Place de la Contrescarpe I like the idea that this is an act of defiance on Brel's part. Singing about Parisian tramps in a fifties throwback. I actually prefer the original but with an improved sound this one is acceptable. You almost think it's a song about happy dancing tramps and then the police arrive and it takes on a more realistic feel. 3/5
Our average score for "Place de Contrescarpe" was 2.63 Today, we commence discussion of the tenth Brel studio album, Brel 67. Not only does it have a title! (of sorts) it is a 12" collection. From now on the 12" is the standard format and no more 10" albums will be released, making the discography a lot simpler. It was the first Brel album to be released after he retired from live performing. He had a farewell residence at the Olympia Theatre in Paris in late 1966 and then fulfilled his existing live commitments into early 1967. Some of the songs on this album ("Mon enfance", "Le cheval", "Fils de", "Les bonbons 67", "Le gaz", "La la la...") had been premiered at these shows. Though, as usual with Brel recordings, there are no musician credits, I believe this is the first album with Marcel Azzola on accordion following the departure of Jean Corti. Azzola (1927 – 2019) released solo accordion records as well as accompanying Barbara, Yves Montand, Boris Vian, Edith Piaf, Gilbert Bécaud and Juliette Gréco.
Today's song is Mon enfance (My Childhood) Words and music by Jacques Brel Arranged by François Rauber Recorded on the 2nd January 1967 at the Barclay-Hoche studios, Paris with François Rauber and his orchestra It was the opening track of the Jacques Brel 67 album and the lead track of an EP which apparently failed to break the French top 20.
It was included in the film version of Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris as "My Childhood" and in revivals of the show. Here's a 2006 cast recording:
Lyrics/paroles Mon enfance passa De grisailles en silences De fausses révérences En manque de batailles L'hiver, j'étais au ventre De la grande maison Qui avait jeté l'ancre Au nord parmi les joncs L'été, à moitié nu Mais tout à fait modeste Je devenais Indien Pourtant déjà certain Que mes oncles repus M'avaient volé le Far West Mon enfance passa Les femmes aux cuisines Où je rêvais de Chine Vieillissaient en repas Les hommes au fromage S'enveloppaient de tabac Flamands taiseux et sages Et ne me savaient pas Moi qui toutes les nuits Agenouillé pour rien Arpégeais mon chagrin Au pied du trop grand lit Je voulais prendre un train Que je n'ai jamais pris Mon enfance passa De servante en servante Je m'étonnais déjà Qu'elles ne fussent point plantes Je m'étonnais encore De ces ronds de famille Flânant de mort en mort Et que le deuil habille Je m'étonnais surtout D'être de ce troupeau Qui m'apprenait à pleurer Que je connaissais trop J'avais l'œil du berger Mais le cœur de l'agneau Mon enfance éclata Ce fut l'adolescence Et le mur du silence Un matin se brisa Ce fut la première fleur Et la première fille La première gentille Et la première peur Je volais, je le jure Je jure que je volais Mon cœur ouvrait les bras Je n'étais plus barbare Et la guerre arriva Et nous voilà ce soir
English paraphrase by spondres (For this album, spondres has translated the songs himself from scratch rather than correcting my translations.) My childhood went by between dullness and silence [in monochrome silence] Between false reverences and a lack of battles In the winter I was in the belly of the great house Which had cast anchor in the north amid the rushes In the summer, half naked, but completely modest I became an Indian, even if already certain That my replete uncles had stolen the Far West from me. My childhood went by, the women in the kitchens, Where I dreamt of China, aged meal by meal The men enjoying the cheese wrapped themselves in tobacco Silent and wise Flemish men, and didn’t know anything about me Me, who every night, genuflecting for nothing Played out my misery at the foot of the over-sized bed I wanted to take a train that I never took My childhood went by from maid to maid I was already astonished that they weren’t plants at all [delicate flowers = plantes de serre] I was astonished still by these family rounds Strolling from death to death, and dressed in mourning attire I was above all astonished to belong to this flock Who taught me to weep, who I knew too well I had the eye of a shepherd, but the heart of a lamb My childhood burst open, it was adolescence And the wall of silence shattered one morning It was the first flower, the first girl The first cutie, the first fear I was flying, I swear it, I swear that I was flying My heart was opening its arms, I was no longer a barbarian Then the war arrived, and here we are this evening …
General thread guide Grand Jacques/Quand on n'a que l'amour albums, etc. (1953-57) Au printemps/La valse à mille temps albums etc. (1957-59) Marieke/Les bourgeois albums etc. (1960-1962) Les bigotes album etc. (1962-1963) Mathilde album etc. (1964) Jacky album etc. (1965) Brel associates and Brel "bingo cards" 1967 Brel 67 album intro/Marcel Azzola Mon enfance Selected song index: Amsterdam Au printemps Au suivant (Next) Les biches Les bigotes Les bonbons Les bourgeois (The Middle Class) Bruxelles (Brussels) Ces gens-là Le dernier repas (The Last Supper) La Fanette Les Flamandes (Marathon) Jacky (Jackie) Je ne sais pas Jef (You're Not Alone) Madeleine Marieke Mathilde Mon enfance Le moribond (Seasons in the Sun) La mort (My Death) Ne me quitte pas (If You Go Away) On n’oublie rien Les paumés du petit matin Le plat pays Quand on n'a que l'amour (If We Only Have Love) Rosa Le tango funèbre (Funeral Tango) La valse à mille temps (Carousel) Les vieux (Old Folks) Ongoing spotify playlist of highest-rated songs
