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Georges Brassens

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Georges Brassens was born in 1921 in Sète, in the south of France, the son of a French father and an Italian mother. His mother was very fond of songs. His father and grandfather were bricklayers. In 1943, during the German occupation, he was sent to Germany as a forced labourer. When he was given leave, he did not go back. He found shelter with Jeanne, a hospitable Breton woman with whom he would live for years, and in that time he wrote many songs without earning anything from them.

Music and breakthrough

Brassens saw himself as a writer and composer, not as a singer. In early 1952 the singer Patachou heard him. She found his songs so personal that he had to sing them himself, and she let him perform in her cabaret. Within a short time he was famous. A long series of records followed, with songs such as La Mauvaise Réputation, Chanson pour l'Auvergnat, Les Copains d'abord and Le Gorille. He also set poems to music by, among others, Victor Hugo, Paul Verlaine, François Villon and Louis Aragon.

Influence

Brassens accompanied himself on guitar. The melodies seem simple, but the chords are rich and refined. His lyrics are poetic and contrary at the same time: he mocked bourgeois conventions and did not mince his words. That is why some songs were banned from the radio. He is regarded as one of the greatest French poets of the postwar period. With Jacques Brel he became a model for songwriters outside France. He died in 1981.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to La Mauvaise Réputation and notice how sparse the accompaniment is: a guitar and a voice, with the emphasis on the words. Hear how he mocks the respectable citizens, who do not like anyone who chooses a different path.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

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Categories: Artists