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
Scenic Railway
Serge Gainsbourg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Je t'emmènerai sur le Scenic Railway
Si c'est ce que tu veux
C'est facile
Ouais
Je t'emmènerai sur le Scenic Railway
On verra ça demain
C'est promis
Quelque peu inconsciente
Tout ce qu'aimer veut dire
Le sauras-tu un jour
Ouais
Je t'emmènerai sur le Scenic Railway
Tu n'as que ça en tête
C'est terrible
Ouais
Je t'emmènerai sur le Scenic Railway
Mais ces émotions-là
C'est facile
Ouais
Je t'emmènerai sur le Scenic Railway
Et cesse de bouder
C'est d'accord
Je t'y verrai ainsi
Que je te veux cruelle
Agrippée à mon bras
Par tes ongles blessés
Ouais
Je vais te sembler un peu cynique, ouais ouais
Y a pas que les machines
Pour s'envoyer en l'air
In Serge Gainsbourg's song Scenic Railway, the singer is promising to take someone on a scenic railway ride if that is what they want. He reassures this person that it is easy and they can go tomorrow. However, he questions if the person is aware of what love means and wonders if they will ever understand it. Although the person is fixated on the idea of the Scenic Railway, the singer warns that the emotions attached to it can be complicated. He tries to convince the person to stop sulking and promises that during the ride, he will see her as he wants her to be, cruel and clutching onto him with wounded nails. In the closing of the song, he adds that machines are not the only way that people can "fly."
One interpretation of the song is that the Scenic Railway represents the thrill of love and the euphoria that comes with it. The singer is willing to take the person along on this journey but he also warns that love can be dangerous and unpredictable. He raises the question of whether the person is truly ready for the intensity of the emotions they will feel. Throughout the song, he is trying to convince the person to go with him and enjoy the ride, but he remains somewhat cynical about the idea of love and its complexities.
Line by Line Meaning
Ouais
An exclamation expressing agreement, affirmation, or excitement.
Je t'emmènerai sur le Scenic Railway
I will take you on the Scenic Railway, a metaphorical destination for an experience.
Si c'est ce que tu veux
If that's what you want, indicating an eagerness to please.
C'est facile
It's easy, suggesting confidence and capability.
On verra ça demain
We'll see about that tomorrow, implying a plan in motion.
C'est promis
It's a promise, indicating a strong commitment.
Mais ne te sens-tu pas quelque peu inconsciente
But don't you feel somewhat unconscious, questioning one's awareness and judgment.
Tout ce qu'aimer veut dire
All that love means, a rhetorical question to ponder the essence of love.
Le sauras-tu un jour
Will you ever know, expressing doubt or uncertainty.
Tu n'as que ça en tête
It's all you have on your mind, emphasizing obsession or fixation.
C'est terrible
It's awful, conveying empathy or sympathy.
Mais ces émotions-là
But these emotions, highlighting a particular set of feelings.
Et cesse de bouder
And stop sulking, urging someone to behave differently.
C'est d'accord
It's okay, suggesting agreement or compliance.
Je t'y verrai ainsi
I'll see you there like that, portraying a desired image or outcome.
Que je te veux cruelle
That I want you cruel, hinting at a particular fantasy or desire.
Agrippée à mon bras
Clasping my arm, picturing a physical holding or contact.
Par tes ongles blessés
By your wounded nails, signifying a physical or emotional pain.
Je vais te sembler un peu cynique, ouais ouais
I'm going to seem a little cynical to you, yeah yeah, acknowledging a potential negative reaction or criticism.
Y a pas que les machines pour s'envoyer en l'air
It's not just machines that can send you flying, implying a sexual or sensual connotation.
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Serge Gainsbourg
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mariana Mosquera Muñoz
Ouais
Je t'emmènerai sur le Scénic railway
Si c'est ce que tu veux
C'est facile
Ouais
Je t'emmènerai sur le Scénic railway
On verra ça demain
C'est promis
Mais ne te sens-tu pas
Quelque peu inconsciente
Tout ce qu'aimer veut dire
Le sauras-tu un jour
Ouais
Je t'emmènerai sur le Scénic railway
Tu n'as que ça en tête
C'est terrible
Ouais
Je t'emmènerai sur le Scénic railway
Mais ces émotions-là
C'est facile
Ouais
Je t'emmènerai sur le Scénic railway
Et cesse de bouder
C'est d'accord
Je t'y verrai ainsi
Que je te veux cruelle
Agrippée à mon bras
Par tes ongles blessés
Ouais
Je vais te sembler un peu cynique ouais ouais
Y' a pas que les machines
Pour s'envoyer en l'air.