Serge Gainsbourg

Recently I mentioned a Serge Gainsbourg-themed post then never got around to doing it. Here it is! I think what I like most about Serge Gainsbourg is that he loved the French language, so his lyrics are full of slang and plays on words and double entendres. For a non-native speaker like me, I feel like I've won some kind of prize whenever I understand one of them. The lyrics are frequently sort of dirty, but that's the subtle undertone. I wish we wrote more music like that, that could be enjoyed on multiple levels.

This list of videos will probably be skewed towards the early part of his career, because I have a 2-cd Best Of CD and I listen to the first disc more, so I have more 'favorites' among those songs. Also because it's a video format and he didn't age well, although he wasn't much to look at in the first place. He does manage to be sort of sexy despite his looks and his straight-faced singing style. Maybe you'll see it and maybe you won't.

Le Poinçonneur des Lilas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jmYdFIcHQk

La Chanson de Prévert

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttLfSN4BC1U

Couleur café

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rV_c2FKUCrM

La Javanaise (Why is he holding this cigarette if he never smokes it? Also, he claims to speak Javanese at the end. What, fluently?)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2h-V5i2Hc4

Elisa (It is always such a joy to hear Jane Birkin trying to speak/sing French. At least when Serge was alive he would put real French words in her mouth most of the time...)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PnOZo3VuIc

L'Anamour (He smiles occasionally in this video. I sort of see why he's always frowning.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXhFAHcsyJ0

Je suis venu te dire que je m'en vais

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_bGxQ5zqss