Published on 17/10/2024 16:59
Reading time: 1min – video: 3min
“Amsterdam” by Jacques Brel: the secrets of a legendary song
“Amsterdam” by Jacques Brel: the secrets of a legendary song
(France 2)
The song “Amsterdam” by Jacques Brel celebrates its 60th anniversary. When the artist presented it at the Olympia, he expected failure. But with its crescendo and its raw lyrics about the life of port dockers, it has nevertheless become a legendary song.
It’s the story of a triumph, of an audience that was turned upside down one evening in October 1964, when Amsterdam is played for the very first time by Jacques Brel. This song became one of Jacques Brel’s biggest hits. What makes the song successful is the crescendo, this acceleration which is a trademark of Jacques Brel.
It all starts with a medieval melody, embellished with an accordion. Then the piano comes in. To accompany this crescendo, Jacques Brel recounts in a raw way the life of the dockers on the port. However, it is rather from the ports of the Belgian coast that the artist drew his inspiration.
When he presented this song at the Olympia, Jacques Brel expected failure. “There are songs that I didn’t expect, and that people find themselves in”he said in 1966. Was the artist even one day convinced by Amsterdam ? In any case, he never recorded a studio version, because this song wouldn’t be the same without the audience cheering it on.
Watch the full report in the video above.
