Yes, the subtitles are Brel's own Dutch version. Now, Brel himself WAS a Fleming by origin, but as it often used to go, when a family became rich, they moved to Brussels and all of a sudden forgot where they came from, and, especially, all of a sudden, could not speak Dutch anymore, a typical example of being bourgeois. Brel came from a bourgeois environment himself, and he often sang against the shadows of his own past, and loved it especially when he could insult the Flemings.
I find it very interesting that the so-called 'translation' changes the words of the song. After all, the words do NOT include the name 'Klaas' or his quoting of Dante. These are the only points I can TELL, not being a dutch speaker, but I suspect they're not the only changes. Not much of a translation, if you stick your own words and points of view in there.
@MoonEyes2k It's more of a cultural translation, true. Dante was a little better known in Dutch than Voltaire according to the translator i suppose. Also he takes first names that have similar connotations in Dutch to the names Brel picked for his o.v. He tried to capture the spirit of the song more so than to give an exact literal translation and as such he/she did an ok job really. Though in modern eyes it is a *little* outdated (the swearwords etc) , but so are Brel's texts in some aspects :)
No he wasn't the greatest Belgian performer ever, he was the greatest performer ever PERIOD. When's the last time Madonna, Brittany SPears, Lady Gaga ever put that emotion in anything they ever did? Long Live Jacques Brel, the others stick with your autotune machine's you still sound like crap
@wifebeater61 you're kind of right, when he says "plus ça devient ...", everyone get that it means "plus ça devient con" ( "con" being the french swearword that rhyme with "cochon", meaning pig in english), and that, for me, is what makes this song beautiful
But in France and in Belgium bourgeoisie is considered to be the rich class that manages to live very well without working much, not deserving what they get. When Brel says bourgeois are like pigs and later morons (cons), he is in fact using a kind of leftist critic on a society ruled (but ruled badly, without economical justice) by them.
@sopadeajo1 well he sais cochons wich litteraly means pigs in dutch Bugerij mean notables so yeah hes having it off, but he;s also pointing out that people as they get older and more astablished forget about where they are comming from.
@godjei That's because he has also got a Dutch version of this song. The "translation" is actually the lyrics of his Dutch version "Burgerij" (don't think it's on YT, but you can always look for it).
The middle class is a post-english invention (a unitedstatian invention).They thus never speak of the worker class nor of social problems which are taken as merely individual problems...
this song actually explains in a term of a song, how people change in the society by the influence of the society... it is actually an amazing song. i never know if there is anouther song which critize the west societies as direct as this song....just amazing.
Jacques restera le plus grands des poètes, mais aussi le plus grand chanteur que nous avons eu. Ce n'était pas seulement un chanteur que nous allions applaudir, mais un acteur complet. Nous n'avons pas encore finis de te remercier de tous ces moments magiques que tu nous a fait passer
Actually I'm Dutch and I can translate at least a portion of the lyrics. But what I'm wondering is what Jacques Brel was trying to say with this song. So "les bourgeois" is the middle-class? And he detests them because they lead such mediocre lifes? Or what?
Also, from what point of view does he sing the first and final verse?
Not at all. "Bourgeois2, in french, means the higher classes of modern society. When you speak of "bourgeois", you mean barristers, judges, entrepreneurs, doctors. In a word: rich people who are not nobles.
Jaksiemash ! Love that song: Les bourgeois c est comme les cochons, Plus ca devient vieux plus ca deviens bete. Les bourgeois c est comme les cochons, Plus ca deviens vieux plus ca devient con! AWESOME! The middle-classer it is like a pig, The older it gets, the dummer it becomes. The middle-classer it is like a pig, The olderit gets, The more of a cuntm it is! Peace, Love ...
Hi I'm Belgian and I must tell you that "Les Flamandes" is not an insulting song, he loved Flemish people and just made a funny song about something he noticed. He often observes and makes songs of it, no hard feelings at all :p
i think you're right, actually, i don't think brel could ever guess that it would be a problem between flemish and "french people"
so he's never imagined that "les flamandes" could be a problem.
brel n'aurais jms pensé qu'il puisse y avoir des problemes entre wallons et flamand. pour lui, les flamandes ne pouvaient en aucun cas présenter un probleme.
ik denk dat brel nooit kond denken dat er zou een probleem ligt met vlaams en walen. zo kond hij niet denken dat "les flamandes" een probleem was. ( scuzeer voor mijn slecht nederlands)
@chessandpoker I'm dutch half caribian and luckly I grew up with very cultural parents and got this master....
