He was born in Périgueux, Dordogne, the son of Germain Goudeau, an architect, and cousin of Léon Bloy.

Goudeau studied at the seminary, and then was supervisor in different high schools before becoming an employee at the Ministry of Finance, which gave him the opportunity to devote most of his time to poetry.

He had a very brown complexion, very black hair and beard, a pronounced squint made him look fierce, but he was a very brave man, and he had much talent, which was original and tasty like wine ... Émile Goudeau had genius, just like that of the Duc Soulografiesky, his thirst was that of the Danaïdes.

[citation needed] The Hydropathic Club gave rise to the fumist movement, the word fumism itself was coined by Émile Goudeau, and Georges Fragerolle, Arthur Sapeck [fr] and Alphonse Allais took up his invention.

[5]: XVIII At first the Hydropathes met on the Left Bank, but when Rodolphe Salis opened his cabaret, Le Chat Noir, in December 1881, he persuaded Goudeau to move the society there.