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.
Les Amants De Coeur
Jacques Brel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ils s'aiment s'aiment pour toujours
Ils s'aiment tout au long du jour
Ils s'aiment s'aiment s'aiment tant
Qu'on dirait des anges d'amour
Des anges fous se protégeant
Quand se retrouvent en courant
Les amants
Les amants
Ils s'aiment s'aiment à la folie
S'effeuillant à l'ombre des feux
Se découvrant comme deux fruits
Puis se trouvant n'être plus deux
Se dénouant comme velours
Se reprenant au petit jour
Et s'endormant les plus heureux
Les amants,les amants de coeur
Les amants
Ils s'aiment s'aiment en tremblant
Le coeur mouillé le coeur battant
Chaque seconde est une peur
Qui croque le coeur entre ses dents
Ils savent trop de rendez-vous
Où n'vinrent que des facteurs
Pour n'avoir pas peur du loup
Les amants,les amants de coeur
Les amants
Ils s'aiment s'aiment en pleurant
Chaque jour un peu moins amants
Quand ils ont bu tout leur mystère
Deviennent comme soeur et frère
Brûlent leurs ailes d'inquiétude
Redeviennent deux habitudes
Alors changent de partenaire
Les amants, les amants de coeur
Les amants
Qui s'aiment s'aiment en riant
Qui s'aiment s'aiment pour toujours
Qui s'aiment tout au long du jour
Qui s'aiment s'aiment s'aiment tant
Qu'on dirait des anges d'amour
Des anges fous se protégeant
Quand ils se retrouv'nt en courant
Les amants, les amants de coeur
Les amants
The lyrics of "Les Amants De Coeur" by Jacques Brel describe the different stages and emotions of love experienced by a couple. The first verse portrays them as "angels of love" who laugh and love each other forever, protected like crazy angels when they run to meet each other. The second verse describes them as lovers who are mad for each other, who undress like two fruit in the shadow of the night, discovering and becoming one another. They fall asleep the happiest of lovers. In the third verse, their love is portrayed as trembling and uncertain, afraid of being found out or exposed; they are cautious with their love as they anticipate danger. The final verse portrays them as sad and accepting, resigned to the fate of their love, acknowledging that they have drunk up all the mystery of their love, and are now living as brother and sister. The song ends with the repetition of the first verse, reminding us that they are indeed still the same "angels of love".
The song's lyrics are a poetic and deep exploration of the different stages of love and relationships, from the initial passion and madness to the fear of being exposed and then the acceptance and resignation of the end of a relationship. The song is not only about the intensity of love, but also about its complexity and the transformative power it has on people.
Line by Line Meaning
Ils s'aiment s'aiment en riant
They love each other while laughing
Ils s'aiment s'aiment pour toujours
They love each other forever
Ils s'aiment tout au long du jour
They love each other all day long
Ils s'aiment s'aiment s'aiment tant
They love each other so much
Qu'on dirait des anges d'amour
That they look like love angels
Des anges fous se protégeant
Crazy angels protecting each other
Quand se retrouvent en courant
When they meet while running
Les amants
The lovers
Les amants de coeur
The heart lovers
Ils s'aiment s'aiment à la folie
They love each other madly
S'effeuillant à l'ombre des feux
Stripping under the firelight
Se découvrant comme deux fruits
Discovering each other like two fruits
Puis se trouvant n'être plus deux
Then finding out they are no longer two
Se dénouant comme velours
Unraveling like velvet
Se reprenant au petit jour
Taking each other back at dawn
Et s'endormant les plus heureux
And falling asleep as the happiest
Ils s'aiment s'aiment en tremblant
They love each other while trembling
Le coeur mouillé le coeur battant
Heart wet, heart pounding
Chaque seconde est une peur
Every second is a fear
Qui croque le coeur entre ses dents
That bites the heart between its teeth
Ils savent trop de rendez-vous
They know too many appointments
Où n'vinrent que des facteurs
Where only messengers came
Pour n'avoir pas peur du loup
To not be afraid of the wolf
Ils s'aiment s'aiment en pleurant
They love each other while crying
Chaque jour un peu moins amants
Every day a little less lovers
Quand ils ont bu tout leur mystère
When they have drunk all their mystery
Deviennent comme soeur et frère
They become like brother and sister
Brûlent leurs ailes d'inquiétude
Burning their wings of worry
Redeviennent deux habitudes
Becoming two habits again
Alors changent de partenaire
Then they change their partner
Qui s'aiment s'aiment en riant
Those who love each other while laughing
Qui s'aiment s'aiment pour toujours
Those who love each other forever
Qui s'aiment tout au long du jour
Those who love each other all day long
Qui s'aiment s'aiment s'aiment tant
Those who love each other so much
Qu'on dirait des anges d'amour
That they look like love angels
Des anges fous se protégeant
Crazy angels protecting each other
Quand ils se retrouv'nt en courant
When they meet while running
Les amants
The lovers
Lyrics © SEMI
Written by: ROD MC KUEN, Jacques BREL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@michelesanchez6586
Je découvre cette magnifique chanson aujourd'hui. Mon dieu quelle est belle 😘
@vivienpandart
+1
@SangMarocain
Liege
@nabilsumath4442
Ils aiment toujours dans le SILENCE des bienfaits d'une clémente SOLITUDE ! L'AMOUR EST PRÉSENT pour effacer les mauvais moments d'une personne qui regrette d'être malhonnête ... Mes les beaux souvenirs des AMI ES RESTENT RÉUNIES À JAMAIS .
@celestecoeur
C'est merveilleux
@prandichristel4826
Chanson vraiment magnifique et vrai 💞
@ahmedfrederic3907
Publié pour la première fois dans un coffret de 14 Disques Velours bleu en 1982
@renatocpjr5192
Eterno, Brel...!
@patriciavillalobos9317
Ahhh, il connaissait tant l'amour.
@sylvievanneste9440
merci !!!!