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
J'étais fait pour les sympathies
Serge Gainsbourg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mal au cœur déjà
J'suis foutu quoi
Le coup d' foudre peut-être
Ridicule ! Oh non, j'avais pas besoin de ça
Pourquoi moi
J'étais fait pour les sympathies
L'amour en bagnole
Les mensonges teintés d'ennui
Les jeux de cartes biseautés
Antipathie et sympathie
J'étais fais pour ça
J'étais fais pour les sympathies
À la rigueur des tas d'amis
J'étais fais pour ça
Non pas pour l'amour
J'étais fait pour les cinq-à-six
À la rigueur les cinq-à-sept
J'étais fais pour ça
Non pas pour toujours
Mais pourquoi faut-il être deux, mon Dieu
À trois c'est déjà difficile
Si l'on pouvait se mettre à six ou sept
Tout s'rait alors si simple
Tellement plus naturel
J'étais fais pour être à plusieurs
À la rigueur pour être seul
J'étais fais pour ça
Pas pour être à deux
J'étais fais pour ça
Pas pour être à deux
J'étais fais pour ça
Pas pour être à deux
Maintenant, c'est fini tout ça
Va falloir compter avec elle
Un jeu dangereux
Une aut' paire de manches
Non, je m' connais
J' suis sûr qu' j' suis pas adapté
J' suis pas prêt à tous les extrêmes et ça risque de me mener vachement loin
Capable de tout
De toutes les conneries
J'vais d'abord savoir qui elle est et pas trop réfléchir
C'est mauvais
Allez, on verra bien
The lyrics of "J'étais fait pour les sympathies" by Serge Gainsbourg speak about feeling out of place and unprepared for love. The singer starts by expressing a sense of unease, stating that they already have a sick feeling in their heart and are in trouble. They mention the possibility of falling in love, but dismiss it as ridiculous and something they didn't need. They question why it had to happen to them.
The chorus repeats the phrase "J'étais fait pour les sympathies," which can be translated as "I was made for sympathy." This line suggests that the singer feels more suited for casual connections, friendships, and sympathetic relationships rather than romantic love. They mention the experiences of love in the car, dishonesty mixed with boredom, and playing with rigged cards, highlighting the negative aspects of romantic relationships. They believe they were made for these sympathetic connections rather than love.
In the second verse, the singer expresses that they were made for gatherings, potentially implying casual encounters. They mention being made for having many friends, but not for love. The following lines bring up the concept of "cinq-à-six" and "cinq-à-sept," which refer to a rendezvous outside of regular working hours in the evening. The singer suggests that they were made for these encounters, but not for a long-lasting relationship.
The bridge of the song expresses the singer's frustration at the complexities of being two people in a relationship. They express a desire for simplicity and suggest that if there were six or seven people involved, it would be easier and more natural. They conclude by saying they were made to be with multiple people, or at most, to be alone. They were not made to be in a couple.
In the final stanza, the singer acknowledges that things have changed. They say that now they have to deal with someone else, and it will be a dangerous game, a new challenge for them. They admit being unfamiliar with being in a committed relationship and fear that it will lead them astray. They express a sense of recklessness and being capable of all sorts of foolishness. Despite this, they decide to meet this person without overthinking and see how things go.
Overall, the lyrics portray a conflicted and uncertain perspective on love, suggesting that the singer is more comfortable with casual connections and sympathetic relationships rather than committing to a romantic partnership.
Line by Line Meaning
Ça y est
It's done
Mal au cœur déjà
Heartache already
J'suis foutu quoi
I'm screwed, you know
Le coup d' foudre peut-être
Perhaps it's love at first sight
Ridicule ! Oh non, j'avais pas besoin de ça
Ridiculous! Oh no, I didn't need this
Pourquoi moi
Why me?
J'étais fait pour les sympathies
I was made for sympathies
L'amour en bagnole
Love in a car
Les mensonges teintés d'ennui
Lies tinged with boredom
Les jeux de cartes biseautés
The rigged card games
Antipathie et sympathie
Antipathy and sympathy
J'étais fais pour ça
I was meant for this
J'étais fais pour les sympathies
I was made for sympathies
À la rigueur des tas d'amis
At most, lots of friends
J'étais fais pour ça
I was meant for this
Non pas pour l'amour
Not for love
J'étais fait pour les cinq-à-six
I was made for after-work gatherings
À la rigueur les cinq-à-sept
At most, the after-work gatherings
J'étais fais pour ça
I was meant for this
Non pas pour toujours
Not forever
Mais pourquoi faut-il être deux, mon Dieu
But why must it be two, my God
À trois c'est déjà difficile
With three, it's already difficult
Si l'on pouvait se mettre à six ou sept
If only we could be six or seven
Tout s'rait alors si simple
Everything would be so simple then
Tellement plus naturel
So much more natural
J'étais fais pour être à plusieurs
I was meant to be with multiple people
À la rigueur pour être seul
At most, to be alone
J'étais fais pour ça
I was meant for this
Pas pour être à deux
Not to be with two
J'étais fais pour ça
I was meant for this
Pas pour être à deux
Not to be with two
J'étais fais pour ça
I was meant for this
Pas pour être à deux
Not to be with two
Maintenant, c'est fini tout ça
Now, all of that is over
Va falloir compter avec elle
I'll have to deal with her
Un jeu dangereux
A dangerous game
Une aut' paire de manches
A whole other story
Non, je m' connais
No, I know myself
J' suis sûr qu' j' suis pas adapté
I'm sure I'm not suited for it
J' suis pas prêt à tous les extrêmes et ça risque de me mener vachement loin
I'm not ready for all the extremes and it could take me very far
Capable de tout
Capable of anything
De toutes les conneries
Of all the foolishness
J'vais d'abord savoir qui elle est et pas trop réfléchir
First, I'll find out who she is and not overthink it
C'est mauvais
It's bad
Allez, on verra bien
Well, we'll see
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC FRANCE
Written by: SERGE GAINSBOURG, BRUNO RALLE, GUILLAUME SIRON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Fabienne Mottu
Brialy extra !!!!!
cris lan
pas mal, pas mal du tout