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 Dame Patronnesse
Jacques Brel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Il faut avoir l'œil vigilant
Car comme le prouvent les événements
Quatre-vingt-neuf tue la noblesse
Car comme le prouvent les événements
Quatre-vingt-neuf tue la noblesse
Et un point à l'envers
Et un point à l'endroit
Un point pour Saint Joseph
Un point pour Saint Thomas
Pour faire une bonne dame patronnesse
Il faut organiser ses largesses
Car comme disait le Duc d'Elbeuf:
"C'est avec du vieux qu'on fait du neuf"
Car comme disait le Duc d'Elbeuf:
"C'est avec du vieux qu'on fait du neuf"
Et un point à l'envers
Et un point à l'endroit
Un point pour Saint Joseph
Un point pour Saint Thomas
Pour faire une bonne dame patronnesse
C'est qu'il faut faire très attention
A ne pas se laisser voler ses pauvresses
C'est qu'on serait sans situation
A ne pas se laisser voler ses pauvresses
C'est qu'on serait sans situation
Et un point à l'envers
Et un point à l'endroit
Un point pour Saint Joseph
Un point pour Saint Thomas
Pour faire une bonne dame patronnesse
Il faut être bonne mais sans faiblesse
Ainsi j'ai dû rayer de ma liste
Une pauvresse qui fréquentait un socialiste
Ainsi j'ai dû rayer de ma liste
Une pauvresse qui fréquentait un socialiste
Et un point à l'envers
Et un point à l'endroit
Un point pour Saint Joseph
Un point pour Saint Thomas
Pour faire une bonne dame patronnesse
Tricotez tout en couleur caca d'oie
Ce qui permet le dimanche à la grand-messe
De reconnaître ses pauvres à soi
Ce qui permet le dimanche à la grand-messe
De reconnaître ses pauvres à soi
Et un point à l'envers
Et un point à l'endroit
Un point pour Saint Joseph
Un point pour Saint Thomas
In the song La Dame Patronnesse, Jacques Brel satirizes the hypocrisy and superficiality of the charitable high society women known as dame patronnesse. He highlights the social expectations and obligations they face to maintain their status and reputation as benefactors of the poor. The first stanza begins with the warning that to be a good dame patronnesse, one must have a vigilant eye because, as the events of the French Revolution in 1789 proved, nobility is vulnerable. The repetition of "comme le prouvent les événements, quatre-vingt-neuf tue la noblesse" reinforces the message that danger is always lurking.
The second and third stanzas give advice on how to be a good dame patronnesse. The use of the Duke of Elbeuf's quote, "C'est avec du vieux qu'on fait du neuf" (It's with old things that we create new ones), suggests that generosity towards the poor should be directed towards the old and needy as they need it, just like new things need old things to be created. The fourth stanza underlines the importance of being vigilant and not letting others steal their poverty or good deeds. The condemnation of socialism in the line, "Une pauvresse qui fréquentait un socialiste" (A poor woman who associated with a socialist), indicates a conservative and privileged perspective that charity should be reserved for the deserving poor, and those who don't share their values do not deserve help.
The final stanza uses irony and satire to expose the shallowness of the dame patronnesse's charitable acts. The suggestion to knit things in "couleur caca d'oie" (goose poop color) is absurd and shows how the obsession with appearances and superficiality is more important than the actual act of helping the poor. The repetition of "un point à l'envers, un point à l'endroit, un point pour Saint Joseph, un point pour Saint Thomas" emphasizes the idea that these women are more concerned with "checking the boxes" of their good deeds and highlighting their own charity than genuinely helping those in need.
Line by Line Meaning
Pour faire une bonne dame patronnesse
To be a good patroness, one must
Il faut avoir l'œil vigilant
have a vigilant eye,
Car comme le prouvent les événements
as events have shown,
Quatre-vingt-neuf tue la noblesse
eighty-nine kills the nobility.
Et un point à l'envers
And a backwards stitch,
Et un point à l'endroit
And a forwards stitch,
Un point pour Saint Joseph
A stitch for Saint Joseph,
Un point pour Saint Thomas
A stitch for Saint Thomas.
Pour faire une bonne dame patronnesse
To be a good patroness, one must
Il faut organiser ses largesses
organize her generosity,
Car comme disait le Duc d'Elbeuf:
As the Duke of Elbeuf said,
"C'est avec du vieux qu'on fait du neuf"
"It's with old things that we make new."
Pour faire une bonne dame patronnesse
To be a good patroness, one must
C'est qu'il faut faire très attention
be very careful
A ne pas se laisser voler ses pauvresses
not to let her poor be stolen
C'est qu'on serait sans situation
as she would be without a position.
Pour faire une bonne dame patronnesse
To be a good patroness, one must
Il faut être bonne mais sans faiblesse
be kind but without weakness,
Ainsi j'ai dû rayer de ma liste
So I had to strike off my list
Une pauvresse qui fréquentait un socialiste
a poor woman who associated with a socialist.
Pour faire une bonne dame patronnesse
To be a good patroness, one must
Tricotez tout en couleur caca d'oie
Knit everything in goose poop color,
Ce qui permet le dimanche à la grand-messe
which allows for identifying her own poor
De reconnaître ses pauvres à soi
at Sunday mass.
Contributed by Grayson A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@genevieveyevdochenko9300
Rien a ajouter exceptionnel le grand mr jacques brel. 😌🎶🌠🦄💞
@anniemichelecrepel3092
Cette chanson est hélas très réaliste !
J en ai su quelque chose il y qq années !
On se croit très bon alors que ce n est que de l ostentation pour se faire valoir !
@genevieveyevdochenko9300
Le connaissant ! Je ne vois que lui pour oser chanter cette chanson !bourree d'amour/tendresse 😘🎶🙏🌠💕
@genevieveyevdochenko9300
Quel humour mr jacques brel 😘🎶☔❤️🌼🙏🌼🌼🐦🙈
@genevieveyevdochenko9300
🥰🥰🥰♥️🌹il était unique 😘🌻
@genevieveyevdochenko9300
😘🌼🎶😘😌💕🌠
@genevieveyevdochenko9300
😘🎶🌼🐦☔🌷💞
@genevieveyevdochenko9300
Unique Brel ou allait-il chercher tout ça 😘🎶🦄🌠
@genevieveyevdochenko9300
😘🦄🎶🐦💕🙏🌈
@genevieveyevdochenko9300
Un point à l'envers...un point à l'endroit....plus facile ...grand-mère m'avait appris tricoter au point *mousse*...le plus facile ...tout à l'endroit!!!! (La couleur était blanche...,.c'était gants de toilette...vrai)
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