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 décadanse
Serge Gainsbourg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Non
Contre moi
Non, pas comme ça
Et danse
La décadanse
Bouge tes reins
Lentement
Reste là
Derrière moi
Balance
La décadanse
Que tes mains
Frôlent mes seins
Et mon c?ur
Qui est le tien
Mon amour
De toujours
Patience
La décadanse
Sous mes doigts
T'emmènera
Vers de lointains
Au-delà
Des eaux troubles
Soudain troublent
Mes sens
La décadanse
M'a perdue
Ah tu me tues
Mon amour
Dis m'aimes-tu?
Je t'aimais
Déjà mais
Nuance
La décadanse
Plus encore
Que notre mort
Lie nos âmes
Et nos corps
Dieux Pardonnez nos
Offenses
La décadanse
A bercé
Nos corps blasés
Et nos âmes égarées
Dieux!
Pardonnez nos offenses
La décadanse
A bercé
Nos corps blasés
Et nos âmes égarées
The lyrics to Serge Gainsbourg's song La décadanse depict a sensual and somewhat risqué dance between two lovers. The singer implores his partner to turn towards him and dance the "décadanse," moving her hips slowly in front of him. He then requests that she place her hands on his chest and let him lead her in the dance. Throughout the song, there are themes of desire, temptation, and lust, as evidenced by the lines "Que tes mains frôlent mes seins" (let your hands brush against my breasts) and "Sous mes doigts t'emmènera vers de lointains au-delà des eaux troubles soudain troublent" (under my fingers, you will be taken to faraway places beyond the troubled waters that suddenly stir). Despite the sensual nature of the lyrics, there is a sense of reverence and even spiritual longing present, as the characters ask forgiveness for their "offenses" in the midst of their dance.
The song's use of the term "décadanse" is significant, as the word is a play on the French term for "decadence" (décadent). The song was released in 1971, during a period of cultural and social upheaval in France. La décadanse reflects the era's fascination with decadence and excess, particularly in the realms of art, fashion, and music. At the same time, the song's lyrics suggest a backlash against such excess, as the characters seek refuge and redemption through their physical connection. The song also taps into the French tradition of chanson, a form of popular music that often deals with themes of love, sex, and longing.
Line by Line Meaning
Tourne-toi
Turn around
Non
No
Contre moi
Against me
Non, pas comme ça
No, not like that
Et danse
And dance
La décadanse
The decadance
Bouge tes reins
Move your hips
Lentement
Slowly
Devant les miens
In front of mine
Reste là
Stay there
Derrière moi
Behind me
Balance
Swing
La décadanse
The decadance
Que tes mains
Let your hands
Frôlent mes seins
Caress my breasts
Et mon cœur
And my heart
Qui est le tien
Which is yours
Mon amour
My love
De toujours
Forever
Patience
Patience
La décadanse
The decadance
Sous mes doigts
Under my fingers
T'emmènera
Will take you
Vers de lointains
To distant
Au-delà
Beyond
Des eaux troubles
Troubled waters
Soudain troublent
Suddenly trouble
Mes sens
My senses
La décadanse
The decadance
M'a perdue
Lost me
Ah tu me tues
Oh you kill me
Mon amour
My love
Dis m'aimes-tu?
Say do you love me?
Je t'aimais
I loved you
Déjà mais
Already but
Nuance
Shade
La décadanse
The decadance
Plus encore
Even more
Que notre mort
Than our death
Lie nos âmes
Unites our souls
Et nos corps
And our bodies
Dieux Pardonnez nos
Gods forgive us
Offenses
Offences
La décadanse
The decadance
A bercé
Has cradled
Nos corps blasés
Our jaded bodies
Et nos âmes égarées
And our lost souls
Dieux!
Gods!
Pardonnez nos offenses
Forgive our offences
La décadanse
The decadance
A bercé
Has cradled
Nos corps blasés
Our jaded bodies
Et nos âmes égarées
And our lost souls
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC FRANCE, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: Serge Gainsbourg
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@miguelangelmayuritrillo745
Sensualidad en su máxima expresión, un gran compositor de musica pop francesa del siglo XX como Serge Gainsbourg, irrepetible.
@josemunozmartinez7073
Que privilegió poder haber vivido esos años fueron tiempos maravillosos, inolvidables, nunca nos cansaremos de tenerlos presentes forman parte de nuestra existencia
@reccccer2452
Tal cual ! Que belleza
@luizinhomacedoolivaoliva3654
que maravilha fazer parte desse nosso tempo dancei muito essa musica que tempo maravilhoso mas
@lyudmylaglagolyeva4158
Очень приятная и чувственная песня❤
@marlicavalcante548
Amava está canção vocês falavam de amor com naturalidade tocavam os corações almas gêmeas estão juntos com certeza ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
@mariliareis7075
Esta música é fenomenal. O despojamento a sensualidade liberal.A classe a fragilidade da voz dela.É tudo sentidos. O jogo da dança . Não há palavras.
@rafaeljimenez8512
Desde el primer momento que vi su video me enamora de su voz de su delicadeza al interpretar su canción no me canso de verla dio que bella era y que hermosa canción dios la tenga en su reino
@SeptiembreAzulado
Acabo de ver a este hombre por primera vez, y fue amor a primera vista...o pasión? Tiene algo que no sé qué es, pero seduce!
@elprofepiazzeoficial
Jane lo mira totalmente enamorada... que bello amor... que perduró por siempre, a pesar de su separación y posterior muerte de serge... Jane seguro esta con el ahora ❤❤❤