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
Le Sonnet D'Arvers
Serge Gainsbourg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Un amour éternel en un moment conçu
Le mal est sans espoir aussi, j'ai dû me taire
Et celle qui l'a fait n'en a jamais rien su
Hélas j'aurai passé près d'elle inaperçu
Toujours à ses côtés pourtant solitaire
Et j'aurai jusqu'au bout fait mon temps sur la terre
Pour elle quoi que Dieu l'ait faite douce et tendre
Elle ira son chemin distraite et sans entendre
Ce murmure d'amour élevé sur ses pas
À l'austère devoir pieusement fidèle
Elle dira, lisant ces vers tout remplis d'elle
"Quelle est donc cette femme?"
Et ne comprendra pas
The lyrics of Serge Gainsbourg's "Le Sonnet D'Arvers" paint a picture of a deeply introspective and regretful narrator. The opening line, "Ma vie a son secret, mon âme a son mystère" (My life has its secret, my soul has its mystery), suggests that the singer has been harboring a deep, unspoken feeling or perhaps even a secret love. The following line, "Un amour éternel en un moment conçu" (An eternal love conceived in a moment), reinforces this idea, indicating that the singer has experienced a profound affection that, despite its brevity, has left a lasting mark.
The chorus, "Le mal est sans espoir aussi, j'ai dû me taire, et celle qui l'a fait n'en a jamais rien su" (The pain is without hope, so I had to remain silent, and she who caused it never knew), adds to the sense of melancholy and frustration felt by the singer. He has been unable to express his feelings to the object of his affection or reveal his pain to anyone around him, and his love has been unacknowledged and unreturned.
The final stanza, "À l'austère devoir pieusement fidèle, elle dira, lisant ces vers tout remplis d'elle, 'Quelle est donc cette femme?' Et ne comprendra pas" (Faithfully devoted to austere duty, she will say while reading these lines that are full of her, 'Who is this woman?' And she will not understand), reinforces the singer's sense of isolation and regret. The woman he loves is oblivious to his feelings, and even when presented with a poem that so clearly expresses his love, she will fail to recognize herself within it.
Overall, "Le Sonnet D'Arvers" is a powerful and poignant meditation on unrequited love and the sense of loss and regret that comes with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Ma vie a son secret, mon âme a son mystère
My life has its secret, my soul its mystery
Un amour éternel en un moment conçu
An eternal love conceived in a moment
Le mal est sans espoir aussi, j'ai dû me taire
The pain is hopeless, thus I had to remain silent
Et celle qui l'a fait n'en a jamais rien su
And the one who caused it never knew
Hélas j'aurai passé près d'elle inaperçu
Alas, I will have passed by her unnoticed
Toujours à ses côtés pourtant solitaire
Always by her side, yet lonely
Et j'aurai jusqu'au bout fait mon temps sur la terre
And I will have spent my time on earth until the end
N'osant rien demander et n'ayant rien reçu
Without daring to ask, and without receiving anything
Pour elle quoi que Dieu l'ait faite douce et tendre
For her, no matter how God made her soft and tender
Elle ira son chemin distraite et sans entendre
She'll go her way, distracted and not hearing
Ce murmure d'amour élevé sur ses pas
This whispered love raised on her steps
À l'austère devoir pieusement fidèle
Faithfully devoted to stern duty
Elle dira, lisant ces vers tout remplis d'elle
She'll say, reading these lines full of herself
"Quelle est donc cette femme?"
"Who, then, is this woman?"
Et ne comprendra pas
And she won't understand
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Serge Gainsbourg
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Curare-
Mon âme a son secret, ma vie a son mystère :
Un amour éternel en un moment conçu.
Le mal est sans espoir, aussi j’ai dû le taire,
Et celle qui l’a fait n’en a jamais rien su.
