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
Douze belles dans la peau
Serge Gainsbourg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Quand t'auras douze belles dans la peau, deux duchesses et dix dactylos
Qu'est ce que t'auras de plus sinon, sinon qu'un peu de plombs?
Un peu de plombs dans l'aile, pas plus dans la cervelle
Quand t'auras claqué ton grisbi
Dans toutes les boîtes à coup de fusil
Tu ne seras jamais qu'un pigeon avec un peu de plombs
Quand dans le feu de la passion, aux échelles des bas nylons
Tu grimperas, tu grimperas après qu'est ce que t'auras?
T'auras du plomb dans l'aile, pas plus dans la cervelle
Quand t'auras aimé à tout vent, et que tes poules n'auront plus de dents
Pour te bouffer l'coeur dans la main, hé ben mon gros malin
T'auras du plomb dans l'aile, pas plus dans la cervelle
Et quand t'auras passé ta vie, derrière les barreaux de ton lit
Tu diras que tu t'en ais payé et oui et puis après?
T'auras du plomb dans l'aile, pas plus dans la cervelle
Mais p't être bien qu'tu ne feras pas de vieux os
Avec tes douze belles dans la peau
Tu tomberas un jour sur un gars, un gars qui t'enverra
Du plomb dans la cervelle et il t'poussera des ailes
Serge Gainsbourg's song Douze Belles Dans la Peau is a warning to those who think that having multiple beautiful women in their life will bring them happiness and fulfillment. The song begins with the count from one to twelve, symbolizing the women that the singer desires. When he finally has those twelve women in his life, including two duchesses and ten secretaries, he realizes that all he has gained is a "little lead" in his wing and not much else. He uses the metaphor of lead to represent the inevitable ruin that comes with pursuing superficial pleasures.
The song continues with the warning that the singer will never be anything more than a "pigeon" with a little bit of lead in his wing if he spends all his money in the pursuit of these women. He will never have any real substance or purpose in his life. The song also suggests that if he continues to pursue women and pleasure without any regard for morality or decency, he will eventually end up behind bars.
The final verse of the song is a cautionary tale about the dangers of living such a frivolous and shallow life. The singer may not live to be old because he may encounter someone who will put a bullet in his head and give him wings. This serves as a warning that living for external pleasures and ignoring the deeper aspects of life may cause one's downfall.
Line by Line Meaning
Un, deux, trois, quart, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf, dix, onze, douze
Counting from one to twelve
Quand t'auras douze belles dans la peau, deux duchesses et dix dactylos
When you have twelve beautiful women by your side, including two duchesses and ten secretaries
Qu'est ce que t'auras de plus sinon, sinon qu'un peu de plombs?
What else will you have besides a little bit of lead?
Un peu de plombs dans l'aile, pas plus dans la cervelle
You'll have a little bit of lead on your wings, but not in your brain
Quand t'auras claqué ton grisbi
When you've spent all your money
Dans toutes les boîtes à coup de fusil
In every nightclub by shooting your gun
Tu ne seras jamais qu'un pigeon avec un peu de plombs
You'll never be more than a pigeon with a little bit of lead
Un peu de plomb dans l'aile, pas plus dans la cervelle
A little bit of lead on your wings, but not in your brain
Quand dans le feu de la passion, aux échelles des bas nylons
When, in the heat of passion, you climb up the ladders of nylon stockings
Tu grimperas, tu grimperas après qu'est ce que t'auras?
You'll climb and climb, but what will you have?
T'auras du plomb dans l'aile, pas plus dans la cervelle
You'll have a little bit of lead on your wings, but not in your brain
Quand t'auras aimé à tout vent, et que tes poules n'auront plus de dents
When you've loved every woman out there, and your chickens have no teeth left
Pour te bouffer l'coeur dans la main, hé ben mon gros malin
To eat your heart out, my clever friend
T'auras du plomb dans l'aile, pas plus dans la cervelle
You'll have a little bit of lead on your wings, but not in your brain
Et quand t'auras passé ta vie, derrière les barreaux de ton lit
And when you've spent your life, behind the bars of your bed
Tu diras que tu t'en ais payé et oui et puis après?
You'll say that you paid for it, but then what?
T'auras du plomb dans l'aile, pas plus dans la cervelle
You'll have a little bit of lead on your wings, but not in your brain
Mais p't être bien qu'tu ne feras pas de vieux os
But maybe you won't live long
Avec tes douze belles dans la peau
With your twelve beautiful women by your side
Tu tomberas un jour sur un gars, un gars qui t'enverra
One day, you'll meet a guy who will send
Du plomb dans la cervelle et il t'poussera des ailes
Lead into your brain and give you wings
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: SERGE GAINSBOURG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Elian
on Ford Mustang
We're swapping spits / We're snorting lines [double entendre] (On s' fait des "lines")
In a Ford Mustang
And then, "Bang"
We're banging in [triple entendre]
To the plane trees / And then, "Bang," we're getting high ("embrasser les platanes = planer" [ French] (=to get high)
"Mus" to the left
"Tang" to the right
And to the left, to the right
A windshield wiper
A pack of Kool
A badge with the inscription
"Keep Cool"
A bar of
Chocolate
A Coca-Cola
We're swapping spits / We're snorting lines
In a Ford Mustang
And then, "Bang"
We're banging in
To the plane trees
"Mus" to the left
"Tang" to the right
And to the left, to the right
A bottle
Of make-up fluid
A flashgun
A Browning (automatic pistol)
A phonograph
A volume
Of Edgar A. Poe
And a plain brass ZIPPO
We're swapping spits / We're snorting lines
In a Ford Mustang
And then, "Bang"
We're banging in
To the plane trees
"Mus" to the left
"Tang" to the right
And to the left, to the right
An edition
Of Superman
A nut from
Paco
Rabanne
A pic of
Marilyn
A tube of aspirin
We're swapping spits / We're snorting lines
In a Ford Mustang
And then, "Bang"
We're banging in
To the plane trees
"Mus" to the left
"Tang" to the right
And to the left, to the right