Mon enfance This is a tantalising opening to the big new album. A full length album following another lengthy gap, and a high-profile retirement from live work, his listeners might well be expecting a Big Album, a statement of new artistic intent. And to begin the album with an explicitly autobiographical account of his childhood, the idea must have come up: is this album going to be Brel's autobiography? Well, there certainly are more autobiographical elements to come, but largely I think they'd be a bit disappointed. I always assumed this, like "Les désespérés", was baased on a specific classical piece, but I haven't seen any mention of that yet. I always sort of ignored this song as it felt too classical, too wordy for a non-French speaker to get a grip on. Sure enough, studying the lyrics properly gives one a whole new appreciation. It's very evocative of a comfortable Flemish upbringing that in the end is brought ot an abrupt end by World War 2. We see evidence of his early desire for escape from conformity and dullness, dreaming already of the "Far West" that would later be the setting and title of his big vanity project film whose failure would crush all his future cinematic ambitions. (Getting ahead of myself). But even in childhood he felt his "replete uncles" were stealing the American Wild West from him, preparing a pen-pushing directorship for a cardboard factory for him. We go through his religious upbringing that he now resents so much: "genuflecting for nothing"; family funerals and other rituals; and in the last verse, as the music suddenly swells to a thunderous intensity, the whirlwind of first love. For the rest of his life the ecstasy and desparation of love would be his guiding obsession. 5/5
Mon enfance One of Brel's all-time greats, evocative and powerful, musically sublime, while building from childhood tedium, via unresolved adolescent opening-up to a brutal and desperate climax. The startling contrast between the passé simple (passa, éclata, brisa) for events that move the narrative along and the imparfait for more generalised, repeated or long-term events and descriptions (devenais, rêvais, vieillissaient) is remarkably effective. And there may never have been a more dramatic use of the passé simple than: Et la guerre arrivaaaaaaaaaaa! If we had double-points jokers, I would probably play mine here, but I guess I'll just have to settle for 5/5. p.s. Crank it up to 11 if you play it! p.p.s. On reflection, I think that "taciturn" is probably a better translation of taiseux than "silent".
Yes, I agree spondres. I'd noted taciturn rather than silent. To be 'taiseux' is to say as little as possible but not to be completely silent. I also prefer the Wild West to the Far West even if both exist. Collins says that the Far West is often more of a geographical term. Possibly true.
A few days ago I shared Philip Jeays's English version of "Grand-mère". Here's one of Jeays's own songs that is avowedly influenced by "Mon enfance", particularly the way it ends. It's one of my favourites of his. Only This High, by Philip Jeays
Mon enfance The piano in the track is reminscent of a Chopin nocturne, and as those pieces are among my absolute favorites in all of music, I was instantly hooked into this. Equally impressive is that Brel is actually singing for a change. I mean he's always been singing, but here he's actually working with the melody instead of against it, and it is such a pleasure. The rest of the track develops beuatifully into the final crescendo, before quietly and sweetly dropping off. This is one of the best songs covered on the thread to date. 5/5
Mon enfance I swear that this song can make you fly. 5/5 * Je m'étonnais surtout d'être de ce troupeau Qui m'apprenait à pleurer que je connaissais trop. = I was above all astonished to belong to this flock Who taught me to weep, something I knew too well. * De fausses révérences = fake bowing (if he'd been a girl he'd have curtsied) * cutie ... is too colloquial. Let's just say she's the first nice one or his first girlfriend.
I wondered about this one because I would perhaps have expected ce que je connaissais trop for that meaning.
Our score for "Mon enfance" was 5 Today's song is track two of Brel 67: Le cheval (The Horse) Words by Jacques Brel Music by Gérard Jouannest Arranged by François Rauber Recorded on the 30th December 1966 at the Barclay-Hoche studios, Paris with François Rauber and his orchestra Brel is known to have recorded a version of this as early as October 1965, accompanied just with piano, probably as a demo. However it is popularly associated with his final live performances in late 1966 and early 1967, which commenced with this song. The lyrics seem to express dissatifaction with the life of a performing artiste. Live at the Olympia, 1966 (song starts at 1:38) jacques brel - le cheval - Vidéo Dailymotion It was the b-side of the "Fils de" single. (It seems by this point two track singles were no longer just for jukeboxes and were replacing the EP as the singles format of choice).
