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
Nazi Rock
Serge Gainsbourg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Enfilez vos bas noirs, les gars
Ajustez bien vos acroches-bas
Vos porte-jartelles et vos corsets
Allez venez ca va se corser
On va danser le
Ouais, on va danser le
(Nazi Rock, Nazi, Nazi Rock, Nazi)
Maquillez vos lèvres les gars
Avec des rouges délicats
Faites-vous des bouches sanglantes
Ou noires ou bleues si ça vous tente
On va danser le
(Nazi Rock, Nazi, Nazi Rock, Nazi)
Ouais, on va danser le
(Nazi Rock, Nazi, Nazi Rock, Nazi)
Sur vos boucles blondes les gars
Mettez fixatifs et corps gras
N'épargnez ni onguents ni fards
Venez avant qu'il ne soit trop tard
On va danser le
(Nazi Rock, Nazi, Nazi Rock, Nazi)
Ouais, on va danser le
(Nazi Rock, Nazi, Nazi Rock, Nazi)
On va danser le
(Nazi Rock, Nazi, Nazi Rock, Nazi)
On va danser le
(Nazi Rock, Nazi, Nazi Rock, Nazi)
On va danser le
(Nazi Rock, Nazi, Nazi Rock, Nazi)
On va danser le
(Nazi Rock, Nazi, Nazi Rock, Nazi)
On va danser le
(Nazi Rock, Nazi, Nazi Rock, Nazi)
On va danser le
(Nazi Rock, Nazi, Nazi Rock, Nazi)
On va danser le
(Nazi Rock, Nazi, Nazi Rock, Nazi)
On va danser le
(Nazi Rock, Nazi, Nazi Rock, Nazi)
On va danser le
(Nazi Rock, Nazi, Nazi Rock, Nazi)
On va danser le
(Nazi Rock, Nazi, Nazi Rock, Nazi) (ouais)
On va danser le
(Nazi Rock, Nazi, Nazi Rock, Nazi)
On va danser le
(Nazi Rock, Nazi, Nazi Rock, Nazi)
On va danser le
(Nazi Rock, Nazi, Nazi Rock, Nazi)
The lyrics to Serge Gainsbourg's "Nazi Rock" are provocative and controversial, as they depict a group of people preparing themselves for a night of debauchery and indulgence in the guise of a dance called "Nazi Rock." The first line of the song, "Voici venir la nuit des longs couteaux" (Here comes the night of long knives), references the 1934 purge of SA members by Hitler and his allies. The suggestion is that something dark and sinister is afoot, and the dancers seem to be getting dressed up for some kind of macabre pageant.
The lyrics describe the men putting on black stockings, suspenders, and corsets while the women apply makeup in a range of colors, including black, blue, and "delicate reds." The dancers are encouraged to wear their hair in blond curls and apply plenty of "fixatives and greasy substances." The overall effect is both unsettling and erotic, hinting at an unhealthy fascination with Nazi imagery and a twisted sense of sexual liberation. The repeated refrain of "Nazi Rock" serves as a kind of rallying cry, urging the dancers to lose themselves in the music and the moment, without regard for the wider implications of their behavior.
Line by Line Meaning
Voici venir la nuit des longs couteaux
Here comes the night of the long knives
Enfilez vos bas noirs, les gars
Put on your black stockings, guys
Ajustez bien vos acroches-bas
Fasten your garter belts tightly
Vos porte-jartelles et vos corsets
Your garter belts and corsets
Allez venez ca va se corser
Come on, it's going to get tough
On va danser le Nazi Rock, Nazi, Nazi Rock, Nazi
We are going to dance the Nazi Rock, Nazi, Nazi Rock, Nazi
Maquillez vos lèvres les gars
Guys, put on your lipstick
Avec des rouges délicats
With delicate reds
Faites-vous des bouches sanglantes
Make your lips look bloody
Ou noires ou bleues si ça vous tente
Or black or blue if you prefer
Sur vos boucles blondes les gars
Guys, style your blonde curls
Mettez fixatifs et corps gras
Use hairspray and hair grease
N'épargnez ni onguents ni fards
Don't spare any ointments or makeup
Venez avant qu'il ne soit trop tard
Come before it's too late
On va danser le Nazi Rock, Nazi, Nazi Rock, Nazi
We are going to dance the Nazi Rock, Nazi, Nazi Rock, Nazi
On va danser le Nazi Rock, Nazi, Nazi Rock, Nazi
We are going to dance the Nazi Rock, Nazi, Nazi Rock, Nazi
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: Serge Gainsbourg
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
BytheBottle UK
Controversial never afraid to push the boundaries, Serge for ever the entertainer.
Inês Tristão
Forever the Entertainer yes ❤️
Jérémie C
A quel genre musical il n'a pas touché Serge ? Imbattable
X YZ
re-arrangement géniaux, Billy Rush à la guitare, John Kumnick à la basse, Tony Smith à la batterie...joli lune-up.
usil kalash
Ta pas respecté le saxophoniste.... 🤭
Céline
Sans oublier les grands malades que sont Steve et George simms aux choeurs...
SLEEK GOD
such an amazing artist
Mary Suptelmy
Serge Gainsbourg the master ! ❤❤
perig79
J'adore. Avec Stan Harrison qui met Gainsbourg en extase, magnifique. Merci du partage.
TANI598
Voici venir la nuit des longs couteaux Enfilez vos bas noirs les gars Ajustez bien vos accroche-bas Vos porte-jarretelles et vos corsets Allez venez ça va se corser On va danser le nazi rock nazi nazi nazi rock nazi Maquillez vos lèvres les gars Avec des rouges délicats Faites vous des bouches sanglantes Ou noires ou bleues si ça vous tente On va danser le nazi rock nazi nazi nazi rock nazi