He was born Lucien Ginzburg in Paris, France, the son of Jewish Russian parents who fled to France after the 1917 Bolshevik uprising. His childhood was profoundly affected by the occupation of France by Nazi Germany, during which he and his family, as Jews, were forced to wear the yellow star and eventually flee from Paris. He had a daughter, Charlotte Gainsbourg, with English singer and actress Jane Birkin; and a son, Lulu, with his last partner, Bambou (Caroline Von Paulus, who is related to Friedrich Paulus). Before he was 30 years old, Lucien Ginsburg was a disillusioned painter but earned his living as a piano player in bars. Daughter Charlotte would later become an actress and singer.
His early songs were influenced by Boris Vian and were largely in the vein of "old-fashioned" chanson. Very early, however, Gainsbourg began to move beyond this and experiment with a succession of different musical styles: jazz early on, English pop in the 60's, reggae in the 70's, even hip-hop in the 80's.
Success began to arrive when, in 1965, his song "Poupée de cire, poupée de son" was the Luxembourg entry in the Eurovision Song Contest. Performed by French teen singer France Gall, it won the grand prize. (The song was covered in English as "A Lonely Singing Doll" by British teen idol Twinkle.) He arranged other Gall songs and LPs that were characteristic of the late 1960s psychedelic styles, among them Gall's '1968' album. Another of Serge's songs "Boum Bada Boum" was entered in by Monaco in the 1967 contest, sung by Minouche Barelli; It came 5th.
In 1969, he released what would become his most famous song in the English-speaking world, "Je t'aime... moi non plus", which featured simulated sounds of female orgasm. The song appeared that year on an LP, "Jane Birkin/Serge Gainsbourg". Originally recorded with Brigitte Bardot, it was released with future girlfriend Birkin when Bardot backed out. While Gainsbourg declared it the "ultimate love song," it was considered too "hot"; the song was censored in various countries, and in France, even the toned-down version was suppressed. Even the Vatican made a public statement citing the song as offensive. Its notoriety led it to reaching no. 1 in the UK singles chart. A long-standing rumor maintains that Gainsbourg and Birkin were actually having sex during the recording session (asked about it in an interview, Gainsbourg answered that if this was true, the song would have lasted longer than 4 minutes).
The seventies
His most influential work came near the start of the seventies with Histoire de Melody Nelson, released in 1971. This concept album, produced and arranged by Jean-Claude Vannier, tells the story of a Lolita-esque affair, with Gainsbourg as the narrator and Jane Birkin as the eponymous English heroine. It features prominent string arrangements and even a massed choir at its tragic climax. At the time, sales were poor, but the album has proven influential with artists such as Air, David Holmes and Beck.
In 1975, he released the album Rock Around the Bunker, a rock album written entirely on the subject of the Nazis. Gainsbourg used black humour, as he and his family suffered during World War II. While a child in Paris, Gainsbourg himself had worn the Yellow badge as the mark of a Jew.
The next year saw the release of another major work, L'Homme à la Tête de Chou (Cabbage-Head Man), featuring the new character Marilou and sumptuous orchestral themes.
In Jamaica in 1978 he recorded "Aux Armes et cetera," a reggae version of the French national anthem "La Marseillaise", with Robbie Shakespeare, Sly Dunbar and Rita Marley. This song earned him death threats from right-wing veterans of the Algerian War of Independence who were opposed to certain lyrics. Shortly afterwards, Gainsbourg bought the original manuscript of La Marseillaise. He was able to reply to his critics that his version was, in fact, closer to the original as the manuscript clearly shows the words "Aux armes et cætera..." for the chorus.
The next year saw him in the new look of Gainsbarre, officially introduced in the song "Ecce Homo."
Final years
In the 1980's, approaching the end of his life, Gainsbourg became a regular figure on French TV. His appearances seemed devoted to his controversial sense of humour and provocation. He would frequently show up drunk and unshaven on stage. Perhaps his most famous incident came when, on Michel Drucker's live Saturday evening show with the American singer Whitney Houston, he exclaimed, "I want to fuck her."
During this period he released Love On The Beat and his last studio album, You're Under Arrest, (which saw him adapt his style to the hip-hop genre), as well as two live recordings. His third and last Eurovision Song Contest entry came in 1990 with the French entry "White and Black Blues", sung by Joëlle Ursull. It came second in a tie with Ireland. His songs became increasingly eccentric in this period, ranging from the anti-drug "Les Enfants de la Chance" to the duet with his daughter Charlotte called "Lemon Incest (Un zeste de citron)." The title of the latter demonstrates Gainsbourg's love of puns (another example is "Bowie, Beau oui comme Bowie").
Discography :
1958 : Du Chant À La Une !
1959 : Serge Gainsbourg N°2
1961 : L'étonnant Serge Gainsbourg
1962 : Serge Gainsbourg N° 4
1963 : Gainsbourg Confidentiel
1964 : Gainsbourg Percussions
1968 : Initials B.B.
