This is a somewhat off-beat song about a virgin soldier whose first encounter with the opposite sex is in the incredibly sordid setting of a mobile brothel during the war, presumably the Second World War. Although such brothels did exist, Brel was obviously not writing from personal experience because he was born in 1929 and therefore too young to enlist. Nevertheless, he captures the atmosphere extremely well, and this was one of his most popular songs.

After the war and for the rest of his life, the narrator, a (former) soldier, is haunted by the voice of his commanding officer "Au suivant!" literally "To the following one" but generally translated as "Next." >>

The French artist -M- (Mathieu Chedid) covered this in 2003 on Aux Suivants, a compilation album of songs by Jacques Brel. >>