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
La Nuit D'Octobre
Serge Gainsbourg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Et d'horreur et de colère m'a fait perdre la raison
Et d'horreur et de colère m'a fait perdre la raison
Honte à toi femme à l'œil sombre, dont les funestes amours
Ont enseveli dans l'ombre mon printemps et mes beaux jours
Ont enseveli dans l'ombre mon printemps et mes beaux jours
Qui m'ont appris à maudire jusqu'au semblant du bonheur
Qui m'ont appris à maudire jusqu'au semblant du bonheur
C'est ta jeunesse, c'est tes charmes qui m'ont fait désespérer
Et si je doute des larmes c'est que je t'ai vu pleurer
Et si je doute des larmes c'est que je t'ai vu pleurer
Honte à toi, j'étais encore, aussi simple qu'un enfant
Comme une fleur à l'aurore mon cœur s'ouvrait en t'aimant
Comme une fleur à l'aurore mon cœur s'ouvrait en t'aimant
Certes ce cœur sans défense, pu sans peine être abusé
Mais lui laisser l'innocence était encore plus aisé
Mais lui laisser l'innocence était encore plus aisé
Honte à toi, qui fut la mère de mes premières douleurs
Et tu fis de ma paupière jaillir la source des pleurs
Et tu fis de ma paupière jaillir la source des pleurs
Elle coule sois-en sûr et rien ne la tarira
Elle sort d'une blessure qui jamais ne guérira
Elle sort d'une blessure qui jamais ne guérira
Mais dans cette source amère, du moins je me laverais
Et j'y laisserais j'espère ton souvenir abhorré
Et j'y laisserais j'espère ton souvenir abhorré
Et j'y laisserais j'espère ton souvenir abhorré
The lyrics of Serge Gainsbourg's song "Honte à Toi" express profound disappointment and disillusionment with a woman who has betrayed the singer's trust and shattered his heart. The song is addressed directly to this woman, whom the singer believes is responsible for his loss of innocence and his descent into anger and horror. The lyrics are full of bitterness and reproach, as the singer blames the woman for his ruined youth and wasted love.
The song is structured around a series of accolades and condemnations, as the singer both praises and condemns the woman for her impact on his life. He speaks of her voice, smile, and gaze as corrupting influences, and he condemns her for making him lose faith in happiness and love. At the same time, however, he acknowledges the power of her youth and beauty, which he once admired and now despises. He also acknowledges his own vulnerability and naivety, suggesting that he was easily taken in by her wiles.
Overall, "Honte à Toi" is a powerful expression of heartbreak and betrayal, as well as an indictment of the destructive power of love. The lyrics are infused with raw emotion and vivid imagery, painting a picture of a man who has been deeply wounded by a relationship gone wrong.
Line by Line Meaning
Honte à toi qui la première m'a appris la trahison
Shame on you, who first taught me betrayal and made me lose my mind with horror and anger.
Et d'horreur et de colère m'a fait perdre la raison
And made me lose my mind with horror and anger.
Honte à toi femme à l'œil sombre, dont les funestes amours
Shame on you, woman with a dark eye, whose fatal love buried my spring and my beautiful days in darkness.
Ont enseveli dans l'ombre mon printemps et mes beaux jours
Buried my spring and my beautiful days in darkness.
C'est ta voix, c'est ton sourire, c'est ton regard corrupteur
It's your voice, your smile, your corrupting gaze that taught me to curse even the appearance of happiness.
Qui m'ont appris à maudire jusqu'au semblant du bonheur
That taught me to curse even the appearance of happiness.
C'est ta jeunesse, c'est tes charmes qui m'ont fait désespérer
It's your youth, your charms that made me lose hope.
Et si je doute des larmes c'est que je t'ai vu pleurer
And if I doubt tears, it's because I've seen you cry.
Honte à toi, j'étais encore, aussi simple qu'un enfant
Shame on you, I was still as simple as a child.
Comme une fleur à l'aurore mon cœur s'ouvrait en t'aimant
Like a flower at dawn, my heart opened as I loved you.
Certes ce cœur sans défense, pu sans peine être abusé
Certainly, this defenseless heart could be easily deceived.
Mais lui laisser l'innocence était encore plus aisé
But letting it keep its innocence was even easier.
Honte à toi, qui fut la mère de mes premières douleurs
Shame on you, who was the mother of my first pains.
Et tu fis de ma paupière jaillir la source des pleurs
And you made the source of my tears burst from my eyelids.
Elle coule sois-en sûr et rien ne la tarira
It flows, be sure of it, and nothing will stop it.
Elle sort d'une blessure qui jamais ne guérira
It comes from a wound that will never heal.
Mais dans cette source amère, du moins je me laverais
But in this bitter source, at least I will bathe myself.
Et j'y laisserais j'espère ton souvenir abhorré
And I hope to leave your abhorrent memory there.
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC FRANCE
Written by: Serge Gainsbourg
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
DOTANY
Pure poésie, du grand art.
Juste Lilly
Honte à toi qui la première m'a appris la trahison
Et d'horreur et de colère m'a fait perdre la raison
Et d'horreur et de colère m'a fait perdre la raison
Honte à toi femme à l'oeil sombre, dont les funestes amours
Ont enseveli dans l'ombre mon printemps et mes beaux jours
Ont enseveli dans l'ombre mon printemps et mes beaux jours
C'est ta voix, c'est ton sourire, c'est ton regard corrupteur
Qui m'ont appris à maudire jusqu'au semblant du bonheur
Qui m'ont appris à maudire jusqu'au semblant du bonheur
C'est ta jeunesse, c'est tes charmes qui m'ont fait désespérer
Et si je doute des larmes c'est que je t'ai vu pleurer
Et si je doute des larmes c'est que je t'ai vu pleurer
Honte à toi, j'étais encore, aussi simple qu'un enfant
Comme une fleur à l'aurore mon coeur s'ouvrait en t'aimant
Comme une fleur à l'aurore mon coeur s'ouvrait en t'aimant
Certes ce coeur sans défense, pu sans peine être abusé
Mais lui laisser l'innocence était encore plus aisé
Mais lui laisser l'innocence était encore plus aisé
Honte à toi, qui fut la mère de mes premières douleurs
Et tu fis de ma paupière jaillir la source des pleurs
Et tu fis de ma paupière jaillir la source des pleurs
Elle coule sois en sûr et rien ne la tarira
Elle sort d'une blessure qui jamais ne guérira
Elle sort d'une blessure qui jamais ne guérira
Mais dans cette source amère, du moins je me laverais
Et j'y laisserais j’espère ton souvenir abhorré
Et j'y laisserais j’espère ton souvenir abhorré
Et j'y laisserais j’espère ton souvenir abhorré
DOTANY
Merci d'avoir pris la peine d'écrire cette majestueuse poésie 🙏👍🏻🤗
Catherine Stora
Plusieurs se sont essayés à mettre ce poème de Musset en musique, seul Gainsbourg a trouvé la recette gagnante : un texte en heptasyllabes, rythmé, et tragique, une parfaite diction, et une musique légère et festive qui crée un contraste parfait ! 🤗😋😋
DOTANY
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Daniel Bouju
Cha cha cha automnal...
Jean Luc Julien
Bon résumé de nos rapports avec la plupart des femmes.