Jacques Brel - who's with me?

[CatWranglersAnonymous]

Most random AIBU in the world, but am I being U to be a little bit in love with Jacques Brel?? Well I don't think I am , so I guess it's a question of who's with me?

I read this morning that they're putting up a statue of him in Brussels this year, which made me remember my year abroad all over again and falling in love with (old) French music!

For anyone who doesn't know, he's a long-dead Belgian singer with huge teeth who gave amazing live performances (like this, live or this.

Then, when he'd had enough of performing, he dabbled in acting then bought a boat and plane and sailed to French Polynesia 😍

Interested to hear whether I'm going to be told IABU (or, just perhaps, IANBU).

Got a few Brel albums and many cover versions. Saw JB is alive and well...in New York at the Zipper theatre about 10 years ago and it was fantastic. We were seated on a table just off the stage so ended up being part of the act. Awesome.

I love Brel. I also love Jean Ferrat. My parents did French at university way back in the 60s and went to a Brel concert while living in France. I grew up listening to those songs without knowing what they meant, but I could hear the passion and the jokes. As my French improved I was able to piece together meaning in the songs I already loved. Quite apart from the musical genius and the sheer poetry of the lyrics, they were a fantastic language learning aid...

Me! I'm with you!

But I do prefer Nina Simone's version of ne me quitte pas. It's just so beautiful and impeccably timed.

Gingernaut La chanson de Jacky is brilliant - he performs it so well.

I've never really understood it though - is he basically saying that, no matter how corrupt he becomes (having opium dens and whiskey, and a bank on finger, a finger in each country ), he'll always remember his childhood (i.e. 'the time when he was called Jacky'?)

I also don't understand the chorus, when he says that he'd like to be stupid and handsome, even if only for an hour.

Apparently he was quite insecure about his looks, so I wonder if this bit is a dig at handsome men who (according to him) don't have to really worry or think about anything as their looks sort of speak for themselves? 🤔

Biscuits ooh I'm sooo jealous that your parents managed to see him live!

What a great AIBU - I love mumsnet.

I spent a year abroad in France and lived in Brussels about 15 years ago. I loved discovering Brel and other French crooners like Jean jacques Goldman. Played the latter a lot.

Aww thank you mamma! When I posted it, I was imagining I'd get people saying what a rubbish/boring AIBU it was actually

Fish, I have a feeling it was the same dreadful American that ruined Ne Me Quitte Pas! It was a bucket of slop!

I'm with you on this! Count me in!

'Les vieux' (is that right? 'Old folks' in English) has very moving lyrics. I sang it as a teenager, in English, and it has stayed with me.

Yaaas Balaboosteh! Our ranks are growing

This is so random, but this just reminds me - I remember listening to a Radio 4 documentary on Jacques Brel a while ago presented by none other than... Alastair Campbell. It actually made me respect a bit grudgingly after hearing that he was also a Jacques Brel fan (and a French graduate :) )

Ooh Les Fenêtres is also really clever! The way that he manages to make each line rhyme is impressive. A bit like Rimbaud's poetry.

Bumping

Any other Jacques Brel fans out there? :)

Dawn yes it was. As far as Le Moribund goes, it saddens me to think how many millions more people know the awful Westlife version than the brilliant original.

I'm so old I didn't even know Westlife had done it, Fish!

Am old enough to remember the godawful Terry whatsisname versions from the seventies though. As I said, bucket of slop!

Jiggly Fellow Serge Gainsbourg fan here! His lyrics are so clever. I love La Javanaise (and his dubstep cover of La Marseillaise is pretty good!)

Re gainsbourg. It still baffles me that France gall didn't know what "les sucettes" was about, it's not exactly a very covert code.

Oh yes! Enjoying this thread. Reminds me of my Erasmus exchange to Belgium .... Going to listen after I've done dinner

qazxc I know! That's always surprised me too. I love how innocently she sings it compared to him!

Wow Mislou - that must have been amazing! Whereabouts in Belgium did you go?

He was brilliant but I wouldn't shag him. I was quite the fan of Renaud in my teens.

Ooh yes Renaud's stuff is good :) only found about him recently, I'm ashamed to say!

Anyone like Stromae, by any chance? I saw him a couple of years ago in London, and he was brilliant. A bit like a modern Jacques Brel actually!

*Thread derail, even!

Not really but I do like this.