Lyrics/paroles J'étais vraiment, j'étais bien plus heureux Bien plus heureux avant Quand j'étais cheval Que je traînais, Madame, votre landeau Jolie Madame, dans les rues de Bordeaux Mais tu as voulu Que je sois ton amant Tu as même voulu Que je quitte ma jument Je n'étais qu'un cheval, oui, oui Mais tu en as profité Par amour pour toi je me suis déjumenté Et depuis Toutes les nuits Dans ton lit de satin blanc Je regrette mon écurie Mon écurie et ma jument J'étais vraiment, vraiment bien plus heureux Bien plus heureux avant Quand j'étais cheval Que tu te foutais, Madame, la gueule par terre Jolie Madame, quand tu forçais le cerf Mais tu as voulu Que j'apprenne les bonnes manières Tu as voulu que j'marche sur les pattes de derrière Je n'étais qu'un cheval, oui, oui Mais tu m'as couillonné hein Par amour pour toi, je me suis derrièrisé Et depuis Toutes les nuits Quand nous dansons le tango Je regrette mon écurie Mon écurie et mon galop J'étais vraiment, vraiment bien plus heureux Bien plus heureux avant Quand j'étais cheval Que je te promenais, Madame, sur mon dos Jolie Madame, en forêt de Fontainebleau Mais tu as voulu Que je sois ton banquier Tu as même voulu Que je me mette à chanter J'n'étais qu'un cheval, oui, oui Mais tu en as abusé Par amour pour toi je me suis variété Et depuis Toutes les nuits Quand je chante "Ne me quitte pas" Je regrette mon écurie Et mes silences d'autrefois Et puis et puis, tu es partie radicale Avec un zèbre, un zèbre mal rayé Le jour, Madame, où je t'ai refusé D'apprendre à monter à cheval Mais tu m'avais pris ma jument Mon silence, mes sabots Mon écurie, mon galop Tu ne m'as laissé que mes dents Et voilà pourquoi je cours, je cours Je cours le monde en hennissant Me voyant refuser l'amour Par les femmes et par les juments J'étais vraiment, vraiment bien plus heureux Bien plus heureux avant Quand j'étais cheval Que je promenais, Madame, votre landeau Quand j'étais cheval Et quand tu étais chameau
English paraphrase by spondres I really was far, far happier before When I was a horse When I drew, mistress, your landau, Pretty mistress, through the streets of Bordeaux But you wanted me To be your lover You even wanted me To leave my mare I was just a horse, yes, yes, But you took advantage From love for you, I de-mared myself. And since then Every night In your bed of white satin I miss my stable My stable and my mare I really was far, far happier before When I was a horse When you fell flat, mistress, with your mouth to the ground Pretty mistress, when you were stalking the stag. But you wanted me To learn good manners You wanted me to walk on my hind legs I was only a horse, yes, yes But you conned me, eh? From love for you, I be-hinded myself.* And since then Every night When we dance the tango I miss my stable My stable and my gallop I really was far, far happier before When I was a horse When I walk with you, mistress, on my back, Pretty mistress, in the forest of Fontainebleau But you wanted me To be your banker You even wanted me To take up singing But you abused it From love I music-bizzed myself And since then Every night When I sing ‘Ne me quitte pas’ I miss my stable And my silences of yesteryear And then and then, you left there and then With a zebra, a poorly striped zebra The day, mistress, that I refused To teach you how to ride a horse. But you had taken my mare My silence, my hooves My stable, my gallop You just left me my teeth And that’s why I’m running, running Running round the world, whinnying as I go Seeing myself rejected in love By women and by mares I really was far, far happier before When I was a horse When I drew, mistress, your landau, When I was a horse And you were a cow** *https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/forcais-le- cerf.285622/ **literally a camel, which is used as an insult in French.
Le cheval For me, this marks the point where Brel's comedy songs start to become a little tiresome. Though this is not entirely a comedy song of course, but partly an explanation to the world of why he had to quit performing. Parts of this are fairly catchy, and it's another one of those songs that I really, really want to hear every so often, but then tire of if I play it too often. There is a bit of self-mockery here with "You just left me my teeth"; Brel explaining that his very prominent front teeth are a result of his former equine existence. 3/5
Le cheval It's entertaining enough, although the equine metaphor is perhaps a little overstetched. The teeth joke is good, though. There were a couple of phrases that I initially thought were bawdier than they actually turned out to be - namely 'forcer le cerf' and 'derrièriser'. There were three made-up verbs: déjumenter, derrièriser and variétiser. "B***h" was suggested to convey chameau, but in the end we went for the camel's fellow even-toed ungulate. I quite often travel though the city of Landau on the train: according to Wikipedia, the eponymous horse-drawn carriage was invented there during the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714). p.s. Vagabone's link to the discussion about the song lost its ending somehow. forcais le cerf / 3/5
