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.
Madeleine
Jacques Brel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
J`ai apporté do lilas
J`en apporte toutes les semaines
Madeleine elle aime bien ça
Ce soir j`attends Madeleine
On prendra le tram trente-trois
Pour manger des frites chez Eugène
Madeleine elle aime tant ça
C`est mon Amérique à moi
Même qu`elle est trop bien pour moi
Comme dit son cousin Joël
Ce soir j`attends Madeleine
On ira au cinéma
Je lui dirai des "je t`aime"
Madeleine elle aime tant ça
Elle est tellement jolie
Elle est tellement tout ça
Elle est toute ma vie
Madeleine que j`attends là
Ce soir j`attends Madeleine
Mais il pleut sur mes lilas
Il pleut comme toutes les semaines
Et Madeleine n`arrive pas
Ce soir j`attends Madeleine
C`est trop tard pour le tram trente-trois
Trop tard pour les frites d`Eugène
Et Madeleine n`arrive pas
Madeleine c`est mon horizon
C`est mon Amérique à moi
Même qu`elle est trop bien pour moi
Comme dit son cousin Gaston
Mais ce soir j`attends Madeleine
Il me reste le cinéma
Je lui dirai des "je t`aime"
Madeleine elle aime tant ça
Elle est tellement jolie
Elle est tellement tout ça
Elle est toute ma vie
Madeleine qui n`arrive pas
Ce soir j`attendais Madeleine
Mais j`ai jeté mes lilas
Je les ai jetés comme toutes les semaines
Madeleine ne viendra pas
Ce soir j`attendais Madeleine
C`est fichu pour le cinéma
Je reste avec mes "je t`aime"
Madeleine ne viendra pas
Madeleine c`est mon espoir
C`est mon Amérique à moi
Sûr qu`elle est trop bien pour moi
Comme dit son cousin Gaspard
Ce soir j`attendais Madeleine
Tiens le dernier tram s`en va
On doit fermer chez Eugène
Madeleine ne viendra pas
Elle est tellement jolie
Elle est tellement tout ça
Elle est toute ma vie
Madeleine qui ne viendra pas
Demain j`attendrai Madeleine
Je rapporterai do lilas
J`en rapporterai toute la semaine
Madeleine elle aimera ça
Demain j`attendrai Madeleine
On prendra le tram trente-trois
Pour manger des frites chez Eugène
Madeleine elle aimera ça
Madeleine c`est mon espoir
C`est mon Amérique à moi
Tant pis si elle est trop bien pour moi
Comme dit son cousin Gaspard
Demain j`attendrai Madeleine
On ira au cinéma
Je lui dirai des "je t`aime"
Madeleine elle aimera ça
Jacques Brel's "Madeleine" is a love song that tells the story of a man who is waiting for his lover, Madeleine. He's brought her lilacs, her favorite flowers, and is planning to take her out to eat fries at Eugène's and watch a movie. The lyrics capture the hope, anticipation, and disappointment that comes with waiting for someone who may or may not show up.
Throughout the song, Madeleine is portrayed as the man's "America," his world of possibilities and potential happiness. However, the man seems to have a low sense of self-esteem and repeatedly acknowledges the fact that Madeleine is "too good for him" according to her relatives, Joël and Gaston. The lilacs serve as a symbol of hope that he'll eventually reunite with Madeleine, but the rain that falls on them every week portends disappointment.
In the end, despite the rain and his dashed hopes, the man remains optimistic about the future and vows to wait for Madeleine again, bringing her lilacs once more. The song is a beautiful representation of the human experience of love, hope, and disappointment, and how we continue to pursue the things we desire.
Line by Line Meaning
Ce soir j`attends Madeleine
Tonight I am waiting for Madeleine
J`ai apporté do lilas
I brought two lilacs
J`en apporte toutes les semaines
I bring them every week
Madeleine elle aime bien ça
Madeleine likes them very much
On prendra le tram trente-trois
We will take the thirty-three tram
Pour manger des frites chez Eugène
To eat French fries at Eugène's place
Madeleine elle aime tant ça
Madeleine loves it so much
Madeleine c`est mon Noël
Madeleine is my Christmas
C`est mon Amérique à moi
She is my America
Même qu`elle est trop bien pour moi
Even though she's too good for me
Comme dit son cousin Joël
As her cousin Joël says
On ira au cinéma
We will go to the cinema
Je lui dirai des 'je t'aime'
I will tell her 'I love you'
Elle est tellement jolie
She is so beautiful
Elle est tellement tout ça
She is everything
Elle est toute ma vie
She is my whole life
Mais il pleut sur mes lilas
But it's raining on my lilacs
Trop tard pour les frites d`Eugène
Too late for Eugène's French fries
Madeleine c`est mon horizon
Madeleine is my horizon
Comme dit son cousin Gaston
As her cousin Gaston says
Mais j`ai jeté mes lilas
But I threw away my lilacs
C`est fichu pour le cinéma
Going to the cinema is off
Madeleine c`est mon espoir
Madeleine is my hope
Sûr qu`elle est trop bien pour moi
Surely she is too good for me
Comme dit son cousin Gaspard
As her cousin Gaspard says
Tiens le dernier tram s`en va
The last tram is leaving
On doit fermer chez Eugène
Eugène's place is closing
Demain j`attendrai Madeleine
Tomorrow I'll wait for Madeleine
Tant pis si elle est trop bien pour moi
Too bad if she is too good for me
Demain j`attendrai Madeleine
Tomorrow I'll wait for Madeleine
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC FRANCE
Written by: Gerard Jouannest, Jacques Brel, Jean Corti
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mary M. Brandes
on La Valse à Mille Temps
I love Jacques Brel songs.