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
ne dis rien
Serge Gainsbourg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Seule façon ici de se mouvoir
Ou alors je me casse la gueule et je me tue
Non mais t'as vu ce que t'as fait de moi
T'as vu ce qu'il en reste, nothing, lord nothing
Mais qu'est-ce qu'elle fait bon Dieu, elle est là elle est pas là
C'est pas possible, pas possible, pas possible, et pourtant
Il me suffit de fermer les yeux et tu es là
Ne dis rien, surtout pas, ne dis rien suis-moi
Ne dis rien, n'ai pas peur, ne crains rien de moi
Suis moi jusqu'au bout de la nuit
Jusqu'au bout de ma folie
Laisse le temps, oublie demain
Oublie tout ne pense plus à rien
Ne dis rien, surtout pas, ne dis rien suis-moi
Ne dis rien, n'ai pas peur, ne crains rien de moi
Suis-moi jusqu'au bout de la nuit
Jusqu'au bout de ma folie
Laisse le temps, oublie demain
Oublie tout ne pense plus à rien
The lyrics of Serge Gainsbourg's song "Ne dis rien" convey a message of intense desire and obsession. The singer is clearly in a state of emotional turmoil, as evidenced by the repeated lines of "It's not possible, not possible, not possible, and yet" and "Non mais t'as vu ce que t'as fait de moi," which can be translated as "But have you seen what you've done to me?" The subject of his obsession is addressed directly in the lyrics, as the singer pleads with her to follow him into the night and to forget everything else. The singer is filled with a sense of despair at the thought of losing the person he is so deeply in love with, and is willing to do anything to hold on to her.
The lyrics of "Ne dis rien" also contain elements of self-destruction, as the singer expresses a willingness to "se casser la gueule et se tuer" or to fall and die. This can be interpreted as a metaphor for the pain and suffering that he is willing to endure in order to be with the object of his affection. The repeated line of "ne dis rien" or "don't say anything" can also be seen as the singer's desire to keep their relationship a secret and to keep their emotions hidden from the outside world. Overall, the lyrics express a sense of desperation and intense longing that is both beautiful and sad.
Line by Line Meaning
Ça va pas, ça va pas, restez immobile
Things aren't going well, stay still
Seule façon ici de se mouvoir
The only way to move here
Ou alors je me casse la gueule et je me tue
Otherwise, I'll fall and die
Non mais t'as vu ce que t'as fait de moi
But have you seen what you've done to me?
T'as vu ce qu'il en reste, nothing, lord nothing
You see what's left, nothing, absolutely nothing
Mais qu'est-ce qu'elle fait bon Dieu, elle est là elle est pas là
What is she doing, God? She's here, she's not here
C'est pas possible, pas possible, pas possible, et pourtant
It's not possible, not possible, not possible, and yet
Il me suffit de fermer les yeux et tu es là
All I have to do is close my eyes and you're there
Ne dis rien, surtout pas, ne dis rien suis-moi
Don't say anything, especially not, just follow me
Ne dis rien, n'ai pas peur, ne crains rien de moi
Don't say anything, don't be afraid, don't fear anything from me
Suis moi jusqu'au bout de la nuit
Follow me until the end of the night
Jusqu'au bout de ma folie
Until the end of my madness
Laisse le temps, oublie demain
Let time pass, forget about tomorrow
Oublie tout ne pense plus à rien
Forget everything, don't think about anything
Lyrics © WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC FRANCE, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: Guillaume Siron, Bruno Ralle, Serge Gainsbourg
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@dosalmon8298
Magnifique !❤️😍Paix à ton âme Anna Karina 🕊⭐️☀️
@philippehamelin5043
reposez en paix chère Anna quel jolie duo vous nous laissez des superbes moments depuis les annèes 60..
@aohane8381
RIP douce Anna :'(
@Fardok1
magnifique tout simplement , je l'écoute en boucle ,et j'aurais aimé connaître ce grand homme
@petrarowan7486
Je l'aurais aime aussi.
@helioskassar5602
Look at her eyes
@isabelleisabelle9019
Oui, elle avait des yeux magnifiques et bouleversants.
@paga123
Enfin un plaisir à déguster sans modération !
@delachambrearnaud1291
merci serge tu merites ton etoile . de la part de quelqu un ne en 1966 toi en 1928 OK cette etoile a travers mes convictions je te l accorde .
@DidBer
Je pensais à Anna Karina il y a deux trois jours, un regard, une femme, rien d'autre. Une larme, deux voire trois. On oublie si vite.