YMMV / Jacques Brel

• Covered Up: His songs have been covered by numerous artists
  • "Ne Me Quitte Pas" ("If You Go Away") by Frank Sinatra, Nina Simone
  • "Le Moribond" ("The Dying Man") by Terry Jacks as "Seasons in the Sun"
  • "Amsterdam" by David Bowie
  • "Seasons in the Sun" by Westlife
  • Other cover artists: Marc Almond, Scott Walker, Liesbeth List,...
• Growing the Beard: His earliest recordings are a bit naïve and gentle Morality Ballad. Famous French chansonnier Georges Brassens even compared him with a preaching priest. Later, his records matured enormously and became more cynical, introspective and even risqué. (Darker and Edgier in short)
• Memetic Mutation: Brel's cry of "Chauffe, Marcel!" from "Vesoul" has entered the French language.
• Narm: While his Large Ham tendencies were often awesome, sometimes they veered into this.
• Sacred Cow: His status in Belgium.
• Tear Jerker: Brel was known for his passionate and intense delivery, most memorable in "Ne Me Quitte Pas".
• Values Dissonance: His song "Jacky" is notable for having a homophobic slur.