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
Je suis venu te dire que je m’en vais
Serge Gainsbourg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Et tes larmes n'y pourront rien changer
Comme dit si bien Verlaine au vent mauvais
Je suis venu te dire que je m'en vais
Tu te souviens des jours anciens et tu pleures
Tu suffoques, tu blêmis à présent qu'a sonné l'heure
Des adieux à jamais (ouais)
Je suis au regret de te dire que je m'en vais
Je suis venu te dire que je m'en vais
Tes sanglots longs n'y pourront rien changer
Comme dit si bien Verlaine au vent mauvais
Je suis venu te dire que je m'en vais
Tu te souviens des jours heureux et tu pleures
Tu suffoques, tu gémis à présent qu'a sonné l'heure
Des adieux à jamais (ouais)
Je suis au regret de te dire que je m'en vais
Car tu m'en a trop fait
Je suis venu te dire que je m'en vais
Et tes larmes n'y pourront rien changer
Comme dit si bien Verlaine au vent mauvais
Je suis venu te dire que je m'en vais
Tu te souviens des jours anciens et tu pleures
Tu suffoques, tu blêmis à présent qu'a sonné l'heure
Des adieux à jamais (ouais)
Je suis au regret de te dire que je m'en vais
Je t'aimais, oui, mais
Je suis venu te dire que je m'en vais
Tes sanglots longs n'y pourront rien changer
Comme dit si bien Verlaine au vent mauvais
Je suis venu te dire que je m'en vais
Tu te souviens des jours heureux et tu pleures
Tu suffoques, tu gémis à présent qu'a sonné l'heure
Des adieux à jamais (ouais)
Je suis au regret de te dire que je m'en vais
Car tu m'en a trop fait
The lyrics of Serge Gainsbourg's song "Je suis venu te dire que je m’en vais" (I came to tell you that I'm leaving) depict a breakup scenario where the singer has decided to end the relationship and break away from his partner, despite her tears and emotional distress. The use of a poetic reference to Verlaine's line "comme dit si bien Verlaine au vent mauvais" (as Verlaine said so well in the bad wind) adds to the melancholic and romantic atmosphere of the song, implying that the break-up is as inevitable and uncontrollable as a bad wind.
The repetition of the central phrase throughout the song reinforces the singer's resolve to leave and highlights the emotional turmoil experienced by both parties. The nostalgia expressed in lines like "tu te souviens des jours anciens" (you remember the old days) and "tu te souviens des jours heureux" (you remember the happy days) emphasizes the bittersweet nature of the split, as both individuals struggle to come to terms with the end of their relationship.
In the last verse, the singer laments the fact that he must leave because "tu m'en a trop fait" (you did too much to me), implying that the reasons for the end of the relationship are rooted in his partner's negative impact on his life. Overall, "Je suis venu te dire que je m'en vais" is a poignant reflection on the challenges of letting go of something once cherished, and the pain of coming to terms with the end of a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Je suis venu te dire que je m'en vais
I have come to tell you that I am leaving
Et tes larmes n'y pourront rien changer
And your tears will not change anything
Comme dit si bien Verlaine au vent mauvais
As Verlaine said so well in the bad wind
Tu te souviens des jours anciens et tu pleures
You remember the old days and you cry
Tu suffoques, tu blêmis à présent qu'a sonné l'heure
You stifle, you pale now that the time has come
Des adieux à jamais (ouais)
Goodbye forever (yeah)
Je suis au regret de te dire que je m'en vais
I am sorry to tell you that I am leaving
Je t'aimais, oui, mais
I loved you, yes, but
Tes sanglots longs n'y pourront rien changer
Your long sobs will not change anything
Tu te souviens des jours heureux et tu pleures
You remember the happy days and you cry
Tu suffoques, tu gémis à présent qu'a sonné l'heure
You suffocate, you moan now that the time has come
Des adieux à jamais (ouais)
Goodbye forever (yeah)
Car tu m'en a trop fait
Because you have done too much to me
Lyrics © SHAPIRO BERNSTEIN & CO. INC.
Written by: SERGE GAINSBOURG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kevinbardinat6221
Les sanglots longs
Des violons
De l’automne
Blessent mon coeur
D’une langueur
Monotone.
Tout suffocant
Et blême, quand
Sonne l’heure,
Je me souviens
Des jours anciens
Et je pleure
Et je m’en vais
Au vent mauvais
Qui m’emporte
Deçà, delà,
Pareil à la
Feuille morte
@hasnamicha6563
Je suis venu te dire que je m'en vais
Et tes larmes n'y pourront rien changer
Comme dit si bien Verlaine au vent mauvais
Je suis venu te dire que je m'en vais
Tu t'souviens des jours anciens et tu pleures
Tu suffoques, tu blêmis à present qu'a sonné l'heure
Des adieux à jamais (Ouais)
Je suis au regret
De te dire que je m'en vais
Oui je t'aimais, oui, mais
Je suis venu te dire que je m'en vais
Tes sanglots longs n'y pourront rien changer
Comme dit si bien Verlaine au vent mauvais
Je suis venu te dire que je m'en vais
Tu t'souviens des jours heureux et tu pleures
Tu sanglotes, tu gémis à présent qu'a sonné l'heure
Des adieux à jamais (ouais)
Je suis au regret
D'te dire que je m'en vais
Car tu m'en a trop fait
Je suis venu te dire que je m'en vais
Et tes larmes n'y pourront rien changer
Comme dit si bien Verlaine au vent mauvais
Je suis venu te dire que je m'en vais
Tu t'souviens des jours anciens et tu pleures
Tu suffoques, tu blêmis à présent qu'a sonné l'heure
Des adieux à jamais (ouais)
Je suis au regret
De te dire que je m'en vais
Oui, je t'aimais, oui, mais
Je suis venu te dire que je m'en vais
Tes sanglots longs n'y pourront rien changer
Comme dit si bien Verlaine au vent mauvais
Je suis venu te dire que je m'en vais
Tu t'souviens des jours heureux et tu pleures
Tu sanglotes, tu gémis à présent qu'a sonné l'heure
Des adieux à jamais
Oui, je suis au regret
De te dire que je m'en vais
Car tu m'en as trop fait
❤️❤️❤️
@stefano2091
Maman vient de nous quitter et elle était une grande admiratrice de Serge, où que tu sois maintenant Maman, je t'envoie ces quelques notes de musique, puisses-tu reposer en paix après ces années de souffrance. Ton fils.
@born2heal164
va sur sa tombe
@KDD_-Donovan
Sincère condoléances 😔🙏
@marcellinpakora6229
😭 du courage c'est pas facile. Paix a son âme
@Bj-ko2ip
Mon père un grand fan de gainsbourg dont je porte le nom d'une de ces chansons. Qui nous a quitté presque 16 ans pour le mois de février 🥺
@matthiasjacquet9061
RIP
@leoneroussel4958
Mon grand père nous a quitté depuis deux ans mais je l'ai revu dans mes rêves et cette chanson est passé sur ma radio au moment où je me suis réveillée je suis très triste 😥je ne l'oubliera jamais je t'aime papi 😓😭🥰♥️
@josephjoseph5480
Un véritable génie de la chanson française !
@ariffaday6697
Un véritable génie tout court.
@madelinebell153
Totally classic song. From spending my 'year out' of my 4 year degree in Paris at 20 in 1992, still listening in 2023. Absolute class. 👋💗Xx