I have a strange love realtion with belgium I loev the people there and their hospitality, and sometimes am amazed about the similarities and differences between our countries :)
@chessandpoker totally wrong. Insulte envers les flamandes, certainement pas, mais c'est une critique de l'immobilisme mental et de la "niaiserie" de tous les milieux paysans et de leur environnement. Si tu as pensé que c'était un simple portrait folklorique des paysannes flamandes, tu t'es trompé. La chanson aurait très bien pu parler des paysans bretons ou auvergnats, c'est général. lorsque tu dis "just made a funny song about something he noticed", c'est presque insultant pour Brel.
Man french is such a beatiful language, why I can't learn it :( Only thing I am good at school is saying : "Je ne sais pas" :D
Lius525 1 month ago
brel etait un humaniste
estebanpgm 5 months ago in playlist edith piaf jacques brel
brel
estebanpgm 5 months ago in playlist edith piaf jacques brel
@veerleke oh right. less funny then.
MashkaZelandiashi 5 months ago
lol just casually substitute Dante for Voltaire.
MashkaZelandiashi 5 months ago
By the way, "Dante", rhymes with "super-arrogante".
mrfdes 8 months ago
A typical example is his song "Les flamingants", to which he got a great reply from the Flemish group "The Strangers".
All this does not alter the fact that Brel was an outstanding artist, though.
mrfdes 8 months ago
Yes, the subtitles are Brel's own Dutch version. Now, Brel himself WAS a Fleming by origin, but as it often used to go, when a family became rich, they moved to Brussels and all of a sudden forgot where they came from, and, especially, all of a sudden, could not speak Dutch anymore, a typical example of being bourgeois. Brel came from a bourgeois environment himself, and he often sang against the shadows of his own past, and loved it especially when he could insult the Flemings.
mrfdes 8 months ago
EPIC! He will always stay in my mind...
Bummelz 9 months ago
I find it very interesting that the so-called 'translation' changes the words of the song. After all, the words do NOT include the name 'Klaas' or his quoting of Dante. These are the only points I can TELL, not being a dutch speaker, but I suspect they're not the only changes. Not much of a translation, if you stick your own words and points of view in there.
MoonEyes2k 10 months ago
@MoonEyes2k It's more of a cultural translation, true. Dante was a little better known in Dutch than Voltaire according to the translator i suppose. Also he takes first names that have similar connotations in Dutch to the names Brel picked for his o.v. He tried to capture the spirit of the song more so than to give an exact literal translation and as such he/she did an ok job really. Though in modern eyes it is a *little* outdated (the swearwords etc) , but so are Brel's texts in some aspects :)
veerleke 10 months ago
art, politics, and entertainment - and no pretence... i wish i could ever say the same. i'd be performing brel till the day i die.
bookie988 1 year ago
JACQUES BREL TE ADORO NO DEJO DE ESCUCHAR TUS CANCIONES!!!!!!!!!!!! GRANDE GRANDE JACQUES!!
QUINTANA1977 1 year ago
IL EST TOUT SIMPLEMENT EXCEPTIONNEL, LE GRAND JACQUES !!!!
faridasmail 1 year ago 2
Ce n'est pas BREL qui utilise le verbe, c'est le verbe qui devient BRELESQUE !!!!!
faridasmail 1 year ago
No he wasn't the greatest Belgian performer ever, he was the greatest performer ever PERIOD. When's the last time Madonna, Brittany SPears, Lady Gaga ever put that emotion in anything they ever did? Long Live Jacques Brel, the others stick with your autotune machine's you still sound like crap
WizardBogle01 1 year ago
@WizardBogle01 At which point I have to say, La Môme Piaf. In all honesty, while Brel was VERY impressive...up to her level, he wasn't, quite.
MoonEyes2k 10 months ago
Geweldig als altijd! Je moet alleen niet naar de Nederlandse ondertiteling kijken... Tenenkrommend...
KCOtutti1 1 year ago
The legendary sweaty singer
Apeksim 1 year ago
ENORME merci beaucoup !!!! :D
emeliiadamoure 1 year ago
ENORME merci beaucoup !!!! :D
emeliiadamoure 1 year ago
@wifebeater61 you're kind of right, when he says "plus ça devient ...", everyone get that it means "plus ça devient con" ( "con" being the french swearword that rhyme with "cochon", meaning pig in english), and that, for me, is what makes this song beautiful
akamatsuken 1 year ago
C'est enorme ce gars j'adore trop .
