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
Sea Sex And Sun
Serge Gainsbourg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Le soleil au zénith
Vingt ans, dix-huit
Dix-sept ans à la limite
Je ressuscite
Sea, sex and sun
Toi petite
Tu es de la dynamite
Sea, sex and sun
Le soleil au zénith
Me surexcitent
Tes p'tits seins de bakélite
Qui s'agitent
Sea, sex and sun
Toi petite
C'est sûr, tu es un hit
Hey, baby
Sea, sex and sun
Le soleil au zénith
Me surexcitent
Tes p'tits seins de bakélite
Qui s'agitent
Sea, sex and sun
Toi petite
C'est sûr tu es un hit
Sea, sex and sun
Sea, sex and sun
Sea, sex and sun
Sea, sex and sun
The song "Sea, Sex and Sun" by Serge Gainsbourg is an ode to pleasure and hedonism, celebrating the pleasures of the beach, sexual desire and the sun. In the opening lines, Gainsbourg describes the sun in its zenith, creating a sense of heat and intensity. As he continues with "stylish" numbers of ages like "20, 18, 17," he seems to be commenting on the youthful and carefree nature of those who frequent the beach. He then proclaims that he "resurrects," suggesting that being in this environment reinvigorates him.
In the following verses, Gainsbourg focuses on a young woman, whom he calls "petite" ("little one"), describing her as "dynamite" and a "hit." He becomes fixated on her body, specifically her "bakelite" breasts, which are a type of plastic that was popular at the time. The words "s'agitent" ("shaking" or "moving") suggest the idea of oscillation or vibration, equating her body with rhythm or music.
Overall, the song is a vision of pleasure and escape, a world in which one can simply indulge in the senses and forget about the outside world. It's a song that celebrates simplicity and the beauty of physical pleasure.
Line by Line Meaning
Sea, sex and sun
The ultimate pleasure trio: ocean waves, sexual activities, and a bright sun to provide energy and heat.
Le soleil au zénith
The sun is at its highest point in the sky, providing the perfect atmospheric conditions for the ultimate pleasure trio.
Vingt ans, dix-huit
At twenty years old, the singer is the perfect age to enjoy the pleasures of life. However, even eighteen or seventeen can be acceptable.
Dix-sept ans à la limite
Seventeen is the absolute minimum age for the singer to consider engaging in the ultimate pleasure trio, though it may be somewhat frowned upon.
Je ressuscite
The very thought of the ultimate pleasure trio awakens the singer's senses and brings him back to life.
Toi petite
Addressing his lover, the singer refers to her as his petite one, indicating her youth and petite figure.
Tu es de la dynamite
The singer perceives his lover as being explosive, highly arousing and capable of inducing pleasurable experiences.
Me surexcitent
The ultimate pleasure trio elicits extreme excitement and arousal in the singer.
Tes p'tits seins de bakélite
The singer finds his lover's small, firm breasts visually and tactilely stimulating, comparing them to the synthetic material bakelite.
Qui s'agitent
The sight of his lover's breasts jiggling in motion only adds to the singer's sensations of arousal.
C'est sûr, tu es un hit
The singer is certain that his petite lover is a hit, meaning she is incredibly attractive and desirable to him.
Hey, baby
An affectionate term used to address his lover.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: Serge Gainsbourg
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Elian
on Ford Mustang
We're swapping spits / We're snorting lines [double entendre] (On s' fait des "lines")
In a Ford Mustang
And then, "Bang"
We're banging in [triple entendre]
To the plane trees / And then, "Bang," we're getting high ("embrasser les platanes = planer" [ French] (=to get high)
"Mus" to the left
"Tang" to the right
And to the left, to the right
A windshield wiper
A pack of Kool
A badge with the inscription
"Keep Cool"
A bar of
Chocolate
A Coca-Cola
We're swapping spits / We're snorting lines
In a Ford Mustang
And then, "Bang"
We're banging in
To the plane trees
"Mus" to the left
"Tang" to the right
And to the left, to the right
A bottle
Of make-up fluid
A flashgun
A Browning (automatic pistol)
A phonograph
A volume
Of Edgar A. Poe
And a plain brass ZIPPO
We're swapping spits / We're snorting lines
In a Ford Mustang
And then, "Bang"
We're banging in
To the plane trees
"Mus" to the left
"Tang" to the right
And to the left, to the right
An edition
Of Superman
A nut from
Paco
Rabanne
A pic of
Marilyn
A tube of aspirin
We're swapping spits / We're snorting lines
In a Ford Mustang
And then, "Bang"
We're banging in
To the plane trees
"Mus" to the left
"Tang" to the right
And to the left, to the right