"Le Gorille" is a 1952 song by Georges Brassens, found on his album La Mauvaise Réputation.[1] It was also released as a single, with La Chasse Aux Papillons as B-side. [2][3]
| "Le Gorille" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Georges Brassens | |
| from the album La Mauvaise Réputation | |
| Released | 1952 |
| Genre | |
| Length | 3:36 |
| Label | Polydor |
| Composer(s) | Eugène Metehen |
| Lyricist(s) | Georges Brassens |
| La Mauvaise Réputation track listing | |
8 tracks A-side
B-side
| |
Lyrics
editThe song describes how a group of women in a zoo observe the genitalia of a male gorilla. The animal suddenly escapes and all the women, except for a 100-year old lady, run away. This leads to the refrain of the song: "Gare au gorille!" ("Watch out for the gorilla!"). The gorilla, who is in heat, mistakes a judge in a black robe for a woman and rapes him. Brassens later reveals that this very same judge had sentenced a man to the guillotine earlier that day and now, just like the convicted criminal, screams in vain for mercy. [4]
Reception
editLe Gorille was very controversial at the time of its release. First of all because of its pornographic lyrics, but secondly also because it took a stance against the death penalty when it was still in effect in France. It was banned on all French radio stations. [5][6]
Covers
editLe Gorille has been covered and translated several times:
- Fabrizio De André covered it in Italian as Il Gorilla (1968) on his album Volume 3. [7]
- Yossi Banai covered it in Hebrew as הגורילה (Ha-Gorila). Dan Almagor covered it in the same language.
- Jake Thackray covered it in English as Brother Gorilla on his album Bantam Cock (1972). [8] [9]
- Franz Josef Degenhardt covered it in German as Vorsicht Gorilla (1986). [10]
- Le Gorille has been covered by French singer Renaud on his album Renaud chante Brassens (1996).
- Oulahlou covered it as Macahu, changing the gorilla with a donkey, the old lady with a young girl and the judge with a police officer. His song is a critique of the Algerian police force during the Black Spring.
- The Polish cover band Zespół Reprezentacyjny covered it as "Goryl".
- Swedish-Dutch songer Cornelis Vreeswijk covered it as Djävulens sång on his album Visor, svarta och röda (1972).
- Christos Thivaois covered it as Ο Γορίλλας ("The Gorilla").
- Joaquín Carbonell covered it in Spanish as "El Gorila" ("The Gorilla").
Sources
edit- ^ "Georges Brassens - 1 - la Mauvaise Réputation". Discogs. 1979.
- ^ "Georges Brassens et Sa Guitare - le Gorille / La Chasse Aux Papillons". Discogs. 1952.
- ^ "Georges Brassens et Sa Guitare - le Gorille / La Chasse Aux Papillons". Discogs. 1956.
- ^ "Comment Brassens a castré son "Gorille"". 27 October 2014.
- ^ "'Le gorille' de Georges Brassens : Critique de la peine de mort et vision erronée de l'homosexualité".
- ^ "Comment Brassens a castré son "Gorille"". 27 October 2014.
- ^ "Il Gorilla par Fabrizio de André".
- ^ "Brother Gorilla | the Official Jake Thackray Website".
- ^ "Sleeve notes to 'Bantam Cock' (1972)". jakethackray.com. Retrieved 14 March 2009.
- ^ Brunner, Erwin (8 February 1985). "ZEIT ONLINE | Lesen Sie zeit.de mit Werbung oder im PUR-Abo. Sie haben die Wahl". Die Zeit.