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
Lola Rastaquouère
Serge Gainsbourg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Toi qui n'as pas connu Lola Rastaquouère
Je lui faisais le plein comme au Latécoère
Qui décolle en vibrant vers les cieux africains
Elle avait de ces yeux un vrai chat abyssin
Et ses seins deux sphères
Entre lesquelles j'abandonnais deux mois de salaire
Quand dans son sexe cyclopéen
J'enfonçais mon pieu tel l'Ulysse d'Homère
Je l'avais raide plutôt amère
C'est moi grands dieux qui n'y voyais plus rien
Dans la moiteur torride de sa croupe d'airain
On pouvait voir éclore des renoncules par-derrière
Et par devant un conifère
Me rappelait un air jamaïcain
In Serge Gainsbourg's song "Lola Rastaquouère," the singer challenges someone who has not known the titular character to speak of love. He describes his experiences with Lola, likening his treatment of her to giving fuel to an airplane taking off into the African sky. He describes her physical features in detail, noting her eyes like those of an Abyssinian cat and her breasts, which he gladly “paid” with two months of his salary. The singer further describes his sexual encounters with her, which he compares to the adventures of Ulysses in Homer's epic poem. He notes that he became so intensely lost in the act that he no longer saw what was happening around him. In the heat and moisture of their encounters, he observed flowers growing behind Lola and a Jamaican-inspired song that came to mind.
Line by Line Meaning
Comment oses-tu me parler d'amour toi hein
How dare you talk to me about love when you have not known Lola Rastaquouère
Toi qui n'as pas connu Lola Rastaquouère
You, who have not experienced Lola Rastaquouère
Je lui faisais le plein comme au Latécoère
I filled her up like a plane at Latécoère
Qui décolle en vibrant vers les cieux africains
That takes off vibrating towards African skies
Elle avait de ces yeux un vrai chat abyssin
She had eyes like a true Abyssinian cat
Et ses seins deux sphères
And her breasts like two spheres
Entre lesquelles j'abandonnais deux mois de salaire
In which I spent two months' salary
Pour y rouler mon pauvre joint
To roll a poor joint between them
Quand dans son sexe cyclopéen
When in her cyclopean sex
J'enfonçais mon pieu tel l'Ulysse d'Homère
I thrust my stake like Ulysses from Homer's tale
Je l'avais raide plutôt amère
I was hard as a rock, rather bitter
C'est moi grands dieux qui n'y voyais plus rien
Good lord, it was me who could not see anything anymore
Dans la moiteur torride de sa croupe d'airain
In the scorching dampness of her bronze rump
On pouvait voir éclore des renoncules par-derrière
One could see peonies blooming behind her
Et par devant un conifère
And in front a conifer
Me rappelait un air jamaïcain
That reminded me of a Jamaican tune
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: SERGE GAINSBOURG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jayrox40
Serge Gainsbourg – vocals, arrangement
The I Threes (Marcia Griffiths, Rita Marley, Judy Mowatt) – backing vocals
Robbie Shakespeare – bass, arrangement
Lowell "Sly" Dunbar – drums, arrangement
Michael "Mao" Chung – guitar, piano
Radcliffe "Dougie" Bryan – rhythm guitar
Ansel Collins – Hammond organ
Isiah "Sticky" Thompson – percussion
Robbie "Tights" Lyn – Fender piano
@filthyloops9821
@jyppy Non c'est faux!!! Les seuls "Wailers" sont les 3 "I Threes" qui faisaient les backing vocals de Bob Marley et étaient sur scène ou en studio avec lui et les Wailers.
Dunbar & Shakespeare ne sont pas des Wailers. Pas plus que :
- Mickey "Mao" Chung (Lead Guitar)
- Radcliffe "Dougie" Bryan (Rhythm Guitar)
- Ansel Collins (Organs / Piano)
et
- Uziah "Sticky" Thompson (Percussion).
Une fois de plus, les seuls "Wailers" ou affiliées à Bob Marley & The Wailers sont les "I Three".
Certains EPs et Singles sont même sortis sous le nom "Bob Marley & The Wailers & I Threes" et "Bob Marley & The I Threes & Wailers".
@maioio
Comment oses-tu me parler d'amour toi hein?
Toi qui n'as pas connu Lola rastaquouère,
Je lui faisais le plein comme au Latécoère
Qui décolle en vibrant vers les cieux africains
Lola rastaquouère, rasta
Lola rastaquouère, rasta
Lola rastaquouère, rasta
Lola rastaquouère, rasta
Elle avait de ses yeux un vrai chat abyssin,
Et ses seins, deux sphères,
Entre lesquelles j'abandonnais deux mois de salaire,
Pour y rouler mon pauvre joint.
Lola rastaquouère, rasta
Lola rastaquouère, rasta
Lola rastaquouère, rasta
Lola rastaquouère, rasta
Quand dans son sexe cyclopeen,
J'enfonçais mon pieu tel l'Ulysse d'Homère,
Je l'avais raide plutôt amère,
C'est moi grand Dieu qui n'y voyait plus rien.
Lola rastaquouère, rasta
Lola rastaquouère, rasta
Lola rastaquouère, rasta
Lola rastaquouère, rasta
Dans la moiteur torride de sa croupe d'airain,
On pouvait voir éclore des renoncules, par-derrière,
Et par devant un conifère rappelait un air jamaïcain.
@yvesleroux9290
Comment oses-tu me parler d'amour toi hein
Toi qui n'as pas connu Lola Rastaquouère
Je lui faisais le plein comme au Latécoère
Qui décolle en vibrant vers les cieux africains
Lola rastaquouère, rasta
Lola rastaquouère, rasta
Lola rastaquouère, rasta
Lola rastaquouère, rasta
Elle avait de ces yeux un vrai chat abyssin
Et ses seins deux sphères
Entre lesquelles j'abandonnais deux mois de salaire
Pour y rouler mon pauvre joint
Quand dans son sexe cyclopéen
J'enfonçais mon pieu tel l'Ulysse d'Homère
Je l'avais raide plutôt amère
C'est moi grands dieux qui n'y voyais plus rien
Dans la moiteur torride de sa croupe d'airain
On pouvait voir éclore des renoncules par-derrière
Et par devant un conifère
Me rappelait un air jamaïcain
@fredspeisser2920
L ultra super grande classe....un talent...incroyable. merci Serge d avoir existé. Un bien pour l humanité. Certains comprendront, d autres non.
Love for All.
@fanfanlegrand451
Excellent, excellent...... Je suis dingue de ce mec et de ses chansons. Tendres pensées Serge😘😘😘😘😘
@davidlalami6492
Gainsbourg un jour Gainsbourg toujours
@alexandrefaucher3603
Mon titre préféré avec no comment, sa plume restera à jamais inimitable ainsi que sa voix son charisme. Et aujourd'hui .. impossible de faire des titres comme ça sans se faire tirer dessus par mille et une asso etc etc ^^
@fanfanlegrand451
@Alexandre Faucher d'accord avec votre commentaire, Serge Gainsbourg était un auteur compositeur fantastique. Moi mon titre préféré est "la javanaise", mais bon j'aime pratiquement tout de lui😊👍.....
@myriamdhifallah8094
love you gansta Gainsbourg Gainsbar
@ninja-zy7vp
lola nwar
@HerosHeros-iu4hw
Un génie comme il n' y en aura plus , du grand gainsbarre , bravo l artiste....
@alexandrefaucher3603
Toujours le maître absolu 🙏 quel titre..
@samdorsalis878
Cool!!
tout est bon: musique reggae, choeurs, phrasé, humour....
Merci Serge.