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 bonbons 67
Jacques Brel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Vois-tu, Germaine, j'ai eu trop mal
Quand tu m'as fait cette réflexion
Au sujet de mes cheveux longs
C'est la rupture bête et brutale
Je viens rechercher mes bonbons
Maintenant je suis un autre garçon
J'ai perdu l'accent bruxellois
D'ailleurs plus personne n'a cet accent-là
Sauf Brel à la télévision
Je viens rechercher mes bonbons
Quand père m'agace, moi
Je lui fais "zop!"
Je traite ma mère de névropathe
Faut dire que père est vachement bath
Alors que mère est un peu snob
Mais tout ça hein c'est le conflit des générations
Je viens rechercher mes bonbons
Et tous les samedis que je peux
Germaine, j'écoute pousser mes cheveux
Je fais "glouglou" et je fais "miam miam"
Je défile, criant "paix au Vietnam!"
parce qu'enfin j'ai mes opinions
Je viens rechercher mes bonbons
Oh, mais ça c'est votre jeune frère, mademoiselle Germaine
C'est celui qu'est flamingant
Je vous ai apporté des bonbons
The song Les Bonbons 67 by Jacques Brel tells the story of a boy, who has left his hometown and moved to a fancy hotel named George-V in Paris. He has grown his hair long and lost his Brussels accent, trying to distance himself from his past life. The boy finds himself caught between generational conflicts and political inclinations. He rebels against his father and calls his mother a neurotic. On Saturdays, he listens to music and advocates peace for Vietnam. The song ends with an interruption by the boy's younger brother, who is a Flemish nationalist.
The lyrics of Les Bonbons 67 convey the universal themes of self-discovery and identity. The singer of the song is in the process of finding himself, shedding his old skin, and donning a new identity. He is seeking acceptance in the eyes of his peers and rebelling against the norms of his upbringing. The song reflects the spirit of the times when the youth were questioning authority and establishing their unique identity.
Line by Line Meaning
Je viens rechercher mes bonbons
I am coming to reclaim what belongs to me
Vois-tu, Germaine, j'ai eu trop mal
Germaine, I am hurt by what you said
Quand tu m'as fait cette réflexion
When you made that comment about my long hair
Au sujet de mes cheveux longs
About my long hair
C'est la rupture bête et brutale
Our relationship has ended in a foolish and abrupt way
Maintenant je suis un autre garçon
I have changed into a different person
J'habite à l'hôtel George-V
I now live in Hotel George-V
J'ai perdu l'accent bruxellois
My Brussels accent is gone
D'ailleurs plus personne n'a cet accent-là
No one speaks that accent anymore, except Brel on television
Sauf Brel à la télévision
Except Brel on television
Quand père m'agace, moi
When Father annoys me
Je lui fais "zop!"
I make a silly noise at him
Je traite ma mère de névropathe
I call my mother a neurotic
Faut dire que père est vachement bath
To be fair, Father is really cool
Alors que mère est un peu snob
While Mother is a bit snobbish
Mais tout ça hein c'est le conflit des générations
But it's all just a conflict between generations
Et tous les samedis que je peux
Every Saturday that I can
Germaine, j'écoute pousser mes cheveux
Germaine, I listen to my hair grow
Je fais "glouglou" et je fais "miam miam"
I make silly noises and pretend to eat
Je défile, criant "paix au Vietnam!"
I march and shout "peace for Vietnam!"
parce qu'enfin j'ai mes opinions
Because I finally have my own opinions
Oh, mais ça c'est votre jeune frère, mademoiselle Germaine
Oh, but that's your little brother, Miss Germaine
C'est celui qu'est flamingant
He's the one who supports Flemish nationalism
Je vous ai apporté des bonbons
I brought you some candy
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Jacques Brel
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mary M. Brandes
on La Valse à Mille Temps
I love Jacques Brel songs.