Serge Gainsbourg (April 2, 1928 – March 2, 1991) was a French poet-songwrit… Read Full Bio ↴Serge Gainsbourg (April 2, 1928 – March 2, 1991) was a French poet-songwriter, singer, actor, novelist, painter and director. Gainsbourg's varied style and individuality made him difficult to categorize. Although famous in France for many years, he did not achieve his first No. 1 album until 1979, when he released Aux Armes et caetera more than twenty years after his music career had begun. But since the 1980s, his legacy has been firmly established.

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

Marilu
Serge Gainsbourg Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Marilu, Marilu
Dis-moi Marilu
Veux-tu Marilu
Répondre à cette question?
Si tu ne veux pas, tu dis non
Je ne t'en voudrai pas

Je sais Marilu

Que avec Marilu
Il ne faut pas trop insister
Sinon elle va se fâcher
Et ça je ne veux pas

As-tu déjà aimé Marilu?
Aurais-tu essayé Marilu?
Serais-je le premier Marilu?
Réponds-moi Marilu

Dis-moi Marilu
Je vais Marilu
Te répéter ma question
Tu ne fais pas attention
Ça ne m'étonne pas

Je sais Marilu
Qu'avec Marilu
Il faut se montrer patient
C'est une petite enfant
Qui ne m'écoute pas

As-tu déjà aimé Marilu?
Aurais-tu essayé Marilu?
Serais-je le premier Marilu?
Réponds-moi Marilu

Dis-moi Marilu
Pourquoi Marilu
Baisses-tu les yeux ainsi?
Toi qui les as si jolis
Allons, regarde-moi

Je sais Marilu
Que avec Marilu
D'autres garçons ont dansé
Mais que as-tu donc à pleurer?
Ainsi c'était donc ça!

Tu as déjà aimé Marilu
Tu as donc essayé Marilu
Je serais le dernier Marilu
Ça n'fait rien Marilu, non
Ça n'fait rien Marilu, non

Ne pleure pas Marilu, non
Ne pleure pas Marilu

Overall Meaning

The song Marilu by Serge Gainsbourg is a conversation between him, the singer, and Marilu, who seems to be disinterested in what he has to say. Serge is asking Marilu a series of questions about her love life, but she appears to be avoiding the questions by not responding or looking away, which frustrates him. He asks if she has ever been loved or if he could be the first one to do so. However, he realizes that she has already been loved and tries to console her by telling her that it's okay and that he will not be the last person to love her. The last few lines show his empathy towards her, telling her not to cry.

The lyrics of the song evoke the feeling of unrequited love, frustration, and melancholia. The conversation between Serge and Marilu is a representation of an uninterested partner in a relationship, which is a common experience that many people have faced. The use of Marilu's name in the lyrics gives the song a personal touch, which makes the listener empathize with the characters.

Line by Line Meaning

Marilu, Marilu
Addressing Marilu

Dis-moi Marilu
Asking Marilu a question

Veux-tu Marilu
Asking Marilu if she wants to answer the question

Répondre à cette question?
Asking Marilu to answer the question

Si tu ne veux pas, tu dis non
Not blaming Marilu if she doesn't want to answer

Je ne t'en voudrai pas
Telling Marilu he won't be angry

Je sais Marilu
Acknowledging his familiarity with Marilu

Que avec Marilu
Referring to Marilu specifically

Il ne faut pas trop insister
Warning that too much persistence is not good

Sinon elle va se fâcher
Saying that Marilu will become angry

Et ça je ne veux pas
Stating that he doesn't want that to happen

As-tu déjà aimé Marilu?
Asking Marilu if she has ever been in love

Aurais-tu essayé Marilu?
Asking Marilu if she has ever tried anything

Serais-je le premier Marilu?
Asking if he would be the first one for her

Dis-moi Marilu
Addressing Marilu again

Je vais Marilu
Saying that he will repeat the question

Te répéter ma question
Explaining what he's going to do

Tu ne fais pas attention
Complaining about Marilu not paying attention

Ça ne m'étonne pas
Saying that it doesn't surprise him

Je sais Marilu
Acknowledging his familiarity with Marilu once again

Qu'avec Marilu
Talking about Marilu specifically again

Il faut se montrer patient
Advising that patience is necessary

C'est une petite enfant
Referring to Marilu as a child

Qui ne m'écoute pas
Saying that Marilu doesn't listen to him

Pourquoi Marilu
Asking Marilu a question again

Baisses-tu les yeux ainsi?
Asking why Marilu is looking down

Toi qui les as si jolis
Complimenting Marilu's eyes

Allons, regarde-moi
Asking Marilu to look at him

D'autres garçons ont dansé
Confirming that other boys have shown interest in Marilu

Mais que as-tu donc à pleurer?
Asking why Marilu is crying

Ainsi c'était donc ça!
Realizing something about Marilu

Tu as déjà aimé Marilu
Realizing that Marilu has been in love before

Tu as donc essayé Marilu
Realizing that Marilu has tried something before

Je serais le dernier Marilu
Saying that he will be the last one for her

Ça n'fait rien Marilu, non
Saying that it doesn't matter

Ne pleure pas Marilu, non
Telling Marilu not to cry

Ne pleure pas Marilu
Telling Marilu not to cry again

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Serge Gainsbourg

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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