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The Serge Gainsbourg Appreciation thread

mandryka

pfm Member
Capture.jpg


I am going to make August a month to explore the ins and outs -- political, ethical, musical, poetical, psychological, sexual -- of Gainsbarre. And I will use this thread to jot down what I discover on this journey into the far side of the politically incorrect.

Join me if you dare, nothing is off limits. Though I think it will be pretty well impossible if you don't understand French -- but maybe not.
 
And to kick it off I'll mention that I've been enjoying this song over breakfast -- would such a song be released today? I think not -- despite the acceptability of violence in music, Gainsbourg's rampant libido feels uncomfortable in the 21st century. Why has that happened? Increased enlightenment, or increased endarkenment?


And the words

Si j'ai quoi affirmatif et quoi d'autre no comment
Si je baise affirmatif quoi des noms no comment
Des salopes affirmatif des actrices no comment
Des gamines affirmatif de quel âge ooh ooh ooh

Si j'ai quoi affirmatif et quoi d'autre no comment
Si je bande affirmatif pour qui ça no comment
Pour des putes affirmatif et qui d'autre no comment
Brunes blondes affirmatif et rouquines ooh ooh ooh

Si j'ai quoi affirmatif et quoi d'autre no comment

Si j'assure affirmatif quoi tout seul no comment
D'la technique affirmatif du doigté no comment
Self control affirmatif comment ça ooh ooh ooh

Si j'ai quoi affirmatif et quoi d'autre no comment
Si j'aime ça affirmatif quel côté no comment
Peut importe affirmatif c'que j'préfère no comment
Obsédé affirmatif sexuel ooh ooh ooh

Si j'ai quoi affirmatif et quoi d'autre no comment
Si j'assure affirmatif quoi tout seul no comment
D'la technique affirmatif du doigté no comment
Self control affirmatif comment ça ooh ooh ooh

Si j'ai quoi affirmatif et quoi d'autre no comment

Si j'aime ça affirmatif quel côté no comment
Peut importe affirmatif c'que j'préfère no comment
Obsédé affirmatif sexuel ooh ooh ooh

And a translation

If I have what affirmative and what else no comment
If I **** affirmative what names no comment
Sluts affirmative actresses no comment
Little girls affirmative girls of what age ooh ooh ooh

If I have what affirmative and what else no comment
If I have a hard on affirmative for whom no comment
For whores affirmative and who else no comment
Brunettes blonde and redheads ooh ooh ooh

If I have what affirmative and what else no comment
If I assure affirmative what all alone no comment
Technique affirmative fingering skills no comment
Self control affirmative goes without saying ooh ooh ooh

If I have what affirmative and what else no comment
If I like it affirmative which side no comment
Not important, what do I prefer?
Obsessed affirmative with sex ooh ooh ooh

If I have what affirmative and what else no comment
If I'm good at it affirmative what all alone no comment
Technique affirmative fingering skills no comment
Self control affirmative how that ooh ooh ooh

If I have what affirmative and what else no comment
If I like it affirmative which position no comment
Not important affirmative, what do I prefer?
Obsessed affirmative with sex ooh ooh ooh
 
When I was a kid I used to think that Gainsbourg was a radical anarchic lefty or something, because the reggae version of the Marseillaise, with it's irreverent refrain "Aux armes et cætera", is so iconoclastic -- it is a deeply racist national anthem of a deeply racist country after all, so singing it reggae style seemed to be saying something.


And I used to believe that the famous incident where he burned a banknote on the TV was a sort of lefty anarchist (or something) gesture


But nothing could be further from the truth. He set it reggae style because it was cheap to find reggae backing musicians! And when he burnt the 500F, it was to show how he was being overtaxed by a socialist government. It's a good example of how the image takes on a life totally independent from the reality.
 
I think he has been given a lot of leeway with his lyrics/persona just through being French and a bit aventgarde. When boiled down he is just a perv with some dodgy views/morals.
 
I think he has been given a lot of leeway with his lyrics/persona just through being French and a bit aventgarde. When boiled down he is just a perv with some dodgy views/morals.

Maybe. I'm going to explore precisely that question. He may be just a perv, he may be a latter day Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Marquis de Sade . . . This afternoon I've been exploring this one and it seems to me to be serious poetry in fact

Serge_Gainsbourg_Homme_chou.jpg


(Intimations of Dylan's Desire sometimes)
 
He was probably talented, but his public image was appalling.
I remember him burning that big banknote – I was watching! – or making fun of veterans on a TV show.
He was always drunk when he appeared. He was rude and disrespectful too. Remember the Whitney Houston incident?
He also released loads of crap songs… and some incredibly creative and memorable ones!
Serge certainly was an ambiguous character who was both adored and detested.
I’m in between ;)
 
The book 'A Fistful Of Gitanes' is an excellent read plus I like to dip into this set every so often;-

Serge Gainsbourg Integrale 20 CD Box https://imgur.com/gallery/V6U8FZl

Reading Sylvie Simmonds' book reveals a very complex character, certainly one without flaws but much more than a 'perv'.....

Edit: For all the audiophiles, some of those early Philips recordings sound amazing btw.
 
Serge-Gainsbourg-Homme-chou.jpg


It's a concept CD -- he falls in love with Marilou, they have sex, he kills her, ends up going mad. French -- so the words matter, you won't get much out of it if you don't understand the poetry.

