Le Gorille
"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" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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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 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Lyrics
The 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. 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
Le 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
Le 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
- https://www.discogs.com/release/405163-Georges-Brassens-1-La-Mauvaise-R%C3%A9putation
- https://www.discogs.com/fr/master/1143462-Georges-Brassens-Et-Sa-Guitare-Le-Gorille-La-Chasse-Aux-Papillons
- https://www.discogs.com/fr/release/9914680-Georges-Brassens-Et-Sa-Guitare-Le-Gorille-La-Chasse-Aux-Papillons
- https://www.lepoint.fr/culture/comment-brassens-a-castre-son-gorille-27-10-2014-1875880_3.php#11
- https://www.rtbf.be/article/le-gorille-de-georges-brassens-critique-de-la-peine-de-mort-et-vision-erronee-de-l-homosexualite-11109969
- https://www.lepoint.fr/culture/comment-brassens-a-castre-son-gorille-27-10-2014-1875880_3.php#11
- https://www.bide-et-musique.com/song/24676.html
- https://jakethackray.com/lyrics-and-tabs/brother-gorilla/
- "Sleeve notes to 'Bantam Cock' (1972)". jakethackray.com. Retrieved 14 March 2009.
- https://www.zeit.de/1985/07/die-angst-vor-dem-naechsten-knall?utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Ffr.wikipedia.org%2F