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
Parce Que
Serge Gainsbourg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Que tes cheveux s'amusent à défier le soleil
Par leur éclat de feu
Parce que tu as vingt ans
Que tu croques la vie comme en un fruit vermeil
Que l'on cueille en riant
Désolée un instant prête à recommencer
Tu joues avec mon cœur comme un enfant gâté
Qui réclame un joujou pour le réduire en miettes
Parce que j'ai trop d'amour
Tu viens voler mes nuits du fond de mon sommeil
Et fais pleurer mes jours
Parce que je n'ai que toi
Le cœur est mon seul maître et maître de mon cœur
L'amour nous fait la loi
Parce que tu vis en moi
Et que rien ne remplace les instants de bonheur
Que je prends dans tes bras
Je ne me soucierai ni de Dieu, ni des hommes
Je suis prêt à mourir si tu mourrais un jour
Car la mort n'est qu'un jeu comparée à l'amour
Et la vie n'est plus rien sans l'amour qu'elle nous donne
Parce que je suis au seuil
D'un amour éternel je voudrais que mon cœur
Ne portât pas le deuil
The lyrics of Serge Gainsbourg's song "Parce Que" are a testament to the intensity of love, and the lengths to which we are willing to go for the ones we love. The song begins by describing the physical beauty of the person that the singer is addressing - their blue eyes, their hair that seems to challenge the sun itself. The singer then goes on to describe the carefree and youthful spirit of their lover, who seems to live life with abandon, taking pleasure in every moment.
However, the singer begins to reveal the cost of this all-encompassing love. The object of the singer's affection seems to take advantage of their feelings, playing with their heart like a spoiled child with a toy. And yet, the singer cannot stay away - their love is too strong, and they are willing to sacrifice everything for this person who has become the center of their world. The singer muses that they would even be willing to die for their lover, seeing death as a small price to pay compared to the all-consuming love they feel.
Ultimately, "Parce Que" is a song about the power of love to make us do extraordinary things - to see beauty in everything, to sacrifice for those we love, and to willingly give ourselves over to another person.
Line by Line Meaning
Parce que t'as les yeux bleus
Your blue eyes captivate me and draw me towards you.
Que tes cheveux s'amusent à défier le soleil
Even your hair seems to challenge the sun with its fiery brilliance.
Que tu as vingt ans
Your youthful exuberance and thirst for life is contagious.
Que tu croques la vie comme en un fruit vermeil
You seize every moment and savor it fully like a ripe, juicy fruit.
Que l'on cueille en riant
And we both pluck the fruit of life with laughter and delight.
Tu te crois tout permis et n'en fait qu'à ta tête
You believe you can do anything, without any consideration for others.
Désolée un instant prête à recommencer
Although I may momentarily feel sorry for myself, I am still willing to continue with you.
Tu joues avec mon cœur comme un enfant gâté
My heart is like a toy in your hands, and you play with it like a spoiled child.
Qui réclame un joujou pour le réduire en miettes
You demand a new toy just to destroy it for your own pleasure.
Parce que j'ai trop d'amour
My love for you is overflowing and all-encompassing.
Tu viens voler mes nuits du fond de mon sommeil
You invade my dreams and steal my nights away from me.
Et fais pleurer mes jours
And you make me cry during the day with your unpredictable behavior.
Parce que je n'ai que toi
You are my only love and the ruler of my heart.
Le cœur est mon seul maître et maître de mon cœur
My heart is my only guide and my love is the master of my heart.
L'amour nous fait la loi
Love is our law and our only rule.
Parce que tu vis en moi
You live inside me and nothing can replace the moments of happiness we share.
Et que rien ne remplace les instants de bonheur
No substitute can replace the moments of pure joy that we experience together.
Que je prends dans tes bras
The happiness that I feel in your arms cannot be compared to anything else.
Je ne me soucierai ni de Dieu, ni des hommes
I would not care about God or any other human beings if I lost you.
Je suis prêt à mourir si tu mourrais un jour
I am willing to die if you were to leave me.
Car la mort n'est qu'un jeu comparée à l'amour
Death is just a game compared to the power of love.
Et la vie n'est plus rien sans l'amour qu'elle nous donne
Life is nothing without the love that we share.
Parce que je suis au seuil
I am at the threshold of an eternal love.
D'un amour éternel je voudrais que mon cœur
I want my heart to be filled with eternal love.
Ne portât pas le deuil
I do not want to mourn or grieve for love that has been lost.
Writer(s): Charles Aznavour, Gaby Wagenheim, Original French
Contributed by Gavin W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Lespetiteshistoires1
Je l'ai écouté, un jour, par hasard. Seul. J'ai pleuré dans mon lit. Chaque mot est juste, chaque phrase est belle, chaque intonation parfaite.
@leguidedes7sens768
Cette chanson me donne des frissons. Vous ressentez l'immense détresse d'un homme qui tombe le masque. C'est magnifique de justesse.
@lucie6708
Je n'ai que 16 ans mais j'ai ce sentiment que ce morceau m'accompagnera toute ma vie... Tout est si juste bordel merci Gainsbourg
@flamby4283
Continue comme cela et tu seras une personne d'exception
@lelocome9569
J'ai commencé Gainsbourg assez jeune.. il y a longtemps maintenant.. et il ne m'a jamais lâché..
Écoute, admire et savoure...
@drcrook2
Bon courage.
@spline3532
À 15 ans j’ai découvert « la chanson de prevert » et « baudelaire » j’en ai 22 et je les écoute chaque jours..
@grandjeanolivier4770
Vous êtes déjà dotée d'une belle maturité.
@simongauthier8444
Qu'elle honneur pour la chanson Française de compter dans ses rangs un tel interprète
Serge ton génie créatif nous manque.
@danieleclauzel1674
Gainsbourg donne une autre couleur à la chanson d'Aznavour et c'est une bien jolie couleur, un autre ton, une délicatesse, un charme. J'adore cette version.