Scott Walker sings Jacques Brel: Translation, authorship and the circulation of music

Abstract

By focusing on a set of Jacques Brel's songs as covered in English by the American singer Scott Walker, this article addresses the complexity of the production and circulation of cultural products, uncovering the important yet frequently obscured role of a range of agents. Combining approaches from sociology and cultural studies, it examines the ways in which “Brel” was integrated within Walker's work and artistic persona and this in turn exemplifies how an imported product can become the object of new strategic uses in the field of reception. The article also addresses the multiple operations involved in this process, which are not limited to textual translation, but include further discursive and non-textual practices. Finally, issues of reception and authorship are raised to show how the study of translation can become an exploratory tool in historical and cultural analysis.