I assume you all know Jacques Brel, one of very, very few songwriters to write in a language other than English to actually be able to penetrate Western cultural awareness. In fact, I read here that Mojo magazine conducted a poll of British and American songwriters in 2000 and apparently Brel’s Ne Me Quitte Pas was the only non-English song to make the resulting list of the Greatest Songs of All Time.
Jacques Brel – Ne Me Quitte Pas
Given the fact that his songs have made such an impact on their own merit, and given that apart from writing some songs in Flemish, he never strayed from French, it seems a little odd to me that absolutely everyone who covers Jacques Brel seems to do so in English. Only such luminaries as Nina Simone and, erm, Sting have actually sung his songs in French, which seems amazing.
Nina Simone – Ne Me Quitte Pas
Artists are snobbish bastards so I am a little surprised that so few people have managed to eschew the grand pretension of covering someone so enormously credible in his native tongue – and not just any native tongue, the eminent cultural bastion that is French, no less. Is that too cynical? I really doubt it.
Secondly, respect for the integrity of art is quite important to people, in particular other artists, so I am a little surprised that people have been so quick to accept such a cavalier attitude. Mind you, most Brel translations are actually contemporary with his own work, and people seemed to be a little less precious about that sort of thing back then (in the music industry at least – don’t say that to a modern film-maker). Perhaps their age gives them a peculiar sheen of credibility, something I imagine they’d lack if done today.
The most popular translations are the Blau-Shuman ones, but Scott Walker seems to use those of Rod McKuen in his own many Brel covers – brought together brilliantly in Scott Walker Sings Jacques Brel. A superficial glance at the actual work makes them look a little flimsy though.
Scott Walker – Mathilde
Wikipedia cites this McKuen example, which is pretty awful:
“Moi, je t’offrirai / Des perles de pluie / Venues de pays / Où il ne pleut pas” [As for me, I'll offer you pearls of rain that come from a country where rain never falls].
Translates as:
“But if you stay / I’ll make you a day / Like no day has been / or will be again.”
Woeful.
Brel is famous for his lyrics, too. Evocative and sharp, bitter and cynical at times, and an absolutely integral part of his work. I keep thinking of the Asterix books and how the translation managed to remain so inspirationally true to the original humour. Never mind the books themselves, the actual translations were a serious master work in their own right. It’s sad, as much as anything, that despite large numbers of covers of his songs, almost no-one seems to have taken the time to actually put the work into the lyrics as well as the music. And as I said, this is not an industry that lacks for monumental acts of self-aggrandising pretension artistic ambition.
I can understand, grudgingly, why people insist on singing translations – there’s no point singing songs by someone famed for his acerbic wit if your audience can’t understand a word – but why people are paying so little attention to which translation they use and why is a little disappointing.
Professor Arnold Jonhston is the only man who has translated his stuff to a standard acceptable to Brel’s widow, and has recorded an album of these translations. I can’t find it anywhere, but I have to say I am as dubious about a musical work by an academic as I am about a literary translation by a musician, although if anyone wants to mention Toms Stoppard and Lehrer here they should feel free. I’d like to hear that album though, if anyone has any suggestions.
Other than that, I’m not really sure where I’m going with this. It was all started by Richard Godwin sending his music through to me for a listen. He has a lovely style that is somewhat similar to Jacques Brel, and he covers Brel himself. It’s not the same translation as Scott Walker used though, and I don’t think I recognise it at all. Anyhow, I started listening to some other Brel songs and it all snowballed from there really.
Right. I’m off to the pub. Have a good weekend, Toadlings.
Richard Godwin – Next! (Brel cover)
Jacques Brel – Au Suivant
Dusty Springfield – If You Go Away
Jacques Brel – Les Bourgeois
David Bowie – Amsterdam
Jacques Brel on Amazon
 So, the 200th podcast. I remember a couple of years ago when the 100th ticked past, it happened to be a Toad Session, and as those are pre-recorded with little idea when they’ll fit into the sequence of Toadcasts I never really marked the milestone in any sort of a way.
