The Town of Séte
Boats in Sète Harbor
LES COPAINS D'ABORD (PALS FIRST)
This song recounts sailing in a boat with “les copains” (friends, pals, buddies) in the waters off the town of Séte (above) in southern France where Brassens grew up. It’s a paean to friendship represented by the metaphor of an unsinkable boat. It captures the spirit of his youth. Brassens wrote the song in 1964 for a movie called “Copains” (The Buddies) directed by Yves Robert.
The ambiguous title of the song invites word games. A “copain/copine” is an informal term for a close friend (pal, buddy), as distinguished from “ami” which is just a friend or acquaintance. The boat’s name “Les copains d’abord” literally means “pals first.” However, “copains de bord” sounds similar but means “shipmates.” Later in the song, Brassens also uses the term “à bord” which means “on board” and raises the possibility of yet a third version like “copains à bord.”
Like many Brassens songs, this one began life as a poem. In view of our knowledge of Brassens’ career, his nickname might well be “poète d’abord” (Poet First). Poetry came first, songs came later, and actually singing was last. This one has 7 stanzas with 8 lines each and an AABBCCDD rhyming scheme. It includes many esoteric references that are italicized in the text and explained in the footnotes below, which are as long as the song itself. Unlike other Brassens songs with refrains that repeat several times, it maintains a relatively consistent narrative line. Every stanza except one ends with the line “Les copains d’abord.”
The song has a catchy tune and the video exhibits the personal discomfort that stage fright (“le trac”) inflicted on Brassens even after years of performing.
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Non, ce n'était pas le radeau
De la Méduse, ce bateau Qu'on se le dise au fond des ports Dise au fond des ports Il naviguait en père peinard Sur la grand-mare des canards Et s'appelait les Copains d'abord Les Copains d'abord Ses fluctuat nec mergitur C'était pas d'la littérature N'en déplaise aux jeteurs de sort Aux jeteurs de sort Son capitaine et ses matelots N'étaient pas des enfants d'salauds Mais des amis franco de port Des copains d'abord C'était pas des amis de lux’ Des petits Castor et Pollux Des gens de Sodome et Gomorrhe Sodome et Gomorrhe C'était pas des amis choisis Par Montaigne et La Boétie Sur le ventre, ils se tapaient fort Les copains d'abord C'était pas des anges non plus L'Évangile, ils l'avaient pas lu Mais ils s'aimaient toutes voiles dehors Toutes voiles dehors Jean, Pierre, Paul et compagnie C'était leur seule litanie Leur Credo, leur Confiteor Aux copains d'abord Au moindre coup de Trafalgar C'est l'amitié qui prenait l'quart C'est elle qui leur montrait le nord Leur montrait le nord Et quand ils étaient en détresse Qu'leurs bras lançaient des S.O.S On aurait dit des sémaphores Les copains d'abord Au rendez-vous des bons copains Y avait pas souvent de lapins Quand l'un d'entre eux manquait à bord C'est qu'il était mort Oui, mais jamais, au grand jamais Son trou dans l'eau n'se refermait Cent ans après, coquin de sort! Il manquait encore Des bateaux j'en ai pris beaucoup Mais le seul qu'ait tenu le coup Qui n'ait jamais viré de bord Mais viré de bord Naviguait en père peinard Sur la grand-mare des canards Et s'appelait les Copains d'abord Les Copains d'abord |
No, it wasn’t the raft
Of the Medusa, this boat Let it be known down in the ports Known down in the ports It sailed like a chill old man On the big duck pond It was called Pals First Pals first Its “tossing by the waves but not sinking” This wasn’t just idle talk With all due respect to the soothsayers To the soothsayers Its captain and its sailors Weren’t kids of bastards (SOBs) But friends free and clear Pals first These weren’t fancy friends Imitation Castor and Pollux Folks from Sodom and Gomorrah Sodom and Gomorrah They weren’t friends chosen By Montaigne and La Boétie They slapped each other hard on the belly Pals first They weren’t angels either The Gospels, they hadn’t read them But they love all sails out All sails out Jean, Pierre, Paul and others It was their only litany Their Credo, their Confession Pals first At the slightest disaster Friendship took hold She showed them north Showed them north And when they were in distress When their arms waved SOS You might have called them semaphores Pals first At the meet-up of good friends There weren’t often no-shows When one of them failed to show up It was because he was dead Yes, but never, really never His hole in the water didn’t close up A hundred years later, damn the luck! He was still missed Boats, I have taken many But the only one that held the course That never turned about But turned about Sailed like a chill old man On the great duck pond And was called “Pals First” Pals First |
Raft of the Medusa,
Théodore Géricault
NB
Le radeau de la Méduse: Brassens implies that the “Copains d’abord” was a nice boat, unlike the Raft of the Medusa. This is the first of many instances where Brassens describes something by saying what it is not: “C’était pas...” The historical raft of the Medusa (in 1816) was a makeshift, badly constructed and ill-provisioned platform loaded with 147 people, 132 of whom died from starvation, dehydration, suicide or cannibalism after the French naval ship Medusa ran off course and went aground. Théodore Géricault commemorated that event in this famous painting.
