I stop smoking every 5 minutes

Well, that 's Gainsbourg words, I just come back from the Gainsbourg exhibition at the Cité de la Musique in Paris and i can just recommend you to go there if you are or if you plan to go to Paris before the 15th of March. 

For the other i will write a short feedback of who Gainsbourg was.

Serge Gainsbourg, born Lucien Ginsburg in 1928 in Paris wanted to be painter but he was out for the art market und burned most of his paintings in 1953 and started to sing and play piano in the clubs.

Gainsbourg music life can be divided in 4 parts.

The first one from 1958 until 1969, the Blue Period. He is singing about women, the disapointment of love and the fact that men and women cannot talk to another.

But he will be best known in 1958 with the song " Le poinçoneur des Lilas " wich refers to the man who checks the ticket at the underground station : Porte des Lilas, in Paris. He is singing about the repetitive and boring work, of the frustration of the workman. 

To have an idea, i translate some parts, it's like :  At the end of the station I see a boat who is coming to take me out of here but the boat leaves and i stay here making small holes...

Small holes, always small holes it's to get crazy, it's to take a gun... 

The Idol from 1965 to 1969 is the second period. He wrote songs for others, like Poupée de Cire, Poupée de son for France Gall or or Brigitte Bardot with who he had an affair, " Harley Davidson", "Bonnie and Clyde", "Contact" ( for the fashionistas, you should watch the videoclip, Brigitte Bardot is all in Paco Rabanne ), and "Comic Strip" ( my favourite one ), songs refering to the pop art and the invasion of the American Culture in France.

B.Bardot & S.Gainsbourg - Comic Strip
Hochgeladen von placebo60

In 1969, he meets, Jane Birkin, the London girl who played in the famous film, Blow Up, that's the beginning of the "Décadanse" Period she sings like Brigitte Bardot did before, the song "Je t'aime moi non plus" and became his Muse. He will during this period write for her 6 albums, soundtracks for erotic films, make some uderground film and an controversial album, Rock around the bunker refering to the Nazi Germany and the World War 2.

In his last period, Ecco Homo, beginning 1979 he will introduce reggae beats in his song and record an Electro Funk album called " Love on the boat".

The famous french hymne, " La Marseillaise" by Gainsbourg with Reggae beats: "Aux armes et caetera" :