1968 : Bonnie And Clyde ( with Brigitte Bardot )
1969 : Jane Birkin-Serge Gainsbourg
1971 : Histoire de Melody Nelson ( with Jane Birkin )
1973 : Vu de l'extérieur
1975 : Rock around the bunker
1976 : L'Homme à tête de chou
1979 : Aux armes et cætera
1981 : Mauvaises Nouvelles Des Étoiles
1984 : Love on the Beat
1987 : You're Under Arrest
18
Serge Gainsbourg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Maintenant ne sont plus là
Ils sont morts et enterrés, tous crevés
C'est normal, c'est pas d'hier
Le temps de l'entre-deux guerres
Faut toujours se décider à crever
Le one-step, le black bottom
Tout ces tacots ont les pneus crevés
Mais c'est la vie qui veut ça
On n'peut pas être toujours là
Eh oui, tous on finira par crever
Bien sûr il en reste encore
Mais c'est comme s'ils étaient morts
Ils sont tous déjà à moitié crevés
Le toubib fait ce qu'il peut
Pour les prolonger un peu
Mais ils ne vont pas tarder à crever
Le one-step, le black bottom
Le fox, la De Dion-Bouton
Tout ces tacots ont les pneus crevés
Mais c'est la vie qui veut ça
On n'peut pas être toujours là
Eh oui, tous on finira par crever
Le one-step, le black bottom
Le fox, la De Dion-Bouton
Tout ces tacots ont les pneus crevés
Mais c'est la vie qui veut ça
On n'peut pas être toujours là
Eh oui, tous on finira par crever
Tous ceux-là qui dansaient ça
Maintenant ne sont plus là
Ils sont morts et enterrés, tous crevés
C'est normal, c'est pas d'hier
Le temps de l'entre-deux guerres
Faut toujours se décider à crever
Le one-step, le black bottom
Le fox, la De Dion-Bouton
Tout ces tacots ont les pneus crevés
Mais c'est la vie qui veut ça
On n'peut pas être toujours là
Eh oui, tous on finira par crever
In these lyrics, Serge Gainsbourg reflects on the passing of time and the inevitability of death. The song starts by mentioning those who used to dance to various popular dances like the one-step, black bottom, and fox trot. However, now they are no longer here, as they have died and been buried. The repetition of the phrase "ils sont morts et enterrés, tous crevés" emphasizes the finality of death.
Gainsbourg acknowledges that this is a natural occurrence that has been happening since long ago, specifically referring to the time between the two World Wars. He suggests that one has to come to terms with the idea of dying, as it is an inevitable part of life. The line "faut toujours se décider à crever" implies that one must make peace with the notion of death and accept it.
The mention of "tous ces tacots ont les pneus crevés" adds a metaphorical layer to the lyrics. The phrase literally translates to "all these old cars have flat tires." It symbolizes the aging and deterioration of the dancers and their vehicles, representing the passing of time and the fragility of life. Gainsbourg acknowledges that this is just the way of life, and one cannot be always present or alive.
The lyrics continue to highlight the remaining dancers, but Gainsbourg suggests that they are already living half-dead. The mention of the doctor trying to prolong their lives hints at medical interventions to delay the inevitable death. However, Gainsbourg reflects that they will soon meet the same fate as those who have already died. This further emphasizes the theme of mortality and acceptance of the cycle of life and death.
In summary, these lyrics explore the passage of time, the inevitability of death, and the transient nature of life. Serge Gainsbourg reflects on the dancers of the past, their eventual demise, and the inevitability of death for all. The repetition of the dances and the image of broken-down cars serve as metaphors for the passing of time and the fragility of human existence. Ultimately, Gainsbourg's message is that death is a natural part of life, and everyone will eventually meet the same fate.
Line by Line Meaning
Tous ceux-là qui dansaient ça
All those who used to dance to this
Maintenant ne sont plus là
Are not here anymore
Ils sont morts et enterrés, tous crevés
They're dead and buried, all exhausted
C'est normal, c'est pas d'hier
It's normal, it's not from yesterday
Le temps de l'entre-deux guerres
The time of the interwar period
Faut toujours se décider à crever
You always have to decide to die
Le one-step, le black bottom
The one-step, the black bottom
Le fox, la De Dion-Bouton
The fox, the De Dion-Bouton
Tout ces tacots ont les pneus crevés
All these old cars have punctured tires
Mais c'est la vie qui veut ça
But that's life
On n'peut pas être toujours là
You can't always be here
Eh oui, tous on finira par crever
Yes, we'll all end up dying
Bien sûr il en reste encore
Of course, there are still some left
Mais c'est comme s'ils étaient morts
But it's like they're already dead
Ils sont tous déjà à moitié crevés
They're all halfway exhausted
Le toubib fait ce qu'il peut
The doctor does what he can
Pour les prolonger un peu
To prolong them a little
Mais ils ne vont pas tarder à crever
But they won't be long before they die
Lyrics © WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC FRANCE
Written by: Serge Gainsbourg
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@PrankZabba
Always thought this song was called Just Perfect. No wonder i had a hell of a time finding this one.
@pafouquet7012
Génial !!!
@arnaud2818
Thanks
@yourboyfriend9480
Yeehh
@maxgrenou2433
Salut
@dixieragtime7683
I added this song to my channel on a whim (after all, it sounds jazzy...) but, qu'est-ce que c'est? Suddenly, it has far more views than the other videos! I only hope that the discrepancy has to do with the fact that she's certainly more compelling looking than a bunch of old jazz musicians... :)