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 Statue
Jacques Brel Lyrics

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J'aimerais tenir l'enfant d'Marie
Qui a fait graver sous ma statue
"Il a vécu toute sa vie
Entre l'honneur et la vertu"
Moi qui ai trompé mes amis
De faux serment en faux serment
Moi qui ai trompé mes amis
Du jour de l'An au jour de l'An

Moi qui ai trompé mes maîtresses
De sentiment en sentiment
Moi qui ai trompé mes maîtresses
Du printemps jusques au printemps
Ah, cet enfant d'Marie, je l'aimerais, là
Et j'aimerais que les enfants ne me regardent pas

J'aimerais tenir l'enfant de carême
Qui a fait graver sous ma statue
"Les dieux rappellent ceux qu'ils aiment
Et c'était lui qu'ils aimaient l'plus"
Moi qui n'ai jamais prié Dieu
Que lorsque j'avais mal aux dents
Moi qui n'ai jamais prié Dieu
Que quand j'ai eu peur de Satan
Moi qui n'ai prié Satan
Que lorsque j'étais amoureux
Moi qui n'ai prié Satan
Que quand j'ai eu peur du bon Dieu
Ah, cet enfant d'carême, je l'aimerais, là
Et j'aimerais que les enfants ne me regardent pas

J'aimerais tenir l'enfant d'salaud
Qui a fait graver sous ma statue
"Il est mort comme un héros
Il est mort comme on ne meurt plus"
Moi qui suis parti faire la guerre
Parce que je m'ennuyais tellement
Moi qui suis parti faire la guerre
Pour voir si les femmes des Allemands
Moi qui suis mort à la guerre
Parce que les femmes des Allemands
Moi qui suis mort à la guerre
De n'avoir pu faire autrement

Ah, cet enfant d'salaud, je l'aimerais, là
Et j'aimerais que mes enfants ne me regardent pas

Overall Meaning

In the song La Statue, Jacques Brel expresses his desire to hold the children of three different people who have all left a message on his statue. The first child is the child of Marie who has written on the statue "He lived his whole life between honor and virtue." Brel acknowledges his own infidelity and unfaithfulness which is in contrast to the message on his statue. He wishes to hold this child because he represents everything that Brel is not. He does not want children to look at him despite his fame and success because of his guilt and shame.

The second child is the child of Lent who has written on the statue, "The gods recall those they love, and he was the one they loved the most." Brel acknowledges his limited connection with religion as he only prays to God when he is in pain and when he is afraid of Satan. However, Brel believes that this child is the one that the gods loved the most, which makes Brel want to hold him despite his own shortcomings.

The third child is the child of a bastard who has written on the statue, "He died like a hero, he died like nobody does anymore." Brel acknowledges his own shortcomings as a soldier who went to war just to cure his boredom and to see the wives of the Germans. The child of the bastard died bravely for his country while Brel died in the war due to his inability to do anything else. Despite everything, Brel wants to hold the child of the bastard because he represents everything that Brel is not.

La StatueJacques Brel Lyrics

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roger johansson

La Statue
Jacques Brel Lyrics