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.
La La La
Jacques Brel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Quand les soldats par quatre
Attendent les massacres
Sur le quai d'une gare
Pourquoi ce train ventru
Qui ronronne et soupire
Avant de nous conduire
Jusqu'au malentendu
Des foules venues fleurir
Ceux qui ont le droit d'partir
Au nom de leurs conneries
Nous n'irons plus au bois, la colombe est blessée
Nous n'allons pas au bois, nous allons la tuer
Pourquoi l'heure que voilà
Où finit notre enfance
Où finit notre chance
Où notre train s'en va
Pourquoi ce lourd convoi
Chargé d'hommes en gris
Repeints en une nuit
Pour partir en soldats
Pourquoi ce train de pluie
Pourquoi ce train de guerre
Pourquoi ce cimetière
En marche vers la nuit
Nous n'irons plus au bois, la colombe est blessée
Nous n'allons pas au bois, nous allons la tuer
Pourquoi les monuments
Qu'offriront les défaites
Les phrases déjà prêtes
Qui suivront l'enterrement
Pourquoi l'enfant mort-né
Que sera la victoire
Pourquoi les jours de gloire
Que d'autres auront payés
Pourquoi ces coins de terre
Que l'on va peindre en gris
Puisque c'est au fusil
Qu'on éteint la lumière
Nous n'irons plus au bois, la colombe est blessée
Nous n'allons pas au bois, nous allons la tuer
Pourquoi ton cher visage
Dégrafé par les larmes
Qui me rendait les armes
Aux sources du voyage
Pourquoi ton corps qui sombre
Ton corps qui disparaît
Et n'est plus sur le quai
Qu'une fleur sur une tombe
Pourquoi ces prochains jours
Où je devrais penser
À ne plus m'habiller
Que d'une moitié d'amour
Nous n'irons plus au bois, la colombe est blessée
Nous n'allons pas au bois, nous allons la tuer
"La La La" is a poignant song written by Belgian singer-songwriter Jacques Brel. In the song, he raises a series of questions about war, death, and loss. The song is full of metaphors and vivid imagery that depict the horrors of war and the cost of victory. Brel questions why there is a band playing when soldiers are about to be massacred. He also wonders why there is a train that will take them to their death, and why people sing and cheer for those who get to leave and fight another day, leaving only the wounded and dead behind.
Brel also highlights the impact of war on families, including children who lose their lives before they even have a chance to live. He questions the purpose of building monuments to commemorate the dead, and why victories are celebrated even though they come at a great cost. Brel speaks of the pain of losing a loved one, as he mourns the loss of a woman who was his source of strength and comfort.
Overall, "La La La" is a song that confronts the brutal reality of war and its many consequences. It questions why we allow ourselves to be caught up in senseless conflicts that only lead to death and destruction.
Line by Line Meaning
Pourquoi cette fanfare
Why this parade?
Quand les soldats par quatre
When the soldiers in groups of four
Attendent les massacres
Wait for the slaughters
Sur le quai d'une gare
On a train station platform
Pourquoi ce train ventru
Why this bloated train?
Qui ronronne et soupire
That purrs and sighs
Avant de nous conduire
Before taking us
Jusqu'au malentendu
To the misunderstanding
Pourquoi les chants, les cris
Why the songs, the cries
Des foules venues fleurir
Of the crowds that came to celebrate
Ceux qui ont le droit d'partir
Those who have the right to leave
Au nom de leurs conneries
In the name of their foolishness
Pourquoi l'heure que voilà
Why this hour
Où finit notre enfance
When our childhood ends
Où finit notre chance
When our luck runs out
Où notre train s'en va
Where our train is going
Pourquoi ce lourd convoi
Why this heavy convoy
Chargé d'hommes en gris
Loaded with gray men
Repeints en une nuit
Repainted in one night
Pour partir en soldats
To leave as soldiers
Pourquoi ce train de pluie
Why this rain train
Pourquoi ce train de guerre
Why this war train
Pourquoi ce cimetière
Why this cemetery
En marche vers la nuit
Moving towards the night
Pourquoi les monuments
Why the monuments
Qu'offriront les défaites
That defeats will offer
Les phrases déjà prêtes
The already prepared phrases
Qui suivront l'enterrement
That will follow the funeral
Pourquoi l'enfant mort-né
Why the stillborn child
Que sera la victoire
What will the victory be
Pourquoi les jours de gloire
Why the glory days
Que d'autres auront payés
That others will have paid for
Pourquoi ces coins de terre
Why these patches of earth
Que l'on va peindre en gris
That will be painted in gray
Puisque c'est au fusil
Since it's with a rifle
Qu'on éteint la lumière
That we turn off the light
Pourquoi ton cher visage
Why your dear face
Dégrafé par les larmes
Undone by tears
Qui me rendait les armes
That made me surrender
Aux sources du voyage
At the beginning of our journey
Pourquoi ton corps qui sombre
Why your sinking body
Ton corps qui disparaît
Your body that disappears
Et n'est plus sur le quai
And is no longer on the platform
Qu'une fleur sur une tombe
Than a flower on a grave
Pourquoi ces prochains jours
Why these upcoming days
Où je devrais penser
Where I should think
À ne plus m'habiller
To no longer dress myself
Que d'une moitié d'amour
With only half of my love
Nous n'irons plus au bois, la colombe est blessée
We will not go to the woods, the dove is wounded
Nous n'allons pas au bois, nous allons la tuer
We are not going to the woods, we are going to kill it
Lyrics © LES EDITIONS JACQUES BREL, WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC FRANCE
Written by: Jacques Romain Brel
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@hossamlalaelmekkawy2111
Quel plume as-tu Monsieur BREL , un intello hors paire !
@Mataouil
Si Brel etait resigné dans les vieux , il prend sa revanche dans la la la ou il se revolte et se dechaine avec beaute , merveilleusement et insupportablement sublime.
@wallykaspars9700
Magnifient song by Brel!
@hossamlalaelmekkawy2111
Bonjour Monsieur Wally Kaspars,
Je suis Monsieur la la , et Monsieur Jacques Brel m'avait écri cette chanson, sans en savoir que je suis égyptien et lui belgien . Mr. LALA
@hossamlalaelmekkawy2111
Je m' appel la la , Merci Monsieur Brel
@Mataouil
Apres les vieux , resigné , ici brel se revolte et se dechaine ,et c’est admirablement beau et insupportablement merveilleux
@guyfache65
Ma chanson préférée elle me ressemble
@pierrevesignie4262
I don't want to be old.
@mariaslomka9723
I am already old
@pierrevesignie4262
Vieux c"est quand?