Mylanak 1 year ago
il es fort
GTA4Life122 1 year ago
This is actually the way i have always understood this nice Brel song.
sopadeajo1 1 year ago
But in France and in Belgium bourgeoisie is considered to be the rich class that manages to live very well without working much, not deserving what they get. When Brel says bourgeois are like pigs and later morons (cons), he is in fact using a kind of leftist critic on a society ruled (but ruled badly, without economical justice) by them.
sopadeajo1 1 year ago
@sopadeajo1 well he sais cochons wich litteraly means pigs in dutch Bugerij mean notables so yeah hes having it off, but he;s also pointing out that people as they get older and more astablished forget about where they are comming from.
:D
Scum71succer 1 year ago
Il est génial.
akpolska 1 year ago
in the original doesn't he eventually say "plus ca devient con" at the end ?
wifebeater61 1 year ago
Casanova en Pierre zijn eendeennnnnn!
Sannm 1 year ago
Bring back playlist randomization.
hoellfurk 2 years ago
LOL, the subtitles are the lyrics of Brel's dutch version of the song :p (it realy exists, he was completly bilangual)
JeroenRoeckie 2 years ago
I cant stop with listening to this song! Like it so much! And I am a 15 years old boy, who listen to pop music too q:
yaay321 2 years ago 2
echt waar, change the freaking subtitles -.-''
12345yv 2 years ago
Die subtitel vertaling trekt op geen bal !!
maespip 2 years ago
il y dénonce aussi les excès de la religion en parlant de Voltaire.
claire19850404 2 years ago
Haha the Dutch subtitles translate Voltaire as Dante. I don't speak a lot of French but that's quite a free translation I'd say.
Very nice song with good lyrics, thanks for posting
godjei 2 years ago 5
@godjei That's because he has also got a Dutch version of this song. The "translation" is actually the lyrics of his Dutch version "Burgerij" (don't think it's on YT, but you can always look for it).
karottetrekker 2 years ago
I see, thank you.
godjei 2 years ago
The middle class is a post-english invention (a unitedstatian invention).They thus never speak of the worker class nor of social problems which are taken as merely individual problems...
sopadeajo1 2 years ago
this song actually explains in a term of a song, how people change in the society by the influence of the society... it is actually an amazing song. i never know if there is anouther song which critize the west societies as direct as this song....just amazing.
paganviodio 2 years ago
Jacques restera le plus grands des poètes, mais aussi le plus grand chanteur que nous avons eu. Ce n'était pas seulement un chanteur que nous allions applaudir, mais un acteur complet. Nous n'avons pas encore finis de te remercier de tous ces moments magiques que tu nous a fait passer
nast2009 2 years ago
The song says : the english can't understand this song...and the bourgeoisie is big-assed
sopadeajo1 2 years ago
Actually I'm Dutch and I can translate at least a portion of the lyrics. But what I'm wondering is what Jacques Brel was trying to say with this song. So "les bourgeois" is the middle-class? And he detests them because they lead such mediocre lifes? Or what?
Also, from what point of view does he sing the first and final verse?
Styhn 2 years ago
Not at all. "Bourgeois2, in french, means the higher classes of modern society. When you speak of "bourgeois", you mean barristers, judges, entrepreneurs, doctors. In a word: rich people who are not nobles.
tommytheprof 2 years ago
Thanks for your reply.
So why does he detest them so much, is it because they act like they are importent?
Styhn 2 years ago
I wish I understood French so I could understand the song :(
Styhn 2 years ago
Type into youtube 'Les bourgeois english subtitles'
JacquesBrel11 2 years ago
My God, thats one sweaty man.
Duoed 2 years ago
well,remember he "plays" his songs as well...movement,jumps,etc so ofc he was sweaty..who care
Sabinrene 2 years ago
FrenchyValentine 2 years ago 2
ha ! sorry but he never says "con" ..; that's important !! :p
alicehaumont 2 years ago
Although I can hardly understand any of this.. awesome song!
