Thanks to reader Jim for introducing us to this hilarious french video. To quote Jim:
"One of those French wins (of Eurovision) was the equally cringeworthy "Poupée de Cire, Poupée de Son" written by uber-perv Serge Gainsbourg and sung by a very innocent 17 year old France Gall in 1965.
To mark his success, Gainsbourg then wrote a song, "Les Sucettes" for young France that gives a whole new meaning to double entendre. She later claimed that she had no idea that the song could have any other meaning and that she hid in her bedroom for months after finding out. Have a look at an early video made for French TV and see what you think."
Me again: Oh yeah, really hard to see anything remotely suggestive in this song and video. I don't speak french. If you can translate the lyrics I'd love to hear 'em.
Holy Smokes. That gave me a diabetic fit!
ReplyDeleteJust explaining a pun with the lyrics :
ReplyDeletein french, Anis (anise) can be pronounced "anee" or "anee -ss"
so when the song goes
pour quelques penny
(for a few pennies)
annie
A ses sucettes à l'anis
gets her anis lollipop
in french you can hear it as, adding the S sound to all the rhymes,
pour quelques penny
for a few penis
annie
gets her annie lollipop.
gainsbourg is a funny funny smart man.
also, the french word for lollipop is a much more explicit sucette, from the word sucer, to suck. So "suckers" might be a better translation.
so here goes :
Annie likes suckers
The anise flavored suckers
The anise flavored suckers
Of Annie
Give her kisses
A aniseed taste
While the creamy sugar
Flavored with anise
Sinks in Annie's throat,
She's in heaven.
For a few pennies, Annie
Has her Anise suckers
They are the color of her big eyes,
The color of happy days
Annie likes suckers
The anise flavored suckers
The anise flavored suckers
Of Annie
Give her kisses
A aniseed taste
When on her tongue,
All but the little stick is done,
She runs as fast as she can
Back to the drugstore.
Found this translation from here:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.eggparm.com/gainsbourg/gainsbourg.html
Annie likes suckers
The anise flavored suckers
The anise flavored suckers
Of Annie
Give her kisses
A aniseed taste
While the creamy sugar
Flavored with anise
Sinks in Annie's throat,
She's in heaven.
For a few pennies, Annie
Has her Anise suckers
They are the color of her big eyes,
The color of happy days
Annie likes suckers
The anise flavored suckers
The anise flavored suckers
Of Annie
Give her kisses
A aniseed taste
When on her tongue,
All but the little stick is done,
She runs as fast as she can
Back to the drugstore.
-Nikki
Say what you like about it, France Gall, Francoise Hardy and Gainsbourg are about all you can find in the average corporate stocked Borders French Music section, so it must be saying something about what Americans like about French music.
ReplyDeleteMakes "Je T'Aime" seem positively innocent by comparison.
ReplyDeleteAnybody else here be reminded of the 'Popsicle Twins' from THE GONG SHOW??
ReplyDeleteUm... I think I'm in love.
ReplyDeleteWas that Linda Lovelace?
ReplyDeletethe part that i kept coming back to is that i believe that she wasn't in on the joke. . .it makes the delivery more sincere and the result even funnier.
ReplyDeleteI have new found respect for the genius and artistry of Serge Gainbourg.
ReplyDeleteHowever, the downside is after multiple viewings of that video, I am feeling a bit inadequate.
ReplyDeletegives a whole new meaning; read between the lines
ReplyDeletelol "Lollipop" by Mika will never sound the same again!
ReplyDelete(Remember he's grown up in France listening to Gainsbar ;) )
Just fell on your blog.
ReplyDeleteI am quite surprised by the various comments on "Les sucettes à l'anis" which clearly translates as "pricks to the anus". Starting from here, then uncode scatologically/pornographically the whole text word by word, line by line. Hot, hot, hot!
That's Gainsbarre's fantasies, lyrics which are a billion ligthyears from the privately prude and shy Gainsbourg. He had so much fun in writing such lyrics that virtually none could/would explicit.
Nothing suggestive in that video, you say?
ReplyDeleteTake a look at those huge dancing lollipops -- don't they seem like giant phalluses to you?
Annie aime les sucettes! C'mon give her one!