As a language teacher I've long been of the opinion that having direct access to songs in a second language - in my case, French and Spanish - is a sufficient reason in and of itself for learning that language. Brel and Brassens are only two of many (dozens? hundreds? thousands? brazilians?) examples. My life has been enriched by the music of Michel Rivard, Maxime LeForestier, Renaud, Boris Vian, Edith Piaf, Leon Gieco, Los Fronterizos, Pablo Milanes, Juan Luis Guerra, Carlos Mejia Godoy...the list goes on and on!
(Nobody has mentioned Brel's sense of humor - how about "Les Bourgeois"?)
So, if you're someone who has learned to appreciate songs in a second language, how about sending a note of thanks to your old language teacher?
Dunkle