Dis-moi, dis-moi, tambour Oh, dis-le-moi, mon cœur Pour qui ce chant si lourd Pour qui tant de douleur Je bats de tout mon cœur Pour les amours fanées Et je bats pour ces fleurs Que l’on a piétinées Je bats pour les sanglots Que chante la guitare Je bats pour les châteaux Qui vivent en ta mémoire Dis-moi, dis-moi, tambour Oh, dis-le-moi, mon cœur Pour qui ce chant d’amour D’espoir et de ferveur Je bats pour ces matins Écrasés de lumière Et je bats pour ces mains Qui se joignent en prières Je bats pour le soleil Qui sourit aux enfants Je bats pour ces merveilles Que nous offre un printemps Dis-moi, dis-moi, tambour Oh, dis-le-moi, mon cœur Pour qui bats-tu, ce soir Pour qui tant de douceur Je bats, je bats, pour lui Qu’espérait ton amour Je bats pour son regard Qui t’a donné la vie Je bats pour son sourire Qui te montre le jour Je bats comme un tambour Tes amours infinies Dis-moi, dis-moi, tambour Oh, mon cœur, dis-le-moi Que tu n’es pas le seul À battre pour cela Il y a tant d’amour Pourtant autour de toi Non, tu n’es pas le seul À battre pour cela Non, tu n’es pas le seul À vivre pour ça
English paraphrase, with thanks to spondres -Tell me, tell me, drum Tell me, my heart For whom is this so heavy song? For whom such pain? -I beat with all my heart For faded loves And I beat for these flowers That we've trampled on I beat for the sobs Sung by the guitar I beat for the castles That live in your memory -Tell me, tell me, drum Tell me, my heart For whom is this song of love Of hope and of fervour? -I beat for those mornings Crushed with light And I beat for these hands Which come together in prayer I beat for the sun Which smiles at the children I beat for those wonders Which springtime gives to us -Tell me, tell me, drum Tell me, my heart For whom do you beat tonight? For whom such gentleness? -I beat, I beat for him Who hoped for your love I beat for his look Which gave you life I beat for his smile Which shows you the day I beat like a drum Your infinite loves -Tell me, tell me, drum Oh, my heart, tell me That you are not the only one Beating for that There is so much love However, all around you No, you are not the only one Beating for that No you are not the only one Living for that
On this day of odds and ends, here's another curio. A collaboration between François Rauber and Alain Goraguer, Brel is credited on this instrumental piece as co-composer with both bandleaders. Père est bath Music by François Rauber, Alain Goraguer and Jacques Brel
I'm predisposed to like anything with a samba or rumba-like rhythm in the back. It just speaks to me of romance. The song is OK, melodically, I do detect a few subtle Brellian shades in the melody and the lyric is decent. Overall, I just kind of like this while it's playing but don't love it. 3/5
Nothing wrong with it but overall, it evokes a very strong "meh." I do like her voice. And the flute going on in the background. The constant modulation upward is interesting (and I think Brel might have employed this trick a time or two, himself) but overall, it just doesn't interest me too much.
Another nice one, Je m'en remets à toi (I rely on you) performed by Charles Dumont Words by Jacques Brel Music by Charles Dumont A song written in July 1963 by Jacques Brel especially for Edith Piaf. Charles Dumont, Piaf's regular composer, wrote the music. However, Piaf died before she could record it. After her death Dumont started singing himself and recorded it for his 1964 album À Faire L'amour Sans Amour. Extract from an article by Sylvester Hoogmoed: The entire article, with more on Brel, here (in Dutch) : Charles Dumont, in het licht van Piaf – Schift
Les crocodiles A cheesy pop song that's largely not for me but the lyric is characteristically Brel with some funny lines and I'm glad I read it, though it's less coherent than the lyrics he kept for himself at this point. 2/5 Dis-moi tambour I don't know Florence Véran outside of this but I like her singing here and her melody. The lyric is very much in Brel's earlier vein of earnestness and romanticism. It's nice, but it makes a jarring contrast to the 1962 material. 3/5
Apologies, I didn't see it on the schedule you posted for the next few weeks. And as it was written in the same period and being one of the "Odds and Ends" I thought it was appropriate now.
No reproof intended! Although it was written in '63, it seems it was released in '64. It seems more of a major song than today's entries, so it will get a day to itself.
