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
Bonnie and Clyde
Serge Gainsbourg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Comment il vécut, comment il est mort
Ça vous a plu, hein, vous en d'mandez encore
Eh bien, écoutez l'histoire de Bonnie and Clyde
Alors voilà, Clyde a une petite amie
Elle est belle et son prénom c'est Bonnie
À eux deux, ils forment le gang Barrow
Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie and Clyde
Moi, lorsque j'ai connu Clyde autrefois
C'était un gars loyal, honnête et droit
Il faut croire que c'est la société
Qui m'a définitivement abîmé
Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie and Clyde
Qu'est-ce qu'on a pas écrit sur elle et moi
On prétend que nous tuons de sang-froid
C'est pas drôle, mais on est bien obligé
De faire taire celui qui s'met à gueuler
Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie and Clyde
Chaque fois qu'un policeman se fait buter
Qu'un garage ou qu'une banque se fait braquer
Pour la police, ça ne fait pas d'mystère
C'est signé Clyde Barrow, Bonnie Parker
Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie and Clyde
Maintenant, chaque fois qu'on essaie d'se ranger
De s'installer tranquilles dans un meublé
Dans les trois jours, voilà le tac, tac, tac
Des mitraillettes qui reviennent à l'attaque
Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie and Clyde
Un de ces quatre, nous tomberons ensemble
Moi j'm'en fous, c'est pour Bonnie que je tremble
Quelle importance qu'ils me fassent la peau
Moi Bonnie, je tremble pour Clyde Barrow
Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie and Clyde
De toute façon, ils n'pouvaient plus s'en sortir
La seule solution, c'était mourir
Mais plus d'un les a suivis en enfer
Quand sont morts Barrow et Bonnie Parker
Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie and Clyde
The song "Bonnie and Clyde" by Serge Gainsbourg tells the story of the infamous 1930s American criminal couple, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. The opening verse references the popular fascination with outlaws and the historical figures Jesse James and his death. The song goes on to describe the romance between Bonnie and Clyde, and how they became partners in crime forming the Barrow Gang.
The singer, likely Gainsbourg himself, reflects on his past relationship with Clyde, acknowledging him as an initially loyal and honest man. However, he also recognizes the societal pressures and circumstances that led Clyde to become a criminal. While the song never explicitly condones their actions, it does question the way they were portrayed in the media and by law enforcement.
Towards the end of the song, Bonnie and Clyde are resigned to their inevitable death and the singer imagines their deaths as a joint venture. Despite the violence and destruction caused by the Barrow Gang, the song mourns the loss of life and recognizes the tragedy in their story.
Line by Line Meaning
Vous avez lu l'histoire de Jesse James
Have you read about the story of Jesse James?
Comment il vécut, comment il est mort
How he lived and how he died.
Ça vous a plu, hein, vous en d'mandez encore
Did you like it? Do you want to hear more?
Eh bien, écoutez l'histoire de Bonnie and Clyde
Well, then listen to the story of Bonnie and Clyde.
Alors voilà, Clyde a une petite amie
So, here it is: Clyde has a girlfriend.
Elle est belle et son prénom c'est Bonnie
She's beautiful, and her name is Bonnie.
À eux deux, ils forment le gang Barrow
Together, they form the Barrow gang.
Leurs noms, Bonnie Parker et Clyde Barrow
Their names are Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow.
Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie and Clyde.
Moi, lorsque j'ai connu Clyde autrefois
When I first met Clyde,
C'était un gars loyal, honnête et droit
He was a loyal, honest, and upright guy.
Il faut croire que c'est la société
But it seems that it was society,
Qui m'a définitivement abîmé
That ultimately corrupted me.
Qu'est-ce qu'on a pas écrit sur elle et moi
Oh, the things they've written about us.
On prétend que nous tuons de sang-froid
They say we kill in cold blood.
