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
Friedland
Serge Gainsbourg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Elle se dit "ma foi, si personne ne veut de moi
Je me fous une balle en plein cœur"
Mais voilà qu'soudain elle entend au loin une sonnerie de clairon
Elle se dit "parfait! c'est le moment ou jamais d'me trouver une situation"
Arrivée sur l'champ d'bataille
Au plus fort de la mitraille
Elle croise un boulet d'canon
Elle lui dit "mon pote, ta p'tite gueule me botte
Toi qui vas tuer les cosaques
Soit donc un amour, fais pour moi un p'tit détour
Avant d'partir à l'attaque
Mais voilà le hic, j'aime pas les moujiks
Et si tu veux m'arranger
Tourne plutôt casaque, passe du coté des cosaques
Vise-moi c't'officier français
Si tu lui fauches une guibolle
Tu peux me croire sur parole
Qu'si la gangrène s'y met pas
Je serai sa jambe de bois"
"C'est bien délicat, ce que tu m'demandes là"
Répondit l'boulet d'canon
"T'as une tête de bois, c'est pour ça qu'tu comprends pas
Que c'est d'la haute trahison
Mais va, te frappe pas, n'fais pas cette gueule-là
Allons n'aies plus d'amertume
Que ne f'rait-on pas pour une jolie jambe de bois
J'vais lui voler dans les plumes"
Et le voilà qui s'élance
Mais pour comble de malchance
L'officier qui vient d'le voir
Se baisse et l'prend en pleine poire
"Espèce de crétin, ça c'est pas malin"
S'écria la jambe de bois
"Maintenant qu'il est mort il n'a plus besoin d'support
J'ai eu tort d'compter sur toi"
"Tu m'prends pour un con" dit l'boulet d'canon
"Mais moi j'vais bien t'posséder
La colère le saoule et le v'là qui perd la boule
Il s'en va tout dégoiser
Ils passèrent en cour martiale
Et pour sauver la morale
La petite fut condamnée
À avoir l'boulet au pied
"Mais c'est qu'ça m'fait une belle jambe
De t'voir toujours dans ma jambe"
S'écria la jambe de bois
"Pourvu qu'ça dure, je touche du bois!"
The song "La jambe de bois 'friedland'" by Serge Gainsbourg tells the story of a wooden leg that is searching for an owner. The leg, feeling unwanted and unloved, contemplates taking its own life but hears a bugle call in the distance and sees it as a sign to find a new purpose. Arriving at the battlefield, the leg meets a cannonball and convinces the ball to change sides and aim for a French officer. Unfortunately, the officer moves, and the cannonball hits him in the head, causing him to die. As a result, the wooden leg and the cannonball are both court-martialed, and the leg is condemned to have the cannonball attached to it permanently.
The song can be interpreted as a satirical commentary on the futility and absurdity of war. The wooden leg is a symbol of the disabled victims of war who become discarded and left behind, and the cannonball represents the destruction and devastation that war brings. The leg's desire to find an owner reflects the desperation of those affected by war to find a new sense of purpose and belonging.
Line by Line Meaning
Il était une fois une jambe de bois qui cherchait un amateur
Once upon a time, there was a wooden leg looking for a companion
Elle se dit "ma foi, si personne ne veut de moi
It said to itself, "Well, if nobody wants me
Je me fous une balle en plein cœur"
I'll shoot myself in the heart."
Mais voilà qu'soudain elle entend au loin une sonnerie de clairon
Suddenly, it hears a bugle call in the distance
Elle se dit "parfait! c'est le moment ou jamais d'me trouver une situation"
It thinks, "Perfect! This is the right time to find a purpose."
Arrivée sur l'champ d'bataille
Once it reaches the battlefield
Au plus fort de la mitraille
Amidst the heavy gunfire
Elle croise un boulet d'canon
It meets a cannonball
Qui sifflait à pleins poumons
Whistling at the top of its lungs
Elle lui dit "mon pote, ta p'tite gueule me botte
It says to the cannonball, "Hey buddy, I like your face
Toi qui vas tuer les cosaques
You, who will kill the Cossacks
Soit donc un amour, fais pour moi un p'tit détour
Be a sweetheart, make a little detour for me
Avant d'partir à l'attaque
Before charging into battle
Mais voilà le hic, j'aime pas les moujiks
But here's the problem, I don't like the Muscovites
Et si tu veux m'arranger
And if you want to do me a favor
Tourne plutôt casaque, passe du coté des cosaques
Switch sides, join the Cossacks
Vise-moi c't'officier français
Aim at that French officer for me
Si tu lui fauches une guibolle
If you take out his leg
Tu peux me croire sur parole
Believe me, I'll keep my promise
Qu'si la gangrène s'y met pas
That if gangrene doesn't get to it
Je serai sa jambe de bois"
I'll be his wooden leg."
"C'est bien délicat, ce que tu m'demandes là"
"That's quite a delicate request you're making there."
Répondit l'boulet d'canon
Replied the cannonball
"T'as une tête de bois, c'est pour ça qu'tu comprends pas
"You have a wooden head, that's why you don't understand
Que c'est d'la haute trahison
That it's high treason
Mais va, te frappe pas, n'fais pas cette gueule-là
But go ahead, don't beat yourself up, don't make that face
Allons n'aies plus d'amertume
Let's not be bitter anymore
Que ne f'rait-on pas pour une jolie jambe de bois
What wouldn't one do for a pretty wooden leg
J'vais lui voler dans les plumes"
I'll take him down."
Et le voilà qui s'élance
And off it goes
Mais pour comble de malchance
But to make matters worse
L'officier qui vient d'le voir
The officer who just saw it
Se baisse et l'prend en pleine poire
Bends down and takes it straight in the face
"Espèce de crétin, ça c'est pas malin"
"You idiot, that's not clever at all."
S'écria la jambe de bois
Cried out the wooden leg
"Maintenant qu'il est mort il n'a plus besoin d'support
"Now that he's dead, he no longer needs support
J'ai eu tort d'compter sur toi"
I was wrong to count on you."
"Tu m'prends pour un con" dit l'boulet d'canon
"You think I'm a fool?" said the cannonball
"Mais moi j'vais bien t'posséder
"But I'll have the last laugh
La colère le saoule et le v'là qui perd la boule
Fury gets the better of him and he loses his mind
Il s'en va tout dégoiser
He goes off on a rant
Ils passèrent en cour martiale
They were court-martialed
Et pour sauver la morale
And to save face
La petite fut condamnée
The little one was condemned
À avoir l'boulet au pied
To have a ball and chain at its foot.
"Mais c'est qu'ça m'fait une belle jambe
"Well, that's just great for me
De t'voir toujours dans ma jambe"
To still have you inside my leg."
S'écria la jambe de bois
Cried out the wooden leg.
"Pourvu qu'ça dure, je touche du bois!"
"May it last forever, knock on wood!"
Lyrics © WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC FRANCE, 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