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.
Quête
Jacques Brel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Porter le chagrin des départs
Brûler d'une possible fièvre
Partir où personne ne part
Aimer jusqu'à la déchirure
Aimer, même trop, même mal,
Tenter, sans force et sans armure,
Telle est ma quête,
Suivre l'étoile
Peu m'importent mes chances
Peu m'importe le temps
Ou ma désespérance
Et puis lutter toujours
Sans questions ni repos
Se damner
Pour l'or d'un mot d'amour
Je ne sais si je serai ce héros
Mais mon cœur serait tranquille
Et les villes s'éclabousseraient de bleu
Parce qu'un malheureux
Brûle encore, bien qu'ayant tout brûlé
Brûle encore, même trop, même mal
Pour atteindre à s'en écarteler
Pour atteindre l'inaccessible étoile.
"Quête" is one of Jacques Brel's most famous songs, and it explores the concept of chasing an impossible dream despite the challenges and pain that may come with it. The lyrics reveal the singer's desire to pursue a feat that seems unattainable- to follow a star, to leave behind all sadness and heartbreak, and to achieve something that no one else thought possible.
In the first verse, he expresses his longing to leave everything behind and embark on a journey where no one else has gone. He's willing to take on the burden of departures and uncertainty as long as he can pursue his aspiration. The second verse delves into the idea of love and how it can be both beautiful and tragic. The singer understands that loving someone can lead to heartbreak, but he's ready to take that risk and try to reach "the inaccessible star."
In the chorus, he repeats the phrase "such is my quest" to emphasize the goal he's set out to achieve, regardless of the odds stacked against him. He acknowledges that his chances of succeeding are slim and that he may never be the hero who reaches the star, but he's still going to pursue it with all his heart. The final lines of the song reveal how he doesn't mind the sacrifices he has to make or the pain he'll have to endure. He believes that the world will benefit from his struggle and that someday, even the cities will be painted blue because of it.
Overall, "Quête" is a powerful song that encourages listeners to chase their dreams relentlessly, even if it seems impossible. It highlights the importance of perseverance, determination, and the willingness to suffer to achieve something that's truly worth it.
Line by Line Meaning
Rêver un impossible rêve
To dream of an impossible dream
Porter le chagrin des départs
To carry the sadness of departures
Brûler d'une possible fièvre
To burn with a possible fever
Partir où personne ne part
To leave where nobody goes
Aimer jusqu'à la déchirure
To love until the breaking point
Aimer, même trop, même mal,
To love, even too much, even poorly,
Tenter, sans force et sans armure,
To attempt, without strength and without armor,
D'atteindre l'inaccessible étoile
To reach the unreachable star
Telle est ma quête,
That is my quest,
Suivre l'étoile
To follow the star
Peu m'importent mes chances
My chances are of little importance to me
Peu m'importe le temps
Time doesn't matter to me
Ou ma désespérance
Nor does my despair
Et puis lutter toujours
And still fight always
Sans questions ni repos
Without questions or rest
Se damner
To damn oneself
Pour l'or d'un mot d'amour
For the gold of a word of love
Je ne sais si je serai ce héros
I don't know if I'll be that hero
Mais mon cœur serait tranquille
But my heart would be at peace
Et les villes s'éclabousseraient de bleu
And cities would splash with blue
Parce qu'un malheureux
Because a miserable
Brûle encore, bien qu'ayant tout brûlé
Burns still, even though having burned everything
Brûle encore, même trop, même mal
Burns still, even too much, even poorly
Pour atteindre à s'en écarteler
To reach until tearing oneself apart
Pour atteindre l'inaccessible étoile.
To reach the unreachable star.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOE DARION, MITCHELL LEIGH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Christiane Labrevoir
Merci pour cette magnifique chanson, remplie de vérité. Merci à toi Jacques Brel . Je t’aime 😘❤️
christian derbuel
Celui qui, après avoir écouté l'interprétation de "La Quête " par Jacques Brel , ne frissonne pas de haut en bas n'appartient pas au genre humain. Jacque Brel, unique, irremplaçable et irremplacé.Un géant !
ely ejoty
Heureusement qu'il n'a pas été remplacé ( les clones en matière d'art c'est pas terrible. Laissons ça à Johnny). Mieux que ça, il et continué par d'autres artistes eux aussi d'un très haut niveau, inspirés par leurs prédécesseurs, dont on peut dire qu'ils sont ses enfants spirituels.
Cath Wasterlain
Pour toi papa. Bisous cathy
Laurent Roux
Cest tout à fait vrai...j'ai des disques vinyls de mes parents et je les gardes
Laurent Roux
@Janine Blanchet 😉
C E
Quelle chanson prodigieuse, un des plus beaux hymnes à l'amour, une des plus belles définitions de l'amour absolu et hélas parfois inaccessible. Il n'y avait que Jacques Brel pour interpréter cette chanson, avec toute la profondeur, la sincérité et peut-être même la souffrance qu'elle traduit, car l'amour est toujours une souffrance. Merci à la Belgique d'avoir fait un tel artiste.
Françoise
Oh que oui.
Et que dire de la "Chanson des vieux amants" que j'écoute en boucle, et qui me bouleverse toujours autant !
Nada Britel
Une interprétation qui nous fait vibrer.
L'unique, le seul, l'éternel Brel, lui seul donne à chaque chanson une dimension
Fulgurante.
Patrick Magnenet
Magnifique, il n'y a pas d'autres mots ! Une des seules chansons qui le fait pleurer a chaque écoute ! Quel artiste, merci pour vos chefs d'oeuvre !!!!