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.
Marieke
Jacques Brel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Entre les tours de Bruges et Gand
Ay Marieke, Marieke il why a longtemps
Entre les tours de Bruges et Gand
Zonder liefde warme liefde
Waait de wind de stomme wind
Zonder liefde warme liefde
Zonder liefde warme liefde
Lijdt het licht het donk're licht
En schuurt het zand over mijn land
Mijn platte land mijn Vlaanderland
Ay Marieke, Marieke le ciel flamand
Couleur des tours de Bruges et Gand
Ay Marieke, Marieke le ciel flamand
Pleure avec moi de Bruges à Gand
Zonder liefde warme liefde
Waait de wind see'est fini
Zonder liefde warme liefde
Weent de zee déjà fini
Zonder liefde warme liefde
Lijdt het licht tout est fini
En schuurt het zand over mijn land
Mijn platte land mijn Vlaanderland
Ay Marieke, Marieke le ciel flamand
Pesait-il trop de Bruges à Gand
Ay Marieke, Marieke sur tes vingt ans
Que j'aimais tant de Bruges à Gand
Zonder liefde warme liefde
Lacht de duivel de zwarte duivel
Zonder liefde warme liefde
Brandt mijn hart mijn oude hart
Zonder liefde warme liefde
Sterft de zomer de droeve zomer
En schuurt het zand over mijn land
Mijn platte land mijn Vlaanderland
Ay Marieke, Marieke revienne le temps
Revienne le temps de Bruges et Gand
Ay Marieke, Marieke revienne le temps
Où tu m'aimais de Bruges à Gand
Ay Marieke, Marieke le soir souvent
Entre les tours de Bruges et Gand
Ay Marieke, Marieke tous les étangs
M'ouvrent leurs bras de Bruges à Gand
De Bruges à Gand de Bruges à Gand
The lyrics of Jacques Brel’s “Marieke” describe the singer’s love for a woman named Marieke, whom he loved passionately when they wandered through the towers of Bruges and Ghent. The lyrics are a plea for the return of warm love in a world that is cold, dark, and hostile, where love is the only source of warmth and light. The phrase “zonder liefde warme liefde” (“without love, warm love”) is repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the significance of love as the only antidote to life's fierce coldness.
The song’s setting is in Flanders, and the lyrics focus on the Flemish sky and its colors, which are illustrated by the towers of Bruges and Ghent. The song seems to be an ode to the Flemish countryside and the love that the singer shared with Marieke as they wandered through it. The song speaks of a time when the singer and Marieke were happy, but now those times are gone, and they’re apart. The song ends with the singer’s prayer for the time to return when Marieke loved him from Bruges to Ghent.
Overall, the lyrics of “Marieke” evoke a melancholic tone, speaking with great emotional weight of a love that’s gone, a love that likely will never return, and the singer’s prayer for warm love to find him again.
Line by Line Meaning
Ay Marieke, Marieke je t'aimais tant
Oh Marieke, Marieke, I loved you so much
Entre les tours de Bruges et Gand
Between the towers of Bruges and Ghent
Zonder liefde warme liefde
Without warm love, love which holds passion,
Waait de wind de stomme wind
Blows the wind, the senseless wind
Weent de zee de grijze zee
Cries the sea, the grey and sad sea
Zonder liefde warme liefde
Without warm love, love which holds passion,
Lijdt het licht het donk're licht
Suffers the light, the dark light
En schuurt het zand over mijn land
And the sand scratches my land,
Mijn platte land mijn Vlaanderland
My flat land, my Flanders
Ay Marieke, Marieke le ciel flamand
Oh Marieke, Marieke, the Flemish sky
Couleur des tours de Bruges et Gand
The color of the towers of Bruges and Ghent
Pleure avec moi de Bruges à Gand
Cry with me from Bruges to Ghent
Zonder liefde warme liefde
Without warm love, love which holds passion,
Waait de wind see'est fini
Blows the wind, it's finished
Weent de zee déjà fini
Cries the sea, already finished
Lijdt het licht tout est fini
Suffers the light, everything is finished
Ay Marieke, Marieke le ciel flamand
Oh Marieke, Marieke, the Flemish sky
Pesait-il trop de Bruges à Gand
Was it too heavy from Bruges to Ghent
