"Lemon Incest" is a song written, composed and performed by Serge Gainsbourg in duet with his daughter Charlotte Gainsbourg. Recorded in 1984, the song was released as a single from Gainsbourg's album Love on the Beat in 1985. It is also available on Charlotte's 1986 album Charlotte for Ever. Deemed as controversial at the time, the song achieved success in France.
Lyrics, music and video
The background vocals are sung by The Simms Brothers Band. The music is inspired by the étude n° 3, named "Tristesse", in E major, Op. 10, by Frédéric Chopin. The Chopin tune is