Les crocodiles I listened to this in advance yesterday and thought it was awful. I listened again today and thought it was not too bad. Maybe tomorrow I'll find it's a masterpiece (though I doubt it). I certainly like the idea of the song, that everyone criticises everyone else. Very French. And admitting in the end that we're all the same. Sacha Distel was very middle-of-the -road but he knew some great song-writers. 3/5 * Yes there's definitely a reference to General de Gaulle. When he sings his name Sacha Distel assumes de Gaulle's tone of voice and puts his hands in the air in a typical de Gaullian manner. * Ding-dong works in French and English so let's make the most of it. For the line in question I propose: From funeral to funeral you see them again and again Dignified-ding, dignified-dong, you only die once. * 'Les peaux de' is a reference to 'peaux de vache' meaning bastards. So I propose we get rid of the skin and say : The bleedin' who, the bleedin' what, the bleedin' like who, the bleedin' like what ... The bleedin' crocodiles. * By the way do we have a date for this song?
I forgot to comment on "Père est bath". It's so far from my wheelhouse I can't even see it from my wheelhouse, even with binoculars.
Dis-moi tambour The most interesting thing about this may be the singer. Florence Véran not only had a nice singing voice but she also collaborated on several songs writing the music with other lyricists. For example Je hais le dimanche (I hate Sundays) recorded by both Greco and Piaf. She wrote the music and Aznavour, no less, wrote the words. And here she's writing the music to Brel's lyrics. A curiosity. 2/5 Je bats, je bats, pour lui qu’espérait ton amour. = I beat, I beat for him your love hoped for.
Père est bath 'Bath' is a word I know exists but I've never heard a Frenchman use it. It means 'dandy' or something like that. This sounds like music for a TV series. Can't see what Brel had to do with it. The only good thing is that we don't have any complicated lyics to translate.
Thread guide (part one) Il y a La foire La haine Grand Jacques Il pleut Le diable Il peut pleuvoir Il nous faut regarder Le fou de roi C'est comme ça Sur le place Qu'avons-nous fait, bonnes gens Les pieds dans le ruisseau S'il te faut La Bastille Quand on n'a que l'amour (If We Only Have Love) Les blés Dites, si c'était vrai Saint-Pierre Prière païenne Pardons La bourrée du célibataire (Bachelor's Dance) L'air de la bêtise J'en appelle Heureux
Thread guide (part two) Demain l'on se marie (la Chanson des fiancés) Au printemps Je ne sais pas Le colonel Dors ma mie La lumière jaillira L'homme dans la cité Litanies pour un retour Voici Voir L'aventure La valse à mille temps (Carousel) Seul (Alone) La dame patronnesse Je t'aime Ne me quitte pas (If You Go Away) Les Flamandes (Marathon) Isabelle La mort (My Death) La tendresse La colombe (The Dove)
Thread guide (part three) Marieke Le moribond (Seasons in the Sun) Vivre debout On n’oublie rien Clara Le prochain amour L’ivrogne Les prénoms de Paris Les singes Les bourgeois (The Middle Class) Les paumés du petit matin La statue Zangra Les biches Madeleine Le plat pays Une île Bruxelles (Brussels) Chanson sans paroles Casse-Pompon Rosa Le pendu Les crocodiles (Sacha Distel) Dis-moi tambour (Florence Véran) Père est bath (François Rauber & Alain Goraguer)
Some notable people are introduced: Georges "Jojo" Pasquier François Rauber Gerard Jouannest Bingo card (mark one) Bingo card (mark two)
Today, we start on the "Les bigotes" EP. Then when we have done the "Les bigotes" and "Les toros" EPs, plus one more track, we will have also covered all of Brel's 1963 album, an untitled 10" album sometimes referred to as Les bigotes. Today's song is Les bigotes (The Bigoted Ladies) Words and music by Jacques Brel Arranged by François Rauber Recorded on the 10th April 1963 at the Barclay-Hoche studios, Paris with François Rauber and his orchestra An earlier version had been recorded on the 22nd November 1962. It was this early version that was released as an EP in late 1962. Later issues of the EP replace the track with the later recording. The original recording has rever been reissued. Apparently the masters are lost. The same goes for other tracks on this EP. This site explains the differences: Versions alternatives de chansons - Barclay And provides a sample of the original version http://discobrel.free.fr/mp3/Les_bigotes_version_1_fin.mp3 It peaked at number 12 in the French chart: Charts singles Top 50 en France: 13 Janvier 1963 It was also issued as a single A side.
