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 poupée qui fait
Serge Gainsbourg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Une petite poupée qui dit papa
Elle a des petites socquettes blanches
Une culotte à trou trous
Une petite chaînette autour du cou
Elle a des petites socquettes blanches
Une culotte à trou-trous
Quand elle remue du croupion ça m'rend coucou
C'est une petite poupée qui fait pipi caca
Une petite poupée qui dit papa
Faut la rattraper par la manche
Sinon elle part en arrière
Elle bascule en gardant les yeux grands ouverts
Faut la rattraper par la manche
Sinon elle part en arrière
Elle se couche sur le dos les pattes en l'air
C'est une petite poupée qui fait pipi caca
Une petite poupée qui dit papa
Je lui réponds d'une voix blanche
Je t'aime petit mannequin
Avant de la balancer sur les coussins
Je lui réponds d'une voix blanche
Je t'aime petit mannequin
Et je désarticule le pauvre pantin
C'est une petite poupée qui fait pipi caca
Une petite poupée qui dit papa
Et je fais gaffe avec mes hanches
De n'pas trop la bousculer
Il est si facile de la faire pleurer
Oui je fais gaffe avec mes hanches
De n'pas trop la bousculer
Car j'ai bien peur de déchirer ma poupée
The song La Poupée Qui Fait by Serge Gainsbourg tells the story of a small doll that can do some inappropriate things like peeing and pooping. This little doll has white socks and a polka dot underwear with a chain around her neck. The lyrics describe how she moves around and how to catch her when she falls back. Gainsbourg goes on to express his affection for the doll, saying that he loves her and gently tosses her onto pillows. However, he then confesses that he has dislocated her joints, hinting at a more sinister undertone to the song.
Interpreting these lyrics can be quite confusing as there are underlying themes of power and domination. The doll is seemingly powerless and vulnerable to the whims of the singer. The descriptive language used in the lyrics suggests the doll is being used for the pleasure of the singer, which can be interpreted as a metaphor for a larger issue of objectification and exploitation of women. It's a satirical song that critiques social norms and conventionally accepted gender roles by subverting expectations.
Line by Line Meaning
C'est une petite poupée qui fait pipi caca
This is a small doll that urinates and defecates
Une petite poupée qui dit papa
A small doll that says dad
Elle a des petites socquettes blanches
She has little white socks
Une culotte à trou trous
Panties with little holes
Une petite chaînette autour du cou
A small chain around her neck
Elle a des petites socquettes blanches
She has little white socks
Une culotte à trou-trous
Panties with little holes
Quand elle remue du croupion ça m'rend coucou
When she wiggles her behind it makes me go crazy
Faut la rattraper par la manche
You have to catch her by the sleeve
Sinon elle part en arrière
Otherwise she falls backwards
Elle bascule en gardant les yeux grands ouverts
She rolls back with her eyes wide open
Faut la rattraper par la manche
You have to catch her by the sleeve
Sinon elle part en arrière
Otherwise she falls backwards
Elle se couche sur le dos les pattes en l'air
She lays on her back with her legs in the air
Je lui réponds d'une voix blanche
I reply to her with a white voice
Je t'aime petit mannequin
I love you little mannequin
Avant de la balancer sur les coussins
Before I swing her onto the cushions
Je lui réponds d'une voix blanche
I reply to her with a white voice
Je t'aime petit mannequin
I love you little mannequin
Et je désarticule le pauvre pantin
And I disarticulate the poor puppet
Et je fais gaffe avec mes hanches
And I'm careful with my hips
De n'pas trop la bousculer
Not to knock her too much
Il est si facile de la faire pleurer
It's so easy to make her cry
Oui je fais gaffe avec mes hanches
Yes, I'm careful with my hips
De n'pas trop la bousculer
Not to knock her too much
Car j'ai bien peur de déchirer ma poupée
Because I'm afraid of tearing my doll
Contributed by Benjamin O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Alexandre DE FRANCA
Un truc de malade il laisse comprendre qu'il la prends la petite personne ne comprends le texte chui choquée
Valérie Vole au vent
Oui je suis d’accord. C’est très dérangeant !
nadir
Et l'autre qui commenté c'est trop choux ,pfff pathétique
Hugo Langelotti
Et ce texte là il passe sous les yeux de tout le monde incognito ?
Begon
Mon Papa ct Gainsbourg le même, il est décèdé loin de moi y a trois semaine et je ne savais même pas qu' il était malade... Je l ai eu chez moi 3 mois et il est parti pour la fin....
Andya Kuts
C'est quoi ce texte de pédophile
chucku00
Comme un géant...
Manu Blues
Love u Émily
Notre histoire d’amour tous les deux avec Serge❤️………..
VoYoU
On aurait pas dit que Serge Gainsbourg était si cucu, sa fille était vraiment son point faible, c’est beau à voir :’)
VoYoU
Cependant oui... les paroles sont très étranges