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
Bad News From The Stars
Serge Gainsbourg Lyrics
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Serge Gainsbourg's song "Bad News From The Stars" is a somber reflection on sorrow and despair. The repeated phrase "Bad news from the star" creates a sense of impending doom and isolation. The lyrics suggest that something terrible has happened, perhaps a tragic event that has affected the singer deeply. The use of the word "star" implies that the source of the bad news comes from some far-off place, something that is beyond our control.
The dark mood of the song is emphasized by the sparse instrumentation and the haunting melody. Gainsbourg's voice is melancholy and thoughtful. As the song progresses, the singer seems to come to terms with the bad news, accepting that it is a part of life and that he must find a way to move forward. The song ends with the hopeful line "And then the night will fall, and everything will disappear." This suggests that even in the darkest moments, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, and that with time, we can heal from our wounds.
Line by Line Meaning
Bad news from the star, bad news from the star,
Something ominous has happened, causing bad news to spread from a distant and possibly ominous celestial body.
I saw your girlfriend and she's eating her fingers like they're just another meal,
I witnessed your significant other engaged in a self-destructive behavior, indicating she may be experiencing extreme anxiety or distress.
She had that anxious expression and it lasted a while,
Your girlfriend appeared visibly troubled and her uneasy demeanor persisted for an extended period of time.
It lasted a while, had that anxious expression,
Your girlfriend's distressed appearance persisted for a considerable length of time, indicating a potentially serious emotional or mental state.
Bad news from the star, bad news from the star,
The sense of foreboding and uncertainty relating to the ominous news from the celestial body continues to permeate the song.
She just kept on rubbing, telling me she could see her inside,
Your girlfriend continued with her self-destructive behavior, saying that she could see something inside of herself that was driving her to do so.
And then I looked and your face, your face was alight,
In the midst of the distressing sight of your girlfriend's behavior, I glimpsed a reflection of your face, and it was filled with a bright and unsettling glow.
Bad news from the star, bad news from the star,
The disturbing events continue to be linked to the ominous news from the distant celestial body.
And then a voice inside whispered 'Any moment now, they're gonna come and get her',
An ominous voice inside my head warns that individuals may soon arrive to take your girlfriend away, possibly to receive medical treatment.
But I did not speak and I just watched her fade away...
Despite the ominous warning and my concern for her, I remained silent and watched your girlfriend disappear, potentially never to be seen again.
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: SERGE GAINSBOURG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@pascalespahr1543
Une de mes chansons preferees.... Parmi tant d autres. J ai eu la chance de te voir 2 × en concert. C etait grandiose, no comment, Serge. Tu ns manques. Charlotte fait fort, j adore!!!!😘
@landealain9392
Tu me manques cruellement l'artiste !!! Reviens bousculer ce milieu devenu si stérile !!!
@Choubidou917
rien à dire, IL avait tout compris, musicalement... La grande Classe ce Serge
@Choubidou917
certaines étoiles ne disparaitront Jamais, j'espére... RIP Sir Serge
@remka2000
Tant qu'on s'en souvient. Apres le terme d'etoile ramené a une personne c'est un peu megalo non ?
@Choubidou917
@@remka2000 Mauvaises nouvelles des étoiles, l'album
@Sun1111Shine
I wish it was longer...so soulful
@TheGhettopo
Merci serge pour ce patrimoine musical que tu nous laisse à moi, nous, eux et ceux qui viendront
@mika9978
Un chef d'oeuvre de plus ...
@loanepapazian2557
Unique et éternel.