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Georges Brassens (1921 - 1981)
Georges Brassens is largely unknown outside of France: he sang in French and only performed outside of France three times and the Anglophone world doesn't pay much attention to such artists. In France, however, his status is unquestioned and festivals devoted to his songs continue to draw large audiences twenty years after his death. I became aware of him and interested in him because he was a friend and mentor to Jake Thackray who also adapted and performed three of Georges' songs. My other link to Georges is that the first time that I deliberately and with malice aforethought sang for a live audience, one of the two songs which I performed was my version of a Brassens song.
The links below should take you to sites which will provide more information on his life and work. These pages are where I want to post my own English adaptations of Georges' songs as I complete them. .
There are only a limited number of English versions of Brassens' songs available and I deliberately do not look at them until after I am happy with my own version. This is not an arrogant over-confidence in my capabilities but a way of ensuring that the adaptations which I arrive at are my own work, for better or for worse. My process is to complete a translation with the assistance of friends and then use the translation as a springboard to adaptation. The literal translation would not normally work as a song in English - the scansion and the rhyming scheme tends not to work and often Georges' turns of phrase and allusions only work in the French context and have to be adapted. My over-riding aim when adapting is to respect the original.
Anyway; to the texts:
The Scapegoat (La Mauvaise Reputation)
The 14-18 War (La Guerre de 14 - 18)
Hecatomb (Hecatombe)
In preparation are:
The Myosotis
The Legend of the Nun
Les Copains d'Abord
Song for l'Auvergnat
Poor Martin
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More information on Georges is available on several sites. Try the following for starters:
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/passage.brassens/georgesbrassens.htm
http://www.brassens.info/uk/
And if you're interested in his guitar try here:
http://www.librairiecharade.com/favino5.htm
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Please feel free to drop me a note.
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Version 1: posted 21 April 2003