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.

Le Cheval
Jacques Brel Lyrics

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J'étais vraiment, j'étais bien plus heureux
Bien plus heureux avant, quand j'étais cheval
Que je traînais, Madame, votre landau
Jolie Madame, dans les rues de Bordeaux
Mais tu as voulu que je sois ton amant
Tu as même voulu que je quitte ma jument
Je n'étais qu'un cheval oui, oui, mais tu en as profité
Par amour pour toi, je me suis déjumenté.

Et depuis toutes les nuits
Dans ton lit de satin blanc
Je regrette mon écurie
Mon écurie et ma jument

J'étais vraiment, vraiment bien plus heureux
Bien plus heureux avant, quand j'étais cheval
Que tu t’foutais, Madame, la gueule par terre
Jolie Madame, quand tu forçais le cerf
Mais tu as voulu qu’j'apprenne les bonnes manières
Tu as voulu qu’je marche sur les pattes de derrière
Je n'étais qu'un cheval oui, oui, mais tu m'as couillonné, hein
Par amour pour toi je me suis derrièrisé
Et depuis, toutes les nuits
Quand nous dansons le tango
Je regrette mon écurie
Mon écurie et mon galop

J'étais vraiment, vraiment bien plus heureux
Bien plus heureux avant, quand j'étais cheval
Que je te promenais, Madame, sur mon dos
Jolie Madame, en forêt d’Fontainebleau
Mais tu as voulu que je sois ton banquier
Tu as même voulu qu’je me mette à chanter
Je n'étais qu'un cheval oui, oui mais tu en as abusé
Par amour pour toi, je me suis variété
Et depuis toutes les nuits
Quand je chante "Ne me quitte pas"
Je regrette mon écurie
Et mes silences d'autrefois

Et puis et puis, tu es partie radicale
Avec un zèbre, un zèbre mal rayé
Le jour, Madame, où je t'ai refusé
D'apprendre à monter à cheval
Mais tu m'avais pris ma jument
Mon silence, mes sabots
Mon écurie, mon galop
Tu ne m'as laissé que mes dents
Et voilà pourquoi je cours, je cours
Je cours le monde en hennissant
Me voyant refuser l'amour
Par les femmes et par les juments

J'étais vraiment, vraiment bien plus heureux
Bien plus heureux avant quand j'étais cheval

Que je promenais Madame, votre landau
Quand j'étais ch’val et quand tu étais chameau!

Overall Meaning

The song "Le Cheval" by Jacques Brel tells the story of a horse who used to be happy before becoming a human's lover. The horse misses his old life when he used to pull Madame's carriage through the streets of Bordeaux. Madame wanted more from the horse, and she wanted him to be her lover. She convinced the horse to leave his mare and join her in her lifestyle. The horse gave up his identity, his life, and his freedom, all for the love of Madame. He now regrets his decision and longs for his old life in his stable and with his mare.

The horse reminisces about how simple and happy his life was when he used to carry Madame through the forest of Fontainebleau. She then wanted him to become cultured and learn how to walk on his hind legs like a human being. Madame even wanted him to become a successful singer. The horse stopped at nothing to make her happy, but he now regrets everything. He misses his stable, his silence, his gallop, and his mare.

The song ends with Madame leaving the horse for a striped zebra. The horse is left with nothing but his teeth and the ache of unfulfilled love. He runs aimlessly, making noise, and longing for a love that will never come. He is left with nothing but the memory of his past life as a happy horse. The lyrics are a reflection of the human condition of always chasing happiness and never finding it, and how love can make people lose themselves and everything they once held dear.

Line by Line Meaning

J'étais vraiment, j'étais bien plus heureux Bien plus heureux avant, quand j'étais cheval Que je traînais, Madame, votre landau Jolie Madame, dans les rues de Bordeaux
I was much happier before, when I was a horse, pulling your carriage, dear lady, through the streets of Bordeaux.

Mais tu as voulu que je sois ton amant Tu as même voulu que je quitte ma jument Je n'étais qu'un cheval oui, oui, mais tu en as profité Par amour pour toi, je me suis déjumenté.
But you wanted me to be your lover, you even wanted me to leave my mare. I was only a horse, but you took advantage of me. Because of my love for you, I gave up my stallionhood.

Et depuis toutes les nuits Dans ton lit de satin blanc Je regrette mon écurie Mon écurie et ma jument
And every night since then, in your white satin bed, I regret my stable and my mare.

J'étais vraiment, vraiment bien plus heureux Bien plus heureux avant, quand j'étais cheval Que tu t’foutais, Madame, la gueule par terre Jolie Madame, quand tu forçais le cerf
I was much happier before, when I was a horse and you made a fool of yourself, dear lady, trying to hunt deer.

Mais tu as voulu qu’j'apprenne les bonnes manières Tu as voulu qu’je marche sur les pattes de derrière Je n'étais qu'un cheval oui, oui, mais tu m'as couillonné, hein Par amour pour toi je me suis derrièrisé
But you wanted me to learn manners, to walk on my hind legs. I was only a horse and you made a fool of me. Because of my love for you, I became ridiculous.

Et depuis, toutes les nuits Quand nous dansons le tango Je regrette mon écurie Mon écurie et mon galop
And every night since then, when we dance the tango, I regret my stable and my gallop.

J'étais vraiment, vraiment bien plus heureux Bien plus heureux avant, quand j'étais cheval Que je te promenais, Madame, sur mon dos Jolie Madame, en forêt d’Fontainebleau
I was much happier before, when I was a horse and carried you on my back, dear lady, through the Fontainebleau forest.

Mais tu as voulu que je sois ton banquier Tu as même voulu qu’je me mette à chanter Je n'étais qu'un cheval oui, oui mais tu en as abusé Par amour pour toi, je me suis variété
But you wanted me to be your banker, you even wanted me to sing. I was only a horse, but you exploited me. Because of my love for you, I became a variety act.

Et depuis toutes les nuits Quand je chante "Ne me quitte pas" Je regrette mon écurie Et mes silences d'autrefois
And every night since then, when I sing "Don't leave me," I regret my stable and my former silence.

Et puis et puis, tu es partie radicale Avec un zèbre, un zèbre mal rayé Le jour, Madame, où je t'ai refusé D'apprendre à monter à cheval Mais tu m'avais pris ma jument Mon silence, mes sabots Mon écurie, mon galop Tu ne m'as laissé que mes dents
And then, suddenly, you left with a badly-striped zebra, the day, madame, that I refused to teach you how to ride a horse. But you had taken my mare, my silence, my hooves, my stable, my gallop. You left me only with my teeth.

Et voilà pourquoi je cours, je cours Je cours le monde en hennissant Me voyant refuser l'amour Par les femmes et par les juments
And that's why I run, I run, I run through the world, neighing, seeing love refused to me by women and mares.

J'étais vraiment, vraiment bien plus heureux Bien plus heureux avant quand j'étais cheval Que je promenais Madame, votre landau Quand j'étais ch’val et quand tu étais chameau!
I was much happier before, when I was a horse and I pulled your carriage, dear lady. When I was a horse and you were a camel!

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS

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