Jacques Brel-Ne me quitte pas (Eng. Subtitles)

I just find this clip incredible. First, he is so unapologetic in his presentation.  He doesn't care what anyone thinks.  He is delivering the song with reckless abandon.  Second, the text of the song he wrote is deeply meaningful, exalting the wonder of the woman he loves.  The imagery is rich and beautiful.  And third, this is pure singing, without the interruption of show-off instrumentals and intrusive band noise.

I can relate to this video in so many ways.  I see singing as storytelling, interpreting text with passion and understanding.  In a way, good singing has similarities to good acting.  The singer is playing the part, and bringing to life the words and ideas of the writer.  In this respect, singers have a quite distinct job in comparison to instrumentalists, who are left to wordless interpretations.  I really like the way Brel reaches out to the audience.

And I also find it amazing to study the personality behind this singing.  I have listened to other Brel songs and some interviews in the past few days.  Here was an outspoken and opinionated philosopher, and his beliefs were evident in his songs.  Here was an authentic man, one who lived without apology and saw things in a clearer light than the rest of the world.  And he shared his sense of meaning with his audience in a wonderful way.  There was something different about this man Brel.