As an iconic figure in France, he achieved fame through his elegant songs with their harmonically complex music for voice and guitar and articulate, diverse lyrics. He is considered one of France's most accomplished postwar poets. He has also set to music poems by both well-known and relatively obscure poets, including Louis Aragon (Il n'y a pas d'amour heureux), Victor Hugo (La Légende de la Nonne, Gastibelza), Paul Verlaine, Jean Richepin, François Villon (La Ballade des Dames du Temps Jadis), and Antoine Pol (Les Passantes).
Brassens grew up in the family home in Sète with his mother Elvira Dagrosa, father Jean-Louis, half-sister Simone (daughter of Elvira and her first husband, who was killed in World War I), and paternal grandfather Jules. His mother, whom Brassens labeled a "activist for songs" (militante de la chanson), had a love for music.[2]
Brassens in 1952
Career
He toured with Pierre Louki, who wrote a book of recollections entitled Avec Brassens (éditions Christian Pirot, 1999, ISBN2-86808-129-0). After 1952, Brassens rarely left France. A few trips to Belgium and Switzerland; a month in Canada (1961, recording issued on CD in 2011) and another in North Africa were his only trips outside France – except for his concerts in Wales in 1970 and 1973 (Cardiff).[3] His concert at Cardiff's Sherman Theatre in 1973 saw Jake Thackray — a great admirer of his work – open for him.[4]
Brassens accompanied himself on acoustic guitar. Most of the time the only other accompaniment came from his friend Pierre Nicolas with a double bass, and sometimes a second guitar (Barthélémy Rosso, Joël Favreau [fr]).
His songs often decry hypocrisy and self-righteousness in the conservative French society of the time, especially among the religious, the well-to-do, and those in law enforcement. The criticism is often indirect, focusing on the good deeds or innocence of others in contrast. His elegant use of florid language and dark humor, along with bouncy rhythms, often give a rather jocular feeling to even the grimmest lyrics.
Some of his most famous songs include:
'La Guerre de '14–'18', a song which satirises claims that World War One was an "ideal war" but condemns it as being "the greatest human slaughterhouse in human history". Later adopted by English comedic duo Flanders and Swann as the basis for their own satire, 'The War of 14–18', which mocks traditional English martial English glory.[5]
"Les copains d'abord," about a boat of that name, and friendship, written for a movie Les copains (1964) directed by Yves Robert; (translated and covered by Asleep at the Wheel as "Friendship First" and by a Polish cover band Zespół Reprezentacyjny [pl] as "Kumple to grunt" and included on their 2007 eponymously titled CD).
"Chanson pour l'Auvergnat," lauding those who take care of the downtrodden against the pettiness of the bourgeois and the harshness of law enforcement.
"Brave Margot," about a young girl who gives a young kitten the breast, which attracts a large group of male onlookers.
"La Cane de Jeanne," for Marcel and Jeanne Planche, who befriended and sheltered him and others.
"La mauvaise réputation" – "the bad reputation" – a semi-autobiographical tune with its catchy lyric: "Mais les braves gens n'aiment pas que l'on suive une autre route qu'eux" (But the good folks don't like it if you take a different road than they do.) Pierre Pascal adapted part of the lyrics to Spanish under the title "La mala reputación",[6] which was later interpreted by Paco Ibañez.
"Les amoureux des bancs publics" – about young lovers who kiss each other publicly and shock self-righteous people.
"Le Gorille" – tells, in a humorous fashion, of a gorilla with a large penis (and admired for this by ladies) who escapes his cage. Mistaking a robed judge for a woman, the beast forcefully sodomizes him. The song contrasts the wooden attitude that the judge had exhibited when sentencing a man to death by the guillotine with his cries for mercy when being assaulted by the gorilla. This song, considered pornographic, was banned for a while. The song's refrain (Gare au gori – i – i – i – ille, "beware the gorilla") is widely known; it was translated into English by Jake Thackray as Brother Gorilla, by Greek singer-songwriter Christos Thivaios as Ο Γορίλλας ("The Gorilla"), by Spanish songwriter Joaquín Carbonell as "El Gorila" ("The Gorilla"), by Italian songwriter Fabrizio De André as "Il Gorilla" ("The Gorilla" – De André included this translation into his 1968 album "Volume III"), by the Polish cover band Zespół Reprezentacyjny as "Goryl" and by Israeli writer Dan Almagor as "הגורילה".
"Fernande" – a 'virile antiphon' about the women lonely men think about to inspire self-gratification (or to nip it in the bud). Its infamous refrain (Quand je pense à Fernande, je bande, je bande..., 'When I think about Fernande, I get hard') is still immediately recognized in France,[7] and has essentially ended the use of several female first names.
"Supplique pour être enterré à la plage de Sète" (in French), a long song (7:18) describing, in a colourful, "live" and poetic way, his wish to be buried on a particular sandy beach in his hometown, "Plage de la Corniche".
"Mourir pour des idées," describing the recurring violence over ideas and an exhortation to be left in peace (translated into Italian by Italian singer-songwriter Fabrizio De André as "Morire per delle idee" and included in De André's 1974 album Canzoni and by the Polish cover band Zespół Reprezentacyjny as "Śmierć za idee" and included on their 2007 CD Kumple to grunt).
The tomb of Georges Brassens in Cimetière Le Py in Sète
Legacy
In 2014, Australian-French duo Mountain Men released a live tribute album Mountain Men chante Georges Brassens.[8]
1954: Les Sabots d'Hélène (or Chanson pour l'Auvergnat)
1956: Je me suis fait tout petit
1957: Oncle Archibald
1958: Le Pornographe
1960: Les Funérailles d'antan (or Le Mécréant)
1961: Le Temps ne fait rien à l'affaire
1962: Les Trompettes de la renommée
1964: Les Copains d'abord
1966: Supplique pour être enterré à la plage de Sète
1969: Misogynie à part (or La Religieuse)
1972: Fernande
1976: Trompe la mort (or Nouvelles chansons)
1979: Brassens-Moustache jouent Brassens en jazz (with Moustache and les Petits français, jazz versions of previously released songs; re-released in 1987 as Giants of Jazz Play Brassens)
1982: Georges Brassens chante les chansons de sa jeunesse (cover album of old songs)
Live albums
1973: Georges Brassens in Great Britain
1996: Georges Brassens au TNP (recorded in 1966)
2001: Georges Brassens à la Villa d'Este (recorded in 1953)
2001: Bobino 64
2006: Concerts de 1959 à 1976 (box set featuring concerts from 1960, 1969, 1970, 1973 and 1976)
(in English)Project Brassens Brassens's complete production with English and Italian translations. Toutes les chansons de Georges Brassens avec les traductions des textes en anglais et italien - Tutte le canzoni di Georges Brassens con i testi tradotti in inglese e italiano.
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