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
Chez Les Ye-Ye
Serge Gainsbourg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ni les gri-gris que tu portais
Da Doo Ron Ron, que tu écoutais
Au bal doum doum où tu dansais
Non, rien n'aura raison de moi
J'irai t'chercher, ma Lolita
Chez les yé-yé
J'ferai du ramdam, je me connais
Oui, à Sing-Sing, je finirai
J'ai un coupe-coupe à cran d'arrêt
Non, rien n'aura raison de moi
J'irai t'chercher, ma Lolita
Chez les yé-yé
Sous les tams-tams des yé-yé-yé-é
Fais un flashback au temps passé
Est-ce que t'entends ce que je te disais?
Je suis fou, fou, fou de t'aimer
Mais rien n'aura raison de moi
J'irai t'chercher ma Lolita
Chez les yé-yé
Ni les tams-tams de yé-yé-yé-é
Ni les gri-gris que tu portais
Da Doo Ron Ron, que tu écoutais
Au bal doum doum où tu dansais
Non, rien n'aura raison de moi
J'irai t'chercher, ma Lolita
Chez les yé-yé
Sous les tams-tams des yé-yé-yé-é
J'ferai du ramdam, je me connais
Oui, à Sing-Sing, je finirai
J'ai un coupe-coupe à cran d'arrêt
Non, rien n'aura raison de moi
J'irai t'chercher ma Lolita
Chez les yé-yé
Sous les tams-tams des yé-yé-yé-é
Fais un flashback au temps passé
Est-ce que t'entends ce que je te disais?
Je suis fou, fou, fou de t'aimer
Mais rien n'aura raison de moi
J'irai t'chercher ma Lolita
Chez les yé-yé
Ni les tams-tams des yé-yé-yé-é
Ni les gri-gris (ouais, bon-)
The lyrics to Serge Gainsbourg's song "Chez les yé-yé" describe the singer's undying love for a woman named Lolita who frequents the trendy yé-yé clubs of the era, characterized by the beat of the tams-tams and the use of gris-gris (talismans or charms). The singer is willing to do anything just to be with Lolita, even if he has to cause a scandal at the yé-yé clubs or even go to prison for it. He is completely enamored with her to the point of madness.
The reference to Sing-Sing, a notorious prison in the United States, indicates the extremes to which the singer is willing to go for Lolita. However, he also loves and admires her for who she is, reminiscing about their past conversations and dancing together at the bal doum doum. The da doo ron ron that she listens to is a nod to the popular American song "Da Doo Ron Ron" by the Crystals, which was also covered in French by Johnny Hallyday.
Overall, the song presents the singer as a somewhat obsessive and possessive partner, unable to let go of his love for Lolita and willing to do anything to have her. It also showcases the influence of yé-yé music, a cultural phenomenon in France in the 1960s, which mixed French chanson with elements of rock and roll and had a significant impact on pop culture.
Line by Line Meaning
Ni les tams-tams des yé-yé-yé-é
Not even the sound of the drums played by the yé-yé (pop) movement
Ni les gris-gris que tu portais
Neither the good luck charms you wore
Da doo ron ron que tu écoutais
The pop song 'Da doo ron ron' that you used to listen to
Au bal doum doum où tu dansais
At the nightclub where you used to dance
Non rien n'aura raison de moi
Nothing will stop me
J'irai chercher ma Lolita
I will go find my Lolita
Chez les yé-yé
Among the yé-yé movement
Sous les tams-tams des yé-yé-yé-é
Under the sound of the drums played by the yé-yé movement
Je ferai du ramdam je me connais
I know I'll cause a commotion
Oui à Sing-Sing je finirai
Yes, I'll end up in Sing-Sing prison
J'ai un coupe-coupe à cran d'arrêt
I have a switchblade knife
Fais un flash-back au temps passé
Take a trip down memory lane
Est-ce que t'entends ce que je te disais
Do you hear what I used to tell you?
Je suis fou fou fou de t'aimer
I'm crazy about loving you
Lyrics © WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC FRANCE
Written by: Serge Gainsbourg
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alb A
Ni les tam-
Tams
Du Yé-yé yé
Ni les gris
Gris
Que tu portais
Da doo ron
Ron
Que tu écoutais
Au bal doum
Doum
Où tu dansais
Non rien n'aura raison de moi
J'irai t'chercher ma Lolita
Chez
Les
Yé-yé
Sous les tam-
Tams
Du Yé-yé yé
J'f'rai du ram-
Dam
Je me connais
Oui à Sing
Sing
Je finirai
J'ai un coupe
Coupe
À cran d'arrêt
Non rien n'aura raison de moi
J'irai t'chercher ma Lolita
Chez
Les
Yé-yé
Sous les tam-
Tams des Yé-yé yé
Fais un flash
Back au temps passé
Est-ce qu't'en-
Tends
C'que j'te disais
Je suis fou
Fou
Fou de t'aimer
Non rien n'aura raison de moi
J'irai chercher ma Lolita
Chez
Les
Yé-yé
Ni les tam-
Tams
Du Yé-yé yé
Ni les gris
Gris
Que tu portais
Da doo ron
Ron
Que tu écoutais
Au bal doum
Doum
Où tu dansais
Non rien n'aura raison de moi
J'irai t'chercher ma Lolita
Chez
Les
Yé-yé
Carmelo
Absolument formidable. The dancer is also amazing. Pure rock’n’roll
Kay Harpa
C'est Jean-Pierre Cassel, le père de Vincent Cassel.
Kurt Smith
0:56 damn that switchblade changed the mood real fast. did not see that coming.
Sharpe
I read this and thought it was a dance move so I was watching the dancer. Then I saw the knife and was like, “Oh no, they meant an actual switchblade.”
POMMELHORSE POMMELHORSE
only serge would pull out a knife
4everfab
The "man on the left" is Jean-Pierre Cassel, a French actor, a funny man sometime dancer, and a friend of Serge Gainsbourg...
Kay Harpa
@Ruple Thaker he is/was his father - a nice actor and dancer - elegant, very french !
Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo
Apparemment amateur de la très classique mais efficace levrette claquée telle que mimée.
Susana Bolin
Wow,thank you!
Didier Boudet
@Ruple Thaker c'est le père de Vincent Cassel