Hélas ! j’aurai passé près d’elle inaperçu,
Toujours à ses côtés, et pourtant solitaire,
Et j’aurai jusqu’au bout fait mon temps sur la terre,
N’osant rien demander et n’ayant rien reçu.
Pour elle, quoique Dieu l’ait faite douce et tendre,
Elle ira son chemin, distraite, et sans entendre
Ce murmure d’amour élevé sur ses pas ;
À l’austère devoir pieusement fidèle,
Elle dira, lisant ces vers tout remplis d’elle :
« Quelle est donc cette femme ? » et ne comprendra pas.
@Curare-
« Mon âme a son secret, ma vie a son mystère :
Un amour éternel en un moment conçu.
Le mal est sans espoir, aussi j'ai dû le taire,
Et celle qui l'a fait n'en a jamais rien su.
Hélas ! j'aurai passé près d'elle inaperçu,
Toujours à ses côtés, et pourtant solitaire,
Et j'aurai jusqu'au bout fait mon temps sur la terre,
N'osant rien demander et n'ayant rien reçu.
Pour elle, quoique Dieu l'ait faite douce et tendre,
Elle ira son chemin, distraite, et sans entendre
Ce murmure d'amour élevé sur ses pas ;
À l'austère devoir pieusement fidèle,
Elle dira, lisant ces vers tout remplis d'elle :
« Quelle est donc cette femme ? » et ne comprendra pas. »
@HxhXnin9e
SONNET DIT EN PLEIN VENT
https://youtu.be/-QTNMDzBtI4
(Le sonnet - et le vent - commencent à 11'25")
.
Rien donc à redouter... Aucun sujet de crainte...
Il n'en est point, de plainte, en moi qui n'attends rien.
J'ai certes faim et soif d'une plus douce étreinte,
Mais la douceur d'aimer change ce mal en bien.
.
De tous ses traits l'Amour peut aiguiser sa pointe
En prenant tout son temps ; pour moi j'ai tout le mien...
N'ayez en vous, mon Arbre, aucun sujet de crainte :
Il n'en est point de plainte, en moi qui n'attends rien.
.
Un simple aveu pourtant, s'il faut parler sans feinte :
C'est à vos bois dorés que ma lumière emprunte ;
C'est de leurs traits légers que la clarté me vient...
.
Il n'est moyen aucun d'en vivre hors d'atteinte.
Mais les chagrins sont doux ; mais douce est la contrainte.
Et pour longtemps, voyez, mon coeur vous appartient.
@jocelyncaron1484
Grâce à Gainsbourg ou Ferrer, j'ai découvert la poésie que je n'aimais pas étant ADO, merci de l'avoir rendu accessible à quelqu'un qui n'a pas été à l'école longtemps. 😁 😁 😁
@philippelucas2106
Alexis Félix Arvers, poète et écrivain dandy né à Paris en 1806. Après des études de droit il devient clerc de notaire, mais a toujours désiré devenir écrivain. Très proche d'Alfred de Musset ou Alfred Tattet. Il publia un recueil de poèmes intitulé Mes Heures Perdues en 1833, d’ou sera tiré le très célèbre Sonnet d’Arvers, sans aucun doute l’un des sonnets les plus populaires du xixe siècle. Pour l’anecdote, Serge Gainsbourg chantera ce sonnet au début des années 60.
@-oublier-trese2750
Cool, de plus, l' omission de ce point
@bird_wins
magnifique geste que de mettre ces poèmes en musique, comme a fait Léo Ferré avec tant de merveilleux poèmes....Serge est sublime aussi comme interprète – j'adore son «rien reçu!» tout plein d'amertume
@jean-lucmalandain1148
Sauf que tout le monde n'est pas Ferré...
@danielbouju1688
@@jean-lucmalandain1148 Mon cheval l'est...
@BabeStereo1
Quelle belle audace !
@theob2192
Je trouve ce sonnet particulièrement bien !!!!
@1995Taya
Love it!! :)
@courriernord
wouah