I'll single out Variations sur Marilou. Note the references to Louis Carol

Dans son regard absent et son iris absinthe
Tandis que Marilou s'amuse à faire des volutes de sèches au menthol
Entre deux bulles de comic strip
Tout en jouant avec le zip de ses "Levi's"
Je lis le vice et je pense à Carol Lewis
Dans son regard absent et son iris absinthe
Tandis que Marilou s'évertue à faire des volutes de sèches au menthol
Entre deux bulles de comic strip
Tout en jouant avec son zip
À entrebâiller ses "Levi's"
Dans son regard absent et son iris absinthe dis je
Je lis le vice de baby doll
Et je pense à Lewis Carroll
Dans son regard absent et son iris absinthe
Quand crachent les enceintes de la sono lançant
À cor de cartes et de quintes
Tandis que Marilou s'esquinte
La santé, s'éreinte
À s'envoyer en l'air
Lorsqu'en un songe absurde Marilou se résorbe
Que son coma l'absorbe en pratiques obscures
Sa pupille est absente, et son iris absinthe
Sous ses gestes se teintent extases sous jacentes
À son regard le vice donne un coté salace
Un peu du bleu lavasse de sa paire de "Levi's"
Tandis qu'elle exhale un soupir au menthol
Ma débile mentale perdue en son exil physique et cérébral
Joue avec le métal de son zip et la taule de corail apparaît
Elle s'y coca colle un doigt qui en arrêt au bord de corolle
Est pris près du calice du vertige d'Alice de Lewis Carroll
Lorsqu'en songes obscurs Marilou se résorbe
Que son coma l'absorbe en des rêves absurdes
Sa pupille s'absente, et son iris absinthe
Subreptissement se teinte de plaisirs sans l'attente
Perdu dans son exil physique et cérébral
Un à un elle exhale des soupirs fébriles parfumés au menthol
Ma débile mentale fait teinter le métal de son zip
Et narcisse elle pousse le vice
Dans la nuit bleue lavasse de sa paire de "Levi's"
Arrivée au pubis, de son sexe corail écartant la corolle
Prise au bord du calice de Vertigo, Alice s'enfonce jusqu'à l'os
Au pays des malices de Lewis Carroll
Pupilles absente, iris absinthe, baby doll
Écoute ses idoles, Jimi Hendrix, Elvis Presley, T-Rex, Alice Cooper
Lou Reed, Les Rolling Stones elle en est folle
Là d'ssus cette narcisse se plonge avec délice
Dans la nuit bleue pétrole de sa paire de "Levi's"
Elle arrive au pubis et très cool au menthol
Elle se self control son petit orifice
Enfin poussant le vice jusqu'au bord du calice
D'un doigt sex-symbol s'écartant la corolle
Sur fond de rock and roll s'égare mon Alice
Aux pays des malices de Lewis Carroll

Translate to English


I could find no good video on youtube, so I chose this hagiographical one



And I like it when he goes mad -- good video here from INA



Marilou, Marilou
Le petit lapin de Playboy
Ronge mon crâne végétal
Shoe shine boy
Oh Marilou, petit chou
Qui me roulait entre ses doigts comme du Caporal
Me suçotait comme un cachou
Elle savait le dialecte chou, pou-pou-pidou
Tu sais ma Lou, dans cette blanche clinique
Neuro-psychiatrique
À force de patience et d'inaction
J'ai pu dresser un hanneton
Sur ma tête héliport d'helicoléoptère
De ses élytres d'or refermant l'habitacle
Incline ses antennes porteuses d'S.O.S
Mais merde, les phalènes
Frémissantes de stress
Interceptent en vol mes signaux de détresse
Manque de bol
Marilou, Marilou
Les parasites de radio poux
Ont brouillé mes messages, fou
Que j'étais de toi, Marilou

Qui me roulait entre ses doigts comme du Caporal brought memories back -- can you still get Caporal?
 
I think he has been given a lot of leeway with his lyrics/persona just through being French and a bit aventgarde. When boiled down he is just a perv with some dodgy views/morals.

I am convinced that you are wrong about being just a perv. And if your comment was meant seriously rather than as a provocation, I urge you to listen to this

Nelson-jpeg.jpg


I'll try and write something about it later in the week, but for the moment suffice it to say that I think it is exceptional.

I also think that you may be wrong about him having dodgy morals, though certainly the personae in his poetry are very incorrect, dodgy from a moral point of view. But the voice of the poem is not the voice of the poet.
 
I couldn’t get passed the fact that I didn’t like him. A morally dubious,self indulgent and creepy guy. I will try again but it was painful enough the first time.
 
I am convinced that you are wrong about being just a perv. And if your comment was meant seriously rather than as a provocation, I urge you to listen to this

Nelson-jpeg.jpg


I'll try and write something about it later in the week, but for the moment suffice it to say that I think it is exceptional.

I also think that you may be wrong about him having dodgy morals, though certainly the personae in his poetry are very incorrect, dodgy from a moral point of view. But the voice of the poem is not the voice of the poet.

Has an utterly gorgeous bass line and bass tone on the title track, it makes me want to borrow my son's short scale squire with 20 year old strings on it and get a plectrum out.
 


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