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
Black Trombone
Serge Gainsbourg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Monotone
Le trombone
C'est joli
Tourbillonne
Gramophone
Et bâillonne
Mon ennui
Black trombone
Monotone
Autochtone
De la nuit
Dieu pardonne
La mignonne
Qui fredonne
Dans mon lit
Black trombone
Monotone
Elle se donne
À demi
Nue, frissonne
Déraisonne
M'empoisonne
M'envahit
Black trombone
Monotone
C'est l'automne
De ma vie
Plus personne
Ne m'étonne
J'abandonne
C'est fini
The song "Black Trombone" by Serge Gainsbourg is a love song that tells the story of a man's infatuation with a woman and how it has taken over his life. The lyrics are full of playful double entendres, wordplay, and metaphorical imagery. The central metaphor of the song is the black trombone, which symbolizes the woman's seductive power and the way she has taken over the singer's life.
The first verse describes the black trombone as "monotone," but also "joli" (pretty). The image of the spinning gramophone suggests the repetitive nature of the woman's allure. The word "bâillonne" (gag) also hints at how the singer feels trapped and unable to escape her hold on him. The second verse continues in the same vein, with the black trombone being described as "autochtone" (indigenous to the night) and "mignonne" (cute) as the woman "fredonne" (sings softly) in his bed. The imagery is sensual and evocative, with the contrast of light and darkness, but also hints at the danger and unpredictability of the woman's hold on him.
The lyrics of the third verse take a darker turn, describing how the woman "se donne" (gives herself) partially naked, making the singer shiver and lose his reason. The black trombone is now described as "déraisonne" (driving to madness) and "empoisonne" (poisoning) the singer, as he becomes overwhelmed by his desire for her. The final verse brings the song to a close, with the black trombone now symbolizing the singer's realization that his life is in decline and he has given up hope. "C'est l'automne de ma vie" (it's the autumn of my life) suggests that he has reached a point of no return, and the final line "C'est fini" (it's over) hints at his acceptance of his fate.
Line by Line Meaning
Black trombone
The singer is comparing the sound of his lover's voice to that of a black trombone
Monotone
The sound of the lover's voice doesn't change pitch or tone
Le trombone
The trombone represents the lover's voice
C'est joli
The artist finds the sound of the lover's voice beautiful
Tourbillonne
The sound of the black trombone spins and whirls around the artist's head
Gramophone
The gramophone represents the lover's voice
Et bâillonne
The sound of the lover's voice silences the singer's boredom
Mon ennui
The artist is bored and looking for something to ease his ennui
Autochtone
The sound of the lover's voice is native and familiar to the artist
De la nuit
The sound of the lover's voice comes from the night
Dieu pardonne
God forgives the singer for his lustful thoughts about his lover
La mignonne
The lover is petite and charming
Qui fredonne
The lover's voice is humming or singing softly
Dans mon lit
The singer and the lover are in bed together
Elle se donne
The lover is giving herself to the singer partially
À demi
The lover is only partially undressed
Nue, frissonne
The lover is naked and shivering with pleasure
Déraisonne
The singer's lust is irrational and wild
M'empoisonne
The singer's lust is consuming and intoxicating
M'envahit
The artist's lust overwhelms him
C'est l'automne
Fall is a metaphor for the artist's life, which is in decline
De ma vie
The artist is referring to his own life
Plus personne
The singer is no longer surprised by anything or anyone
Ne m'étonne
Nothing surprises the artist anymore
J'abandonne
The singer has given up or surrendered
C'est fini
It's over
Lyrics © MELODY NELSON PUBLISHING, Universal Music Publishing Group, WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC FRANCE
Written by: Serge Gainsbourg
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@freddiemercury4244
Black trombone
Monotone
Le trombone
C'est joli
Tourbillonne
Gramophone
Et bâillonne
Mon ennui
Black trombone
Monotone
Autochtone
De la nuit
Dieu pardonne
La mignonne
Qui fredonne
Dans mon lit
Black trombone
Monotone
Elle se donne
À demi
Nue, frissonne
Déraisonne
M'empoisonne
M'envahit
Black trombone
Monotone
C'est l'automne
De ma vie
Plus personne
Ne m'étonne
J'abandonne
C'est fini
@saint-paulmahi5396
Black trombone
Monotone
Le trombone
C'est joli
Tourbillonne
Gramophone
Et baîllonne
Mon ennui
Black trombone
Monotone
Autochtone
De la nuit
Dieu pardonne
La mignonne
Qui fredonne
Dans mon lit
Black trombone
Monotone
Elle se donne
À demi
Nue, frissone
Déraisonne
M'empoisonne
M'envahit
Black trombone
Monotone
C'est l'automne
De ma vie
Plus personne
Ne m'étonne
J'abandonne
C'est fini
@renaultphilippe
Le tromboniste qui joue dans l'enregistrement est Raymond Katarzynski.
Décédé ce lundi 13 juillet 2015.
C'était mon prof de trombone vénéré. Grâce à lui, je suis devenu musicien professionnel.
Paix à toi, Raymond.
Avec tout mon respect
Philippe Renault
@lucrougy1509
+Philippe Renault magnifique témoignage , puisses tu poursuivres son travail!!
@larchange1657
Merci pour lui
@AlbertEinstein-um3vq
Magnifique histoire! Bravo et bonne continuation dans la musique!
@BoyzNthehood941
Paix à son âme...Bon courage pour la suite
@cllionebutmakeitinactivefo3853
Les meilleurs ne restent jamais😏 hélas...
@freddiemercury4244
Black trombone
Monotone
Le trombone
C'est joli
Tourbillonne
Gramophone
Et bâillonne
Mon ennui
Black trombone
Monotone
Autochtone
De la nuit
Dieu pardonne
La mignonne
Qui fredonne
Dans mon lit
Black trombone
Monotone
Elle se donne
À demi
Nue, frissonne
Déraisonne
M'empoisonne
M'envahit
Black trombone
Monotone
C'est l'automne
De ma vie
Plus personne
Ne m'étonne
J'abandonne
C'est fini
@jeremygauer7883
😃👍
@NRCJ65
🙂
@filipantanaitis5067
A classic.. They don't make music like this nowadays. Favorite song of all time.