Jacques Brel (8 April 1929 – 9 October 1978) was a Belgian singer and songw… Read Full Bio ↴Jacques Brel (8 April 1929 – 9 October 1978) was a Belgian singer and songwriter who composed and performed literate, thoughtful, and theatrical songs that generated a large, devoted following in Belgium and France initially, and later throughout the world. He was widely considered a master of the modern chanson. Although he recorded most of his songs in French, he became a major influence on English-speaking songwriters and performers such as David Bowie, Alex Harvey, Leonard Cohen, Marc Almond and Rod McKuen. English translations of his songs were recorded by many top performers in the United States, including Ray Charles, Judy Collins, John Denver, the Kingston Trio, Nina Simone, Frank Sinatra, Scott Walker, and Andy Williams. In French-speaking countries, Brel was also a successful actor, appearing in ten films. He also directed two films, one of which, Le Far West, was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1973. Jacques Brel has sold over 25 million records worldwide, and is the third best-selling Belgian recording artist of all time.

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 Foire
Jacques Brel Lyrics

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J'aime la foire où pour trois sous
L'on peut se faire tourner la tête
Sur les manèges aux chevaux roux
Au son d'une musique bête

Les lampions jettent au firmament
Alignés en nombres pairs
Comme des sourcils de géant

Leurs crachats de lumières

Les moulins tournent, tournent sans trêve
Emportant tout notre argent
Et nous donnant un peu de rêve
Pour que les hommes soient contents

Les moulins tournent, tournent sans trêve
Emportant tout notre argent
Et nous donnant un peu de rêve
Pour que les hommes soient contents

J'aime la foire où pour trois sous
L'on peut se faire tourner la tête
Sur les manèges aux chevaux roux
Au son d'une musique bête

Ça sent la graisse où dansent les frites
Ça sent les frites dans les papiers
Ça sent les beignets qu'on mange vite
Ça sent les hommes qui les ont mangés

Partout je vois à petits pas
Des couples qui s'en vont danser
Mais moi sûrement je n'irai pas
Grand-mère m'a dit de me méfier

Partout je vois à petits pas
Des couples qui s'en vont danser
Mais moi sûrement je n'irai pas
Grand-mère m'a dit de me méfier

J'aime la foire où pour trois sous
L'on peut se faire tourner la tête
Sur les manèges aux chevaux roux
Au son d'une musique bête

Et lorsque l'on n'a plus de sous
Pour se faire tourner la tête
Sur les manèges aux chevaux roux
Au son d'une musique bête

On rentre chez soi lentement
Et tout en regardant les cieux
On se demande simplement
S'il n'existe rien de mieux

On rentre chez soi lentement
Et tout en regardant les cieux
On se demande simplement
S'il n'existe rien de mieux

J'aimais la foire où pour trois sous
L'on pouvait s'faire tourner la tête
Sur les manèges aux chevaux roux

Au son d'une musique bête
La la la

Overall Meaning

Jacques Brel's song La Foire describes the simple pleasure of going to the fair. He loves it where for three sous (a small amount of money), you can turn your head on the red horse rides to the sound of silly music. The fairground lights, like giant eyebrows, light up the sky in pairs, looking magical. The spinning mills symbolize our never-ending desire for entertainment, taking all our money but giving us a bit of happiness. The fair is an escape from the mundane life, making people happy - even if just for a little while.

However, it is not all happy-go-lucky at the fair. The smell of grease from frying foods like fries and donuts saturate the air, and Brel sees couples walking around, going to dance, but he is cautious. His grandma warned him about things like these. The song ends with the realization that even though the fair is wonderful, when people leave, they wonder if there's something better.

Line by Line Meaning

J'aime la foire où pour trois sous L'on peut se faire tourner la tête Sur les manèges aux chevaux roux Au son d'une musique bête
I love the fair where, for just a few pennies, we can forget our troubles, spinning on the red horses on the carousel, listening to simple music.

Les lampions jettent au firmament Alignés en nombres pairs Comme des sourcils de géant Leurs crachats de lumières
The lanterns cast a glow in the sky, arranged neatly in pairs, and it looks like giant eyebrows, spitting out light.

Les moulins tournent, tournent sans trêve Emportant tout notre argent Et nous donnant un peu de rêve Pour que les hommes soient contents
The windmills spin endlessly, taking all our money, but giving us some dreams to keep us content.

Ça sent la graisse où dansent les frites Ça sent les frites dans les papiers Ça sent les beignets qu'on mange vite Ça sent les hommes qui les ont mangés
The smell of grease fills the air where the fries are dancing, and the scent of fries and donuts fills the paper wrappings, and it smells of people who have eaten too many.

Partout je vois à petits pas Des couples qui s'en vont danser Mais moi sûrement je n'irai pas Grand-mère m'a dit de me méfier
Everywhere I look, I see couples dancing, but I won't join them because my grandmother warned me to be careful.

Et lorsque l'on n'a plus de sous Pour se faire tourner la tête Sur les manèges aux chevaux roux Au son d'une musique bête
And when we run out of money to ride the carousel and listen to the simple music, we slowly make our way home, looking up at the stars and wondering if there's something better.

On rentre chez soi lentement Et tout en regardant les cieux On se demande simplement S'il n'existe rien de mieux
We make our way home slowly, gazing at the stars and wondering if there is something better out there.

J'aimais la foire où pour trois sous L'on pouvait s'faire tourner la tête Sur les manèges aux chevaux roux Au son d'une musique bête La la la
I loved the fair where, for just a few pennies, we could forget our troubles and spin on the red horses on the carousel, listening to simple music. La la la.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JACQUES ROMAIN G. BREL, LOUIS JOSEPH LOGIST

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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