C'est pas drôle, mais on est bien obligé
It's not funny, but we have no choice
De faire taire celui qui s'met à gueuler
But to silence anyone who speaks out against us.
Chaque fois qu'un policeman se fait buter
Every time a cop gets killed,
Qu'un garage ou qu'une banque se fait braquer
Or a garage or bank gets robbed,
Pour la police, ça ne fait pas d'mystère
The police always know it's Bonnie and Clyde.
Maintenant, chaque fois qu'on essaie d'se ranger
Now, every time we try to settle down,
De s'installer tranquilles dans un meublé
To live peacefully in a furnished apartment,
Dans les trois jours, voilà le tac, tac, tac
Within three days, we hear the sound of gunfire.
Des mitraillettes qui reviennent à l'attaque
Machine guns firing back at us.
Un de ces quatre, nous tomberons ensemble
One of these days, we'll fall together.
Moi j'm'en fous, c'est pour Bonnie que je tremble
I don't care about myself, I worry about Bonnie.
Quelle importance qu'ils me fassent la peau
It doesn't matter if they kill me,
Moi Bonnie, je tremble pour Clyde Barrow
Bonnie worries about Clyde.
De toute façon, ils n'pouvaient plus s'en sortir
Anyway, they couldn't get away with it anymore.
La seule solution, c'était mourir
The only solution was to die.
Mais plus d'un les a suivis en enfer
But more than one followed them to hell.
Quand sont morts Barrow et Bonnie Parker
When Barrow and Bonnie Parker died.
Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie and Clyde.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, SIDONIE
Written by: Serge Gainsbourg
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
valeria torres
Did you read the story of Jesse James?
About how he lived and how he died?
You liked it huh? You want some more
Well then listen to the story of Bonnie and Clyde
Okay, so Clyde has a girlfriend
She's beautiful and her name's Bonnie
Together they're the Barrow gang
Their names - Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow
Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie and Clyde
When I came to know Clyde long ago
He was a loyal, honest, upright guy
I really think it's society
Which has spoilt me forever
Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie and Clyde
Oh what they wrote about her and I
They say we're cold-blooded killers
It ain't much fun but we got no choice
But shut them up when they start shouting
Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie and Clyde
Every time a policeman gets killed
Every time a garage or a bank gets robbed
The police has no doubt about it
It was done by Clyde Barrow, Bonnie Parker
Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie and Clyde
Now whenever we try and settle down
When we go live in a furnished apartment
Three days later it goes tac tac tac
Tommy guns get back on us
Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie and Clyde
Sooner or later we'll fall together
I don't care; I'm scared for Bonnie
What does it matter if they freaking kill me
I, Bonnie, am scared for Clyde Barrow
Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie and Clyde
Anyhow they couldn't get out of trouble
The only way out was death
But more than one followed them to Hell
When Barrow and Bonnie Parker died
Bonnie and Clyde
(In case you wanted the lyrics)
Pinakamataas
I prefer the French version, but came here to hear the version I heard somewhere, that lead this song to be stuck in my head, so now I'm on replay for the original :D
Ronald Charles Epstein
The fluently bilingual can appreciate the French version. The uniligual anglophone will still miss Brigitte Bardot!
Timbuktoo
I dont understand all the song in French but I hear the french version a lot on the radio here & its fuckin brillant......
quieterrps
Very cool to hear this version and thanks for the information about the lyrics. Serge seldom missed a trick! Cheers!
Renald Devaere
Merci pour cette captation François (y) .
Tee M
Damn, French definitely sounds better. Cant understand the hell they were saying but I think that's the guys thing about it
mackinyoungin
I'll tell you one thing, they definitely can't call this artless : D
Tee M
I think if the singer on this changed his tempo a bit and actually sang instead of just telling the story, it would sound just as good as the French song. I now see why the French song sounded better
jose herrera
FRENCH VERSION 10 X BETTER
margus kiis
Not at all. French version sounds very childish. English version sounds very modern and evil, intimidating.