Serge Gainsbourg (April 2, 1928 – March 2, 1991) was a French poet-songwrit… Read Full Bio ↴Serge Gainsbourg (April 2, 1928 – March 2, 1991) was a French poet-songwriter, singer, actor, novelist, painter and director. Gainsbourg's varied style and individuality made him difficult to categorize. Although famous in France for many years, he did not achieve his first No. 1 album until 1979, when he released Aux Armes et caetera more than twenty years after his music career had begun. But since the 1980s, his legacy has been firmly established.

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

Sois belle et tais-toi
Serge Gainsbourg Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Le ramier roucoule
Le moineau pépie
Caquette la poule
Jacasse la pie
Le chameau blatère
Et le hibou hue
Râle la panthère
Et craque la grue

Toi, toi, toi,
Toi,
Sois belle et tais-toi

L'éléphant barrète
La jument hennit
Hulule la chouette
Bêle la brebis
Le crapaud coasse
Piaule le poulet
Le corbeau croasse
Cajole le geais
Toi, toi, toi,
Toi,
Sois belle et tais-toi

Le cerf brame, l'âne
Brait, le lion rugit
Cancane la cane
Le taureau mugit
Le dindon glouglote
Et braille le paon
La caille margotte
Siffle le serpent
Toi, toi, toi

Toi,
Sois belle et tais-toi

Overall Meaning

In Serge Gainsbourg's song "Sois Belle Et Tais Toi," the lyrics describe the various sounds of different animals, from the cooing of the pigeon to the roar of the lion. The refrain "Sois belle et tais toi," which translates to "Be beautiful and shut up," is repeated throughout the song, suggesting that women should prioritize their appearance and remain silent. The song is a satirical commentary on the objectification and silencing of women in society.

Each animal sound represents a different aspect of femininity and the pressures women face. The cooing of the pigeon could represent the expected gentle and nurturing nature of women, while the bellowing of the elephant could allude to the weight and burden of societal expectations. The repetition of "to be beautiful and shut up" reinforces this message of women being valued solely for their appearance, rather than their thoughts and opinions.

Despite the song's controversial message, it remains a popular track in Serge Gainsbourg's discography and has been covered by numerous artists over the years. The song serves as a reminder of the pervasive gender inequalities that exist in society and the need for continued progress towards gender equality.

Line by Line Meaning

Le ramier roucoule
The dove coos

Le moineau pépie
The sparrow chirps

Caquette la poule
The hen clucks

Jacasse la pie
The magpie chatters

Le chameau blatère
The camel bleats

Et le hibou hue
And the owl hoots

Râle la panthère
The panther growls

Et craque la grue
And the crane cracks

Toi, toi, toi,
You, you, you,

Toi,
You,

Sois belle et tais-toi
Be beautiful and shut up

L'éléphant barrète
The elephant trumpets

La jument hennit
The mare neighs

Hulule la chouette
The owl howls

Bêle la brebis
The sheep bleats

Le crapaud coasse
The toad croaks

Piaule le poulet
The chick peeps

Le corbeau croasse
The raven caws

Cajole le geais
The jay chirps

Toi, toi, toi,
You, you, you,

Toi,
You,

Sois belle et tais-toi
Be beautiful and shut up

Le cerf brame, l'âne
The deer roars, the donkey brays

Brait, le lion rugit
The lion roars

Cancane la cane
The duck quacks

Le taureau mugit
The bull bellows

Le dindon glouglote
The turkey gobbles

Et braille le paon
And the peacock shrieks

La caille margotte
The quail clucks

Siffle le serpent
The snake hisses

Toi, toi, toi
You, you, you

Toi,
You,

Sois belle et tais-toi
Be beautiful and shut up

Contributed by Charlie A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Le ramier roucoule
Le moineau pépie
Caquette la poule
Jacasse la pie
Le chameau blatère
Et le hibou hue
Râle la panthère
Et craque la grue
Toi, toi, toi
Toi
Sois belle et tais-toi

L'éléphant barrète
La jument hennit
Hulule la chouette
Bêle la brebis
Le crapaud coasse
Piaule le poulet
Le corbeau croasse
Cajole le geais
Toi, toi, toi
Toi
Sois belle et tais-toi

Le cerf brame, l'âne
Brait, le lion rugit
Cancane la cane
Le taureau mugit
Le dindon glouglote
Et braille le paon
La caille margotte
Siffle le serpent
Toi, toi, toi
Toi
Sois belle et tais-toi