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'accordéon de la vie
Jacques Brel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fais-moi rêver
Jusqu'au matin
Reste courbé
Sur ton accordéon
Ton accordéon tout blanc
Fais rêver
Fais valser
Vieux musicien, fais-moi rêver
Aux quatre coins de la vie
Et pour qu'on lui pardonne
La vie met ses cheveux gris
Et pour nous, accordéonne
Vieux musicien
Fais-moi rêver
Jusqu'au matin
Reste courbé
Sur ton accordéon
Ton accordéon tout blanc
Fais rêver
Fais valser
Nos deux cœurs amoureux
Vieux musicien, fais-moi aimer
Aux quatre coins de l'amour
Et pour qu'on lui pardonne
La vie vient nous dire bonjour
Et pour nous, accordéonne
Vieux musicien
Pais-moi pleurer
Jusqu'au matin
Reste courbé
Sur ton accordéon
Ton accordéon tout noir
Fais pleurer
Fais rêver
Nos deux cœurs sans espoir
Vieux musicien, fais-moi pleurer
Aux quatre coins de la vie
Et pour se venger de nous
La vie met ses cheveux gris
Pour nous dire qu'elle s'en fout
The lyrics of Jacques Brel's "L'accordéon de la vie" speak to the power of music in shaping human experiences. The song begins with a plea from the singer to an old musician, asking him to play his accordion and transport the singer back to a time when he was young and carefree. The accordion, which is described as "all white," represents the purity and innocence of youth. The musician is asked to make the singer dream, to make his twenties "waltz and spin." The imagery here is one of joyful movement and lively celebration.
As the song progresses, the singer asks the musician to take him to the "four corners of life," implying a desire to experience all that life has to offer. The line "Et pour qu'on lui pardonne la vie met ses cheveux gris" suggests that the musician's accordion-playing has the power to forgive life's hardships and allow us to embrace the passing of time. The "grey hair" is a metaphor for aging and the toll it takes on our bodies and minds. Despite this, the accordion is able to bring a sense of comfort and acceptance.
In the final verse, the singer asks the musician to make him cry, acknowledging that life is not always joyful and carefree. The accordion is now described as "all black," representing the darkness and sorrow that can come with life experience. The singer longs for catharsis and wants the music to move him to tears. The line "Nos deux cœurs sans espoir" suggests that both the singer and the musician share a sense of hopelessness, but that the music is still able to connect them to one another.
Line by Line Meaning
Vieux musicien
The old musician, symbolic of life's ups and downs
Fais-moi rêver
Make me dream, take me on a journey
Jusqu'au matin
Until the morning, until the end of the journey
Reste courbé
Stay stooped, stay humble
Sur ton accordéon
On your accordion, an instrument symbolic of the joys and sorrows of life
Ton accordéon tout blanc
Your all-white accordion, representing the bright moments of life
Fais rêver
Make me dream, take me on a journey
Fais valser
Make me dance, enjoy life's joyful moments
Fais tourner mes vingt ans
Make my youth spin, reminisce the good old days
Vieux musicien, fais-moi rêver
Old musician, take me on a journey of life yet not lived
Aux quatre coins de la vie
To the four corners of life, exploring it all
Et pour qu'on lui pardonne
For us to forgive life's harshness, aging, and troubles
La vie met ses cheveux gris
Life grows old, and its hardships stay visible
Et pour nous, accordéonne
And for us, the music of life continues
Vieux musicien, fais-moi aimer
Old musician, make me fall in love with life
Aux quatre coins de l'amour
To the four corners of love, exploring it all
Et pour qu'on lui pardonne
For us to forgive life's hardships and accept its beauty
La vie vient nous dire bonjour
Life greets us every time we fall in love
Et pour nous, accordéonne
And for us, the music of life continues
Vieux musicien, pais-moi pleurer
Old musician, let me cry, accept the sorrows of life
Jusqu'au matin
Until the morning, until the end of the road
Sur ton accordéon
On your accordion, playing the mournful tune of life
Ton accordéon tout noir
Your all-black accordion, representing the gloomy moments of life
Fais pleurer
Make me cry, accepting the hardships of life
Fais rêver
Make me dream, hoping for a better tomorrow
Nos deux cœurs sans espoir
Our two hearts, once without hope
Vieux musicien, fais-moi pleurer
The old musician, allowing us to mourn and grieve
Aux quatre coins de la vie
In every corner of life, sadness persists
Et pour se venger de nous
And to seek vengeance upon us for our shortcomings
La vie met ses cheveux gris
Life's hardships grow old, haunting us even as we age
Pour nous dire qu'elle s'en fout
To remind us that life does not care and will go on with or without us
Writer(s): Jacques Romain Brel
Contributed by Jayce E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Mary M. Brandes
on La Valse à Mille Temps
I love Jacques Brel songs.