Ay Marieke, Marieke sur tes vingt ans
Oh Marieke, Marieke, on your twentieth year
Que j'aimais tant de Bruges à Gand
How much I loved you from Bruges to Ghent
Zonder liefde warme liefde
Without warm love, love which holds passion,
Lacht de duivel de zwarte duivel
Laughs the devil, the black devil
Brandt mijn hart mijn oude hart
Burns my heart, my old heart
Zonder liefde warme liefde
Without warm love, love which holds passion,
Sterft de zomer de droeve zomer
Dies the summer, the sad summer
Ay Marieke, Marieke revienne le temps
Oh Marieke, Marieke, may time go back
Revienne le temps de Bruges et Gand
May the time of Bruges and Ghent return
Où tu m'aimais de Bruges à Gand
Where you loved me from Bruges to Ghent
Ay Marieke, Marieke le soir souvent
Oh Marieke, Marieke, the evening often
Entre les tours de Bruges et Gand
Between the towers of Bruges and Ghent
Ay Marieke, Marieke tous les étangs
Oh Marieke, Marieke, all the ponds
M'ouvrent leurs bras de Bruges à Gand
Open their arms for me from Bruges to Ghent
De Bruges à Gand de Bruges à Gand
From Bruges to Ghent, from Bruges to Ghent
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC FRANCE
Written by: GERARD EMILE JOUANNEST, JACQUES ROMAIN G. BREL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@caseymalone3402
Oh Marieke, Marieke, I loved you so much
Between the towers of Bruges and Ghent
Oh Marieke, Marieke, long ago
Between the towers of Bruges and Ghent
Without love, warm love
The wind blows, the stupid wind
Without love, warm love
The ocean cries, the grey ocean
Without love, warm love
The light suffers, the dark light
And the sand scours my country
My flat country, my Flanders
Oh Marieke, Marieke, the Flemish sky
The colour of the towers between Bruges and Ghent
Oh Marieke, Marieke, the Flemish sky
Cries with me from Bruges to Ghent
Without love, warm love
The wind blows “IT’S OVER”
Without love, warm love
The ocean cries “ALREADY OVER”
Without love, warm love
The light suffers, “EVERYTHING IS OVER”
And the sand scours my country
My flat country, my Flanders
Oh Marieke, Marieke, the Flemish sky
Did it weigh too much from Bruges to Ghent?
Oh Marieke, Marieke, on your twenty years
I loved that so much, from Bruges to Ghent
Without love, warm love
The devil laughs, the black devil
Without love, warm love
My heart burns, my old heart
Without love, warm love
The summer dies, the sad summer
And the sand scours my country
My flat country, my Flanders
Oh Marieke, Marieke, rewind the time
Rewind the time back to Bruges and Ghent
Oh Marieke, Marieke, rewind the time
Where you loved me, from Bruges to Ghent
Oh Marieke, Marieke, often at night
Between the towers of Bruges and Ghent
Oh Marieke, Marieke, all ponds
Open their/your arms for me from Bruges to Ghent
From Bruges to Ghent, from Bruges to Ghent…
Beautiful song that takes on so much more after reading a translation of the lyrics.
@Wilbtube
In French
Aw, Marieke, Marieke
I loved you so
Between the towers
of Bruges and Ghent
Aw, Marieke, Marieke
So long ago
Between the towers
of Bruges and Ghent
in Dutch
Without love, without hot love
Wind will blow, the stupid wind
Without love, without hot love
Sea will weap, the grim grey sea
Without love, without hot love
Light will ail, the gloomy light
And sand will scour all over the land
My low, flat land, my Flemish land
in French
Aw, Marieke, Marieke,
The Flemish sky
Toned like the towers
of Bruges and Ghent
Aw, Marieke, Marieke,
The Flemish sky
Weaps just like me
from Bruges to Ghent
in Dutch and (in French)
Without love, without hot love
Wind will blow (it is gone)
Without love, without hot love
Sea will weap (it is long gone)
Without love, without hot love
Light will ail (all is gone)
And sand will scour all over the land
My low, flat land, my Flemish land
in French
Aw, Marieke, Marieke,
The Flemish sky
Was it too much
from Bruges to Ghent,
Aw, Marieke, Marieke,
to bear for one
so young I loved
from Bruges to Ghent?*
(*literally: Did the sky weigh too heavily on your 20 years, whom I loved from Bruges to Ghent?)
