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
Kiss Me Hardy
Serge Gainsbourg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Kiss me my love
Kiss me Hardy
Kiss me my love
D'un tableau de Francis Bacon
Je suis sorti
Faire l'amour avec un autre homme
Kiss me Hardy
Kiss me my love
Kiss me Hardy
Kiss me my love
À Frisco non loin de Sodome
Là aussi
J'ai connu un très beau jeune homme
Qui m'a dit
Kiss me Hardy (embrasse moi Hardy)
Kiss me my love
Kiss me Hardy
Kiss me my love
Puis à New York où l'on déconne
Je suis parti
Tous là-bas comme un seul homme
M'ont redit
Kiss me Hardy
Kiss me my love
Kiss me Hardy
Kiss me my love
Eh oui, mon amour, oui, c'est comme
Ça depuis
Oui, j'ai connu bien d'autres hommes
Qui m'ont dit
Kiss me Hardy
Kiss me my love
Kiss me Hardy
Kiss me my love
Kiss me Hardy
Kiss me my love
Kiss me Hardy
Kiss me my love
Kiss me Hardy
Kiss me my love
Kiss me Hardy
Kiss me my love
Kiss me Hardy
Kiss me my love
Kiss me Hardy
Kiss me my love
Kiss me Hardy
Kiss me my love
The lyrics to Serge Gainsbourg's song "Kiss Me Hardy" describe the singer's romantic encounters with other men in various cities. The chorus, "Kiss me Hardy, kiss me my love," is repeated throughout the song and refers to a famous line spoken by Admiral Horatio Nelson during the Battle of Trafalgar. The line is often interpreted as a call for a final farewell, implying a sense of loss or impending doom.
The first verse refers to a painting by Francis Bacon, who was openly gay and known for his sexually charged and often violent images. From this painting, the singer has been inspired to seek out love with another man. The second verse describes the singer's experiences in San Francisco and meeting a beautiful young man there. The third verse takes place in New York, where the singer finds acceptance and a sense of belonging within a community of like-minded individuals.
Overall, the lyrics spoke to Gainsbourg's own experiences as a bisexual man living in a society that was not always accepting of his sexuality. The repeated chorus, with its reference to Admiral Nelson and his doomed battle, seems to suggest a sense of romantic fatalism or desperation.
Line by Line Meaning
Kiss me Hardy
Embrace me, my beloved
Kiss me my love
Show me your affection, my beloved
From a painting by Francis Bacon
Inspired by Francis Bacon's artwork
I came out
I was moved by Bacon's work and decided to leave my comfort zone
To make love with another man
To explore my sexuality with another man
Who told me
He said to me
In San Francisco not far from Sodom
In San Francisco, a city known for its tolerance and liberal views
There too
Just like in Bacon's painting
I met a beautiful young man
I encountered an attractive youth
Who told me
He said to me
Embrace me Hardy
Kiss me or hold me tightly, Hardy
Then in New York where people party
Later in New York, a city known for its nightlife
I left
I departed for a new experience
All of them, as one man
Everyone there, united in this experience
Told me
They said to me
Yes, my love, yes, it's like that
Yes, my beloved, this is how it is
Yes, I've known many other men
Yes, I've had romantic experiences with many other men
Who told me
They said to me
Embrace me Hardy
Kiss me or hold me tightly, Hardy
Kiss me Hardy
Embrace me, my beloved
Kiss me my love
Show me your affection, my beloved
Kiss me Hardy
Embrace me, my beloved
Kiss me my love
Show me your affection, my beloved
Kiss me Hardy
Embrace me, my beloved
Kiss me my love
Show me your affection, my beloved
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: Serge Gainsbourg
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Patrick Essel
D'un tableau de Francis Bacon
Je suis sorti
Faire l'amour avec un autre homme
Qui me dit
Kiss me hardy
A Frisco, près de Sodomme
La aussi
J'ai connu un très beau jeune homme
Qui me dit
Kiss me hardy
Etc. Plutôt gay friendly le père Gainsbourg, ça va faire râler les ligues de vertu de toutes confessions, mais ça doit être fait depuis des lustres, en vain... 🙄 🤪
Chantal Artewicz
voilà un artiste comme il n y en a plus .du style ,de l écriture et superbe mélodie. TU NOUS MANQUES SERGE
Chris totti
le seul qui reste c est lavillier..gainsbourg, nougaro disparue c étais des génie de la musique
fafa strato
Excellement bien enregistrer dans le sens ou la son est parfait. Merci à toux ceux qui était présent pour la réalisation de ce superbe album. Merci Serge.
fafa strato
Superbe album. Tu nous manque notre serge et je suis croyant.
Caught Me Slippin'
Late night smoky vibes. Brilliant track.
seuldanscetteville
Superbe... du génie... : -)
Dreddy Pierre
Le solo est juste magnifique !!!!
Christian HERON-BATARD
Kiss Me, Hardy : le titre de cette chanson fait référence aux paroles prononcées par l' amiral Horatio Nelson sur son lit de mort au capitaine Thomas Hardy le 21 octobre 1805 à la bataille de Trafalgar.
Stéphane Griffe, piano
Merci. Vraiment! Je reconnais bien là Gainsbourg...
hirinei
Génialissime !