DoctorDoubleX 2 years ago
Et ils n´ont toujours pas changé monsieur le commissaire....(les bourgeois)
Quand changeront-ils?...ils vienent de se réunir au G20 pour que rien ne change, pas pour que ça change.
sopadeajo1 2 years ago
Genio, grandisimo.
marcocresci 3 years ago
the greatest storyteller, breathtaking
thepinkpinkpanther 3 years ago 2
好很有趣的歌....c'est interesent..
cest bien ....J'adore ca ..!
....
deserterererer 3 years ago
te pretentieuze vertaling
ytzuigt 3 years ago
de vertaling in het filmpje is de NL versie die Brel zelf ook zong; maar ze is inderdaad misschien niet ideaal.
mahalalavh 3 years ago
A monster, maybe the most impressive singer on scene on the world!
stringisback 3 years ago 2
Does anyone know where I could find this song or if you could send it to me? thanks
Qwlagoobeirtch 3 years ago
Virgin Store has his stuff...or you can buy on iTUNES store too
charliecharca 3 years ago
greatest belgian performer ever! what an artist!
nicoot 3 years ago 22
Vive le Belgique!!!!
Arkady63 3 years ago 7
This comment has received too many negative votes show
la Belgique LOL
chessandpoker 3 years ago
Connard.
Arkady63 3 years ago
pour dire que brel c un connard connard tu dois vraiment pas étre intéligent et tu dois surement écouter du rap pauvre mec
chab13630 2 years ago
travail scénique encore inégalé.
odieuxsev 3 years ago 2
One thing I can't understand: how come he made so many Flemish versions of his songs after taking the piss on them in 'Les Flamandes?'
UkkoA 3 years ago
Les flamandes is a critique of flemish women only.
lightning494 3 years ago
He actually called himself a french speaking Fleming
Meuk1982 3 years ago
Hi I'm Belgian and I must tell you that "Les Flamandes" is not an insulting song, he loved Flemish people and just made a funny song about something he noticed. He often observes and makes songs of it, no hard feelings at all :p
chessandpoker 3 years ago 17
He should've probably made a song about le Francophone and their drive to rid Belgium of everything that didn't speak French.
hedonismrocks 3 years ago
He was Flemish and sung in French because he both loved the Flanders and Belgium.
vendetta00 2 years ago
i think you're right, actually, i don't think brel could ever guess that it would be a problem between flemish and "french people"
so he's never imagined that "les flamandes" could be a problem.
brel n'aurais jms pensé qu'il puisse y avoir des problemes entre wallons et flamand. pour lui, les flamandes ne pouvaient en aucun cas présenter un probleme.
alicehaumont 2 years ago
ik denk dat brel nooit kond denken dat er zou een probleem ligt met vlaams en walen. zo kond hij niet denken dat "les flamandes" een probleem was. ( scuzeer voor mijn slecht nederlands)
voila tou cela n'est que mon avis bien sur
dat is alleen een menieg zeker
alicehaumont 2 years ago
Oh yes darling, you are so right! What else rimes with cochon then? :-)
FrenchyValentine 2 years ago
Un belg n'est geen vlaams ou wallon !!! Un belg est un belg rien de meer!!! Que je l'aime mon pays!!!! hoop dat iedereen 21 juli zal vieren ;)
estefania1050 2 years ago
@chessandpoker I'm dutch half caribian and luckly I grew up with very cultural parents and got this master....
I have a strange love realtion with belgium I loev the people there and their hospitality, and sometimes am amazed about the similarities and differences between our countries :)
Scum71succer 1 year ago
@chessandpoker totally wrong. Insulte envers les flamandes, certainement pas, mais c'est une critique de l'immobilisme mental et de la "niaiserie" de tous les milieux paysans et de leur environnement. Si tu as pensé que c'était un simple portrait folklorique des paysannes flamandes, tu t'es trompé. La chanson aurait très bien pu parler des paysans bretons ou auvergnats, c'est général. lorsque tu dis "just made a funny song about something he noticed", c'est presque insultant pour Brel.
alexwtclan 1 year ago
Comment removed
veerleke 10 months ago
what an amazing performer
shotgunwillie91 3 years ago 5
Beautiful performance !
Plot84 3 years ago 5
I love this song.
jamsmen 3 years ago 5
gee, maybe he could have told them what he really thinks!!
bunyipgirl 4 years ago
genius
rraallpphh 4 years ago
The subtitles seem taken from the Flemish version recorded by Brel himself, "De Burgerij"
I hope Linda sees this :)
kalervonPoika 4 years ago
amazing!
baykano 4 years ago