in Dutch
Without love, without hot love,
The Devil laughs, the black-hued Devil,
Without love, without hot love,
My heart's aflame, my aging heart,
Without love, without hot love,
The summer dies, the dreary summer,
And sand will scour all over the land
My low, flat land, my Flemish land
in French
Aw, Marieke, Marieke,
Go back in time
Go back in time
to Bruges and Ghent** (**literally: may the time return of Bruges and Ghent)
Aw, Marieke, Marieke
Go back in time
to our love*** (***literally: may the time return when you loved me from B to G)
from Bruges to Ghent
Aw, Marieke, Marieke,
On many an eve
between the towers
of Bruges and Ghent
Aw Marieke, Marieke,
All waters run
To open their arms
from Bruges to Ghent
from Bruges to Ghent
from Bruges to Ghent etc...
@bryanbourgois3945
Ay Marieke, Marieke je t'aimais tant
Entre les tours de Bruges et Gand
Ay Marieke, Marieke il why a longtemps
Entre les tours de Bruges et Gand
Zonder liefde warme liefde
Waait de wind de stomme wind
Zonder liefde warme liefde
Weent de zee de grijze zee
Zonder liefde warme liefde
Lijdt het licht het donk're licht
En schuurt het zand over mijn land
Mijn platte land mijn Vlaanderland
Ay Marieke, Marieke le ciel flamand
Couleur des tours de Bruges et Gand
Ay Marieke, Marieke le ciel flamand
Pleure avec moi de Bruges à Gand
Zonder liefde warme liefde
Waait de wind see'est fini
Zonder liefde warme liefde
Weent de zee déjà fini
Zonder liefde warme liefde
Lijdt het licht tout est fini
En schuurt het zand over mijn land
Mijn platte land mijn Vlaanderland
Ay Marieke, Marieke le ciel flamand
Pesait-il trop de Bruges à Gand
Ay Marieke, Marieke sur tes vingt ans
Que j'aimais tant de Bruges à Gand
Zonder liefde warme liefde
Lacht de duivel de zwarte duivel
Zonder liefde warme liefde
Brandt mijn hart mijn oude hart
Zonder liefde warme liefde
Sterft de zomer de droeve zomer
En schuurt het zand over mijn land
Mijn platte land mijn Vlaanderland
Ay Marieke, Marieke revienne le temps
Revienne le temps de Bruges et Gand
Ay Marieke, Marieke revienne le temps
Où tu m'aimais de Bruges à Gand
Ay Marieke, Marieke le soir souvent
Entre les tours de Bruges et Gand
Ay Marieke, Marieke tous les étangs
M'ouvrent leurs bras de Bruges à Gand
De Bruges à Gand de Bruges à Gand
Traduire en français
@karinakiekens2808
My father sang this song to my mother, when he came home from work. My mother died young, she was only 49 years old. Today is her birthday.
@mariekede
Every time I play this, I feel goosebumps. I'm honoured to owe my name to this song and this oh so talented artist. Never have I seen anyone sing with this much visible emotion
@tarquinmidwinter2056
My daughter owes her name to this song too.
@ezandman6804
...daar denkt Jef toch net anders over. Salut
@jean-paulclaustres8496
C'est une connerie ..encore une de plus !
@dangaines405
“Ay, Marieke, Marieke, le ciel flamande”! The passion and talent that Jacques Brel had when singing will never be duplicated!
@ririke06
Me too 😊
@viictor1309
Je ne comprends pas un seul mot de flammand et je n'ai jamais été en Belgique, mais quel homme les gars, quel homme...
@laurynbeer8678
No one on this planet could sing or write a song like Brel. He put every fibre of his being into each performance -- as if his life depended on it. Il est mon heros.
@mpspuij
That is why he always will live on. His songs are part of my life.