Serge Ginzburg: A Musical Journey and a Parisian Trip

Serge Ginzburg (born Lucien) is a French legend who has been growing stronger since his passing in 1991. The chansonnier who went through everything - from wearing a yellow badge as a child, changing his name, studying art, moving to music and tying his name to the names of the beautiful women of his time - lived his entire life in Paris, where he wrote, traveled, took pictures and, most importantly, smoked. His life was spread across the City of Lights, from north to south and from the 9th to the 19th arrondissement, which is why I have included in the following article the places that influenced his work and creativity.

25 things you might not know about Serge Ginzburg

1. Changed his name from Lucien to Serge because he thought Lucien was the name of a book.

2. And yet, he named his fourth son Lucien.

3. He was married twice, and divorced both times (and all of this before Brigitte Bardot and Jane Birkin).

4. He did not have a driver's license, and had never driven a car.

5. It didn't stop him from buying a very expensive car.

The song “Ford Mustang”.

6. He did not appear on stage for many years because his confidence was low.

7. He released two reggae albums. One of them includes the following song, which created a huge scandal because it mocked the French anthem:

https://youtu.be/CrAOw5i9UwM

Aux Armes Et Caetera (La Marseillaise) – Serge Gainsbourg

8. He was a staunch Anglophile, and recorded most of his albums in London.

A short video depicting the birth of a poem by Serge Ginzburg in London in 1968.

9. He has a twin sister named Lillian.

10. He moved back in with his parents after getting divorced.

11. He wrote his two most famous poems that night:

(Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg – 69 année érotique (1969

Jane Birkin et Serge Gainsbourg – Je T'aime,…Moi Non Plus

12. Wrote a song about David Bowie for singer Isabella Adjani called “beau oui, comme bowie” – good as Bowie.

13. Smoked cigarettes made by Gitanes.

14. Wrote soundtracks for about 40 films.

15. The Jane Birkin He met on the set of a film in which they both starred, “Slogan.”

The theme song of the movie Slogan.

16. From the very beginning, they didn't get along, to say the least.

17. Jane thought his name was Serge 'Bourgnon', since she didn't know French rule.

18. Serge's father was a pianist, and music and playing were present in his childhood.

19. He has never visited Israel.

20. Which didn't stop him from writing a poem for Israel after the Six-Day War, "Le Sable et Le Soldat."

21. Serge dreamed of becoming a painter, and began studying it when he was young.

22. He used to wear white Zizi shoes from Repetto, which also became his symbol.

23. The statues that were placed in the living room of his house were of particular importance, and it was forbidden to move them.

24. Lost his virginity to a prostitute at age 16.

25. Loved making an extra strong piña colada cocktail.

And now that we've gotten to know Serge Ginzburg a little better and have traveled through his poems, it's time to travel through Paris among the important places in his life.

A trip to Paris in the footsteps of Serge Ginzburg

Ginzburg family home

Olya and Joseph Ginzburg, Russian Jews, fell in love and decided to flee their homeland, the Soviet Union, to settle in a better place. They forged documents and arrived in Paris, following Olya's brother, who had already emigrated to the city. Joseph found work as a bar musician and the family lived in a small apartment on rue de Chine. The couple had a son, Marcel, in 1922; the newborn died in his crib a year and a few months later.

In 1926, Jacqueline, a healthy daughter, was born, and in 1928, the twins Lilian and Lucien Ginzburg were born. Lilian was born first, and only later, little Lucien, nicknamed Lulu. That little Lulu would become great. The siblings grew up in a house full of music, at 11bis rue Chaptal in the Pigalle area of ​​Paris, until the mid-XNUMXs. Serge was a shy child, who could easily be mistaken for a daughter, looked like a miniature of his father, and loved going to school. The building itself is not particularly impressive, except that a little over a month ago, a sign was placed there in a ceremony announcing Serge's childhood there.

The Serge Garden

In 1958, after changing his name and retiring from art studies, Serge released a poem called “le poinconneur des lilas” – the ticket puncher of the Lilac station. The painful song tells the story of a depressed and sad ticket puncher who is tired of working underground and dreams of changing his reality.

The same ticket punch is located at the Porte des Lilas station on line 11 of the Parisian metro. The single was a success, touching the hearts of listeners, at a time when a person punched the metro ticket and not an electronic machine. Following the song, there is a garden named after Serge Ginzburg, located near the Porte des Lilas station in the 19th arrondissement of Paris. Paris, and in 2023, a metro station for Line 11 is planned to be built and will be named Serge Ginzburg.

Serge Ginzburg House

The house at 5 bis rue de Verneuil has become a pilgrimage site for fans of French chansons and street art. It's not hard to spot - on the narrow street close to the Seine, a house lower than the rest, with a securely locked gate, and covered entirely in paintings upon paintings by Serge and others.

Serge bought this house after his second divorce, and stayed there until his last night. Serge designed the house inspired by his favorite artist, Salvador Dali, so the walls of the house were painted black, and in the living room stood various works of art, some of which were related to Serge. For example: the sculpture of the man with the cabbage head (named after an album he released) and a huge picture of Brigitte Bardot, next to the grand piano.

In this house, Jane and Serge lived together with their daughters Kate (Jane's daughter from a previous marriage) and Charlotte, their common daughter. As you can see, there is no parking space for this house, and one of the reasons is that Serge never drove a car, and he did not have a driver's license, he would take a taxi wherever he needed to, so all the taxi drivers of Paris knew him and heard his stories.

The day after he died, many mournful fans gathered around his house to pay their last respects. In the past, there was a brief period when they gave tours of Serge's house, but this practice has been discontinued and the house is locked.

Serge Gainsbourg's grave

Serge died in 1991, a month before his 63rd birthday, in his bed after returning from a party. He was buried above his parents, in the Montparnasse cemetery. His funeral was full of admirers and lovers, and despite the many provocations he had created in his last years and the image of the old dandy he had acquired, France She grieved over the loss of great talent and personality. The Ginsburg family grave is always decorated with a picture, old flowers, cigarettes, metro cards, or statues. And although it is hidden from view - it has a charm.

Serge in Berlin

I recently visited Berlin, the night before my last one I decided to look, maybe I would find something related to my favorite singer in the city that I had never visited, and indeed I did. I found a conceptual bar entirely dedicated to Serge Gainsbourg. Excited we went to this bar, called “Gainsbourg a Gansbarre,” and it is located under the train tracks and the S-Bahn underpass called Savignyplatz. A dark and large bar, with pleasant music from dozens of CDs, cocktails with names like “Brigitte Bardot” and of course Pina Colada – the way Serge loved to make it. The whole place is decorated with pictures, paintings, sculptures and quotes of and about Serge, and I even caught a glimpse of the owner of the place, who looked like an exact imitation of him.

Address-Jeanne-Mammen-Bogen 576/577

Did you like the itinerary following Serge Gainsbourg?

So why don't you read theAn article about the impossible romance between him and Brigitte Bardot?