Original Title: "Au suivant"
Year: 1963
Next...Next
Naked in my towel
Which I used as loincloth
I had the forehead red and the soap in my hand
Next...Next
I was only twenty and we were hundred and twenty
to be the next of the one we followed
Next...Next
I was only twenty and I was losing my innocence
at the strolling brothel that is an army on a campaign
Next...Next
I, I would have liked a little bit more tenderness
Or then a smile or have some time but...
Next...Next
It has not been Waterloo no no but it wasn't Argonne
It was the time one regrets to have missed school
Next...Next
But I swear that hearing that warrant officer of my ass
It's worth having a bash to make armies of impotents
Next...and to the next one
I swear on the head of my first pox
that this voice I hear it all the time since
Next...Next
This voice that smelled of garlic and bad alchohol
It's the voice of nations and it's the voice of blood
Next...Next
And since then every woman when the time comes to succumb
between my too skinny arms seems to whisper to me:
Next...Next
All the followers of the world, should give the hand to each others
This is what I shout at night in my frenzy
Next...Next
And when I am not delirious I come to tell myself
That it's more humiliating to be followed than to follow
Next...Next
One day I will become legless cripple, or nun, or hangman
Well one of those things where I will never be anymore
The next one...The next one
I haven't looked most of the works yet but as far as I see, I appreciate your contributions, thank you.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, I am happy to find someone to discuss on the lyrics. According to Chris Tinker's book named as "Georges Brassens and Jacques Brel : personal and social narratives in post-war chanson", page 111 (preview in this link contains that page: https://books.google.com.tr/books?id=Z3j8ESLPQBAC&pg=PA111&lpg=PA111&dq=jacques+brel+homophobia&source=bl&ots=UseqtUT5c6&sig=ACfU3U0kxtG9kyHc4xzUV2Lwk1Mpkcuk-g&hl=tr&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjsvpDv3qDuAhVrhosKHfZ2B9UQ6AEwC3oECAcQAg#v=onepage&q=jacques%20brel%20homophobia&f=false), this song Au Suivant contains insulting expressions for homosexual people (especially gays), which surprised me. I think, this is an anti-militarist song and has nothing with homosexuality. What do you think?
Hello,
DeleteYes it's mostly an anti-militarist song, but yes also when he says "Armies of impotents...Next Next" the tone used is made to mimic an homosexual cliche back then but I'm not a big fan of judging the past by today's goggles. Brel spent a lot of time among people and draw a lot of inspiration from there so it's not really surprising to find some elements that where common then and does not always reflects a personnal view. I've checked the book you linked but I found some passages a bit surprising and ill informed (mostly about the past habits and society) though I didn't have time to read most of it but claiming that Brel is unaware of singing with a Brussels's accent in Les Bonbons is ridiculous such is thinking that Les F... is an attack on flemish people (it's an attack on flemish nationalists for good reasons considering what happened during ww2).
What I'm trying to do here is actually interpret as little as possible so my procedure is quite different from the one done in the book as well.