Le radeau de la Méduse: Brassens implies that the “Copains d’abord” was a nice boat, unlike the Raft of the Medusa. This is the first of many instances where Brassens describes something by saying what it is not: “C’était pas...” The historical raft of the Medusa (in 1816) was a makeshift, badly constructed and ill-provisioned platform loaded with 147 people, 132 of whom died from starvation, dehydration, suicide or cannibalism after the French naval ship Medusa ran off course and went aground. Théodore Géricault commemorated that event in this famous painting.
Qu'on se le dise: Let it be known, spread the word.
Le Père Peinard Masthead
En pèr’ peinard: means “like a chill old man.” Peinard means relaxed, chill and “pèr’ is an abbreviated version of “pére.” Historically, Le Père Peinard was a vituperative anarchist weekly journal first published in 1989 by Emile Pouget and written in “argot” (“slang”) (the “language of the common folk”). Brassens himself identified with anarchism and was fond of using slang extensively.
En pèr’ peinard: means “like a chill old man.” Peinard means relaxed, chill and “pèr’ is an abbreviated version of “pére.” Historically, Le Père Peinard was a vituperative anarchist weekly journal first published in 1989 by Emile Pouget and written in “argot” (“slang”) (the “language of the common folk”). Brassens himself identified with anarchism and was fond of using slang extensively.
The Étang de Thau
La grand-mare des canards: “grand-mare” = “big pond.” This is ambiguous but many people think it refers to the “Etang de Thau” shown at left, a big coastal lagoon near the town of Sète where Brassens lived as a youth. This seems a more hospitable place than the open sea for both “canards” and small boats.
Les Copains d’abord: See the introductory comments above.
Fluctuat nec mergitur: The Paris city motto means “tossed (by waves) but not sunk.” This curious emblem arose originally from a river guild founded in 1170 by royal decree to navigate the Seine River. The Latin inscription was added in 1853. The emblem and motto are displayed on structures throughout Paris.
C’était pas d’la littérature: Here, as above and below, Brassens defines something by reference to what it is not. Brassens seems to mean that the boat’s tossing by waves was real and significant, not merely a story (like literature).
N'en déplaise à: no offense meant to; with all due respect to.
Jeteurs de sort: wizards, magicians, soothsayers. This is one of two uses of the word “sort” in this song (the other is “coquin de sort” below). “Sort” means “fate” or “spell” and a “jeteur de sort” is one who throws a spell, like a wizard, magician or soothsayer who can foresee the future.
Des amis franco de port: “franco de port” is a postal/fiscal term that means pre-paid; Brassens’ friends are “franco de port” (without baggage), free and clear. The following lines describe Brassens’ friends by reference to examples of what they were not.
Castor et Pollux: Brassens’ friends were not Castor or Pollux, who were twin gods in Greek mythology, a boxer and a horseman and two bright stars in the Gemini constellation. Presumably, Brassens’ pals were just regular fellas.
Sodome et Gomorrhe: Les copains are not from these wicked and sinful cities.
C’étaient pas des amis choisis par Montaigne et La Boétie: Les copains were not friends of the sort that Montaigne and La Boétie would choose. Michel de Montaigne wrote an essay about his friendship with Etienne de La Boétie who were friends on an intellectual and spiritual level, not butt-slapping buddies like “les copains.”
Sur le ventre ils se tapaient fort: “se taper sur le ventre” = “thick as thieves” or “belly slappers” (literally: slapped each other on the belly).
Ils s’aimaient toutes voiles dehors: “toutes voiles dehors” means “all sails out,” “in full sail,” “full speed ahead.”
Coup de Trafalgar: this expression means “a disaster” to the French and the reverse to the British. In 1805, the British fleet under Lord Nelson defeated the combined French and Spanish fleets off Trafalgar in southwest Spain.
On aurait dis des semaphores: Brassens caricatures “les copains” as looking like semaphore signals when they wave their arms in distress.
Y’avait pas souvent de lapins: “poser un lapin” means not showing up for an appointment, skipping, going AWOL.
au grand jamais son trou dans l’eau n’se refermait: This refers to burial at sea that creates a hole in the water (“trou dans l’eau”); the hole not closing symbolizes that the person won’t be forgotten.
Coquin de sort!: this outdated southern French (“occitane”) exclamation expresses dismay at an occurrence of bad luck: “damn it,” or “what the devil.” Coquin means “naughty” and “sort” refers to luck or fate.
Viré de bord: a nautical term: change direction, turn-about, tack.
Comment: Throughout this song, Brassens describes things by reference to what they are not. The technical term for this communication technique is “negation” or “apophasis.” He shares the technique with Michel De Montaigne (1533-92), whose writings Brassens clearly knew since he cites him in the text. Montaigne used apophasis himself in a famous essay on friendship where he described it as a rare spiritual, non-utilitarian connection. The ”copains” had a different kind of relationship.
N'en déplaise à: no offense meant to; with all due respect to.
Jeteurs de sort: wizards, magicians, soothsayers. This is one of two uses of the word “sort” in this song (the other is “coquin de sort” below). “Sort” means “fate” or “spell” and a “jeteur de sort” is one who throws a spell, like a wizard, magician or soothsayer who can foresee the future.
Des amis franco de port: “franco de port” is a postal/fiscal term that means pre-paid; Brassens’ friends are “franco de port” (without baggage), free and clear. The following lines describe Brassens’ friends by reference to examples of what they were not.
Castor et Pollux: Brassens’ friends were not Castor or Pollux, who were twin gods in Greek mythology, a boxer and a horseman and two bright stars in the Gemini constellation. Presumably, Brassens’ pals were just regular fellas.
Sodome et Gomorrhe: Les copains are not from these wicked and sinful cities.
C’étaient pas des amis choisis par Montaigne et La Boétie: Les copains were not friends of the sort that Montaigne and La Boétie would choose. Michel de Montaigne wrote an essay about his friendship with Etienne de La Boétie who were friends on an intellectual and spiritual level, not butt-slapping buddies like “les copains.”
Sur le ventre ils se tapaient fort: “se taper sur le ventre” = “thick as thieves” or “belly slappers” (literally: slapped each other on the belly).
Ils s’aimaient toutes voiles dehors: “toutes voiles dehors” means “all sails out,” “in full sail,” “full speed ahead.”
Coup de Trafalgar: this expression means “a disaster” to the French and the reverse to the British. In 1805, the British fleet under Lord Nelson defeated the combined French and Spanish fleets off Trafalgar in southwest Spain.
On aurait dis des semaphores: Brassens caricatures “les copains” as looking like semaphore signals when they wave their arms in distress.
Y’avait pas souvent de lapins: “poser un lapin” means not showing up for an appointment, skipping, going AWOL.
au grand jamais son trou dans l’eau n’se refermait: This refers to burial at sea that creates a hole in the water (“trou dans l’eau”); the hole not closing symbolizes that the person won’t be forgotten.
Coquin de sort!: this outdated southern French (“occitane”) exclamation expresses dismay at an occurrence of bad luck: “damn it,” or “what the devil.” Coquin means “naughty” and “sort” refers to luck or fate.
Viré de bord: a nautical term: change direction, turn-about, tack.
Comment: Throughout this song, Brassens describes things by reference to what they are not. The technical term for this communication technique is “negation” or “apophasis.” He shares the technique with Michel De Montaigne (1533-92), whose writings Brassens clearly knew since he cites him in the text. Montaigne used apophasis himself in a famous essay on friendship where he described it as a rare spiritual, non-utilitarian connection. The ”copains” had a different kind of relationship.
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