couche sous son ventre
When one lays under their stomach
Qu'on se cache sous son ventre
When one hides under their stomach
Les mains protégeant le cœur
Hands protecting their heart
Qu'on a les yeux enfin ouverts
When one's eyes are finally open
Mais qu'on ne se regarde plus
But one doesn't look at themselves anymore
Qu'on regarde la lumière
When one looks at the light
Et ses nuages pendus
And its hanging clouds
L'âge d'or c'est après l'enfer
The golden age is after the inferno
C'est après l'âge d'argent
It's after the age of silver
On redevient petit enfant
One becomes a little child again
Dedans le ventre de la terre
Inside the belly of the Earth
L'âge d'or c'est quand on dort
The golden age is when one sleeps
Dans sa dernière caserne
In their last barracks
Lyrics © WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC FRANCE
Written by: Jacques Brel
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dante Onkhu
Rares sont les artistes qui vous mettent autant à genoux, que ce soit par leur interprétation, leurs textes ou leur musique. Brel, lui, excelle sur tous les tableaux.
Thierry Kocan
La bêtise humaine telle était l'ennemi de Jacques, il l'a combattu toute sa vie à la manière d'un Don Quichotte. Il nous a laissé ses textes magnifiques pour continuer le combat. Courage à tous.
arzaz arzaz
Thierry Kocan tu as tout compris . Je viens juste de le comprendre .il n’est jamais trop tard . Merci
Dominique Mangenot
Pour moi un des meilleurs poète chanteur de tous les temps
Campbell
Merci, courage à toi mon frère
Scott King
Glorious!! My American rock band is based on Brel’s grandiose, bellicose madness!
jean-pierre bernigaud
Impitoyable grand Jacques !
Quand le ventre vous grignote le cœur !!!
cattalkbmx
I can't believe this is what I found in my first search for French music. Your language is truly beautiful, but I think the songs sound even better when you're unfamiliar with the language.
MorrisonHotel27
Maybe !
Faivre Jean-Michel
Excellent choix, vous ne pouviez tomber mieux !