Jacques Brel (8 April 1929 – 9 October 1978) was a Belgian singer and songw… Read Full Bio ↴Jacques Brel (8 April 1929 – 9 October 1978) was a Belgian singer and songwriter who composed and performed literate, thoughtful, and theatrical songs that generated a large, devoted following in Belgium and France initially, and later throughout the world. He was widely considered a master of the modern chanson. Although he recorded most of his songs in French, he became a major influence on English-speaking songwriters and performers such as David Bowie, Alex Harvey, Leonard Cohen, Marc Almond and Rod McKuen. English translations of his songs were recorded by many top performers in the United States, including Ray Charles, Judy Collins, John Denver, the Kingston Trio, Nina Simone, Frank Sinatra, Scott Walker, and Andy Williams. In French-speaking countries, Brel was also a successful actor, appearing in ten films. He also directed two films, one of which, Le Far West, was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1973. Jacques Brel has sold over 25 million records worldwide, and is the third best-selling Belgian recording artist of all time.

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.

Une Ile
Jacques Brel Lyrics

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Une île
Une île au large de l'espoir
Où les hommes n'auraient pas peur
Et douce et calme comme ton miroir

Une île
Claire comme un matin de Pâques
Offrant l'océane langueur

D'une sirène à chaque vague

Viens
Viens mon amour
Là-bas ne seraient point ces fous
Qui nous disent d'être sages
Ou que vingt ans est le bel âge

Voici venu le temps de vivre
Voici venu le temps d'aimer

Une île
Une île au large de l'amour
Posée sur l'autel de la mer
Satin couché sur le velours

Une île
Chaude comme la tendresse
Espérante comme un désert
Qu'un nuage de pluie caresse

Viens
Viens mon amour
Là-bas ne seraient point ces fous
Qui nous cachent les longues plages

Viens mon amour
Fuyons l'orage
Voici venu le temps de vivre
Voici venu le temps d'aimer

Une île
Une île qu'il nous reste à bâtir
Mais qui donc pourrait retenir
Les rêves que l'on rêve à deux

Une île
Voici qu'une île est en partance
Et qui sommeillait en nos yeux
Depuis les portes de l'enfance

Viens
Viens mon amour
Car c'est là-bas que tout commence
Je crois à la dernière chance

Et tu es celle que je veux

Voici venu le temps de vivre
Voici venu le temps d'aimer

Overall Meaning

The song "Île," which means "Island" in English, is a romantic ballad by Belgian singer-songwriter Jacques Brel. The lyrics describe a perfect, peaceful island where love can flourish. The island is portrayed as a safe haven away from the madness of the world, where lovers can be free to live their lives and pursue their dreams without judgment or interference.

The lyrics encourage the singer's lover to join him as he paints a picture of a paradise-like island, where they can escape from the rules and expectations of society. Brel uses metaphors to describe the island's beauty and charm, comparing it to a calm and clear mirror and a desert waiting to be caressed by rain. He also portrays the island as a place of hope and affection, where the waves carry the songs of mermaids and the island's satin is laid on a velvet bed.

Throughout the song, Brel emphasizes the importance of living and loving in the present moment. He argues that life is short and that it is essential to seek out happiness and not be held back by the opinions of others. The song's hopeful and romantic tone speaks to the universal desire for a safe haven where love can flourish, and dreams can come true.

Line by Line Meaning

Une île
A place where one can escape to

Une île au large de l'espoir
A place far from hopelessness

Où les hommes n'auraient pas peur
Where men wouldn't fear

Et douce et calme comme ton miroir
As gentle and calm as your reflection

Claire comme un matin de Pâques
Bright like an Easter morning

Offrant l'océane langueur
Offering the languor of the ocean

D'une sirène à chaque vague
With a mermaid in every wave

Viens
Come

Viens mon amour
Come, my love

Là-bas ne seraient point ces fous
There, those crazy people won't be

Qui nous disent d'être sages
Who tell us to be wise

Ou que vingt ans est le bel âge
Or that twenty years is the beautiful age

Voici venu le temps de vivre
The time has come to live

Voici venu le temps d'aimer
The time has come to love

Une île au large de l'amour
A place far from lovelessness

Posée sur l'autel de la mer
Resting on the altar of the sea

Satin couché sur le velours
Satin lying on velvet

Chaude comme la tendresse
Warm like tenderness

Espérante comme un désert
Hopeful like a desert

Qu'un nuage de pluie caresse
Caressed by a cloud of rain

Viens mon amour
Come, my love

Là-bas ne seraient point ces fous
There, those crazy people won't be

Qui nous cachent les longues plages
Who hide the long beaches from us

Fuyons l'orage
Let's flee from the storm

Une île qu'il nous reste à bâtir
An island we have yet to build

Mais qui donc pourrait retenir
But who could hold back

Les rêves que l'on rêve à deux
The dreams that we dream together

Voici qu'une île est en partance
Here is an island leaving

Et qui sommeillait en nos yeux
That was sleeping in our eyes

Depuis les portes de l'enfance
Since the gates of childhood

Car c'est là-bas que tout commence
Because it's there that everything begins

Je crois à la dernière chance
I believe in the last chance

Et tu es celle que je veux
And you are the one I want

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JACQUES ROMAIN G. BREL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Mauricevictor Vial

6y↑18

Une île
Une île au large de l'espoir
Où les hommes n'auraient pas peur
Et douce et calme comme ton miroir
Une île
Claire comme un matin de Pâques
Offrant l'océane langueur
D'une sirène à chaque vague
Viens
Viens mon amour
Là-bas ne seraient point ces fous
Qui nous disent d'être sages
Ou que vingt ans est le bel âge
Voici venu le temps de vivre
Voici venu le temps d'aimer
Une île
Une île au large de l'amour
Posée sur l'autel de la mer
Satin couché sur le velours
Une île
Chaude comme la tendresse
Espérante comme un désert
Qu'un nuage de pluie caresse
Viens
Viens mon amour
Là-bas ne seraient point ces fous
Qui nous cachent les longues plages
Viens mon amour
Fuyons l'orage
Voici venu le temps de vivre
Voici venu le temps d'aimer
Une île
Une île qu'il nous reste à bâtir
Mais qui donc pourrait retenir
Les rêves que l'on rêve à deux
Une île
Voici qu'une île est en partance
Et qui sommeillait en nos yeux
Depuis les portes de l'enfance
Viens
Viens mon amour
Car c'est là-bas que tout commence
Je crois à la dernière chance
Et tu es celle que je veux
Voici venu le temps de vivre
Voici venu le temps d'aimer

All comments from YouTube:

Mauricevictor Vial

6y↑18

catherine phal

4y↑2

MERCI

Isabelle C

4y↑1

idem

Thierry Kocan

7y↑42

A chaque chanson de J.Brel on peut lire : "sa plus belle chanson" ce qui est surement vrai pour celui qui l'écrit au moment où il l'écrit. Mais c'est bien l’œuvre de Brel toute entière qui est sa plus belle chanson. Chaque texte nous fait rêver ou prendre conscience de notre bêtise et du temps perdu avec le superflu. Quelle chance avons-nous les francophones de pouvoir se nourrir de ses textes où chaque mot est un discours, une idée, un rêve qui nous désigne là où l'on doit regarder avec notre coeur