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
Qui Est "In" Qui Est "Out"
Serge Gainsbourg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Qui est "out"
Qui est "in"
Qui est "out"
Jusqu'à neuf, c'est OK, tu es "in"
Après quoi, tu es KO, tu es "out"
C'est idem pour la boxe
Qui est "in"
Qui est "out"
Qui est "in"
Qui est "out"
Moitié bouillon ensuite moitié gin (in)
Gemini carbure pas au mazout (out)
C'est extrêmement pop
Si tu es à jeun tu tombes en syncope
Qui est "in"
Qui est "out"
Qui est "in"
Qui est "out"
Tu aimes la nitroglycérine (in)
C'est au Bus Palladium que ça s'écoute (out)
Rue Fontaine, il y a foule
Pour les petits gars de Liverpool
Barbarella garde tes bottines (in)
Et viens me dire une fois pour toutes (out)
Que tu m'aimes ou sinon
Je te renvoie à ta science fiction
Qui est "in"
Qui est "out"
Qui est "in"
Qui est "out"
Qui est "in"
Qui est "out"
Qui est "in"
The song "Qui Est 'In' Qui Est 'Out'" by Serge Gainsbourg is a commentary on the ever-changing cultural landscape and the elusive status of being "in" or "out". Gainsbourg lists various realms, including sports, cinema, fashion, and music, where one's popularity can quickly shift from being "in" to being "out". The lyrics suggest that this constant fluctuation creates a dizzying and sometimes hypocritical environment where people are judged by their status rather than their genuine character or talent.
The first stanza sets the tone for the rest of the song, with the repetition of the lines "Qui est 'in', qui est 'out'" emphasizing the cycle of people's rise and fall in popularity. Gainsbourg then references the boxing world, where even the best fighters can quickly become "out" if they lose a match. He goes on to mention the worlds of cinema, fashion, and music, where one day someone may be the hottest trend and the next they are forgotten.
In the next stanza, Gainsbourg plays with words and uses puns. "Moitié bouillon ensuite moitié g'in'" refers to the popular bouillon soup but also sounds like "moitié bien" (half good) and "Gemini carbure pas au maz'out'" suggests that the zodiac sign Gemini doesn't run on fuel (mazout in French), but also sounds like "carbure pas au ma'zout'" (doesn't run on half-full). He then references the pop culture phenomenon that can make you blackout if you're not sober.
Throughout the song, there is an air of criticism towards those who conform to the latest trends and those who dictate them. In the final stanza, Gainsbourg references the film "Barbarella" and asks the title character to take her boots off and tell him she loves him. The line can be interpreted as a plea for authenticity and vulnerability in a world where fake appearances dominate.
Line by Line Meaning
Qui est "in"
Who is considered fashionable or popular
Qui est "out"
Who is not considered fashionable or popular
Jusqu'à neuf, c'est OK, tu es "in"
Until 9 o'clock, you are considered fashionable or popular
Après quoi, tu es KO, tu es "out"
After that time, you are no longer considered fashionable or popular
C'est idem pour la boxe
The same applies to boxing
Le ciné, la mode et le cash box
As well as cinema, fashion, and the cash box
Moitié bouillon ensuite moitié g"in"
Half broth then half gin
Gemini carbure pas au maz"out"
Gemini doesn't run on fuel oil
C'est extrêmement pop
It's extremely popular
Si tu es à jeun tu tombes en syncope
If you're sober, you'll faint
Tu aimes la nitroglycér"in"e
You like nitroglycerine
C'est au Bus Palladium que ça s'éc"out"e
It's at the Bus Palladium that it's listened to
Rue Fontaine, il y a foule
There's a crowd on Fontaine street
Pour les petits gars de Liverpool
For the little guys from Liverpool
Barbarella garde tes bott"in"es
Barbarella, keep your boots
Et viens me dire une fois pour t"out"tes
And come tell me once and for all
Que tu m'aimes ou sinon
That you love me or else
Je te renvoie à ta science fiction
I'll send you back to your science fiction
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, SIDONIE, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: Serge Gainsbourg
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Michel Baud
Il faut écouter cette chanson à fond elle fait trembler les murs sacré musicien ce Gainsbourg
SHAIHULUD
je ne la connaissais pas celle la , et elle me plait beaucoup elle est superbe!!
la belle surprise de la journée!
Alain Gainet
Un style , une mélodie , une modernité à l'époque , une alchimie dans les mots , sublime.
Romain 55
Un mec incroyable tellement différent des autres ! Bravo l'artiste !
Dylan
Cette chanson est une bombe, elle nous plonge dans l'univers des sixties dans le côté drogue et cadencé de cette époque.
Pierre Cornu
Quel virtuose fait nous rêver encore
Sandrine Rousseau
Ce mec c'est de la bombe.
Pierre Le colleter
C est du superbe
Tina Ta
J’adore 🖤🤍
Sandrine Rousseau
C'est extrêmement pop si t'es a jeun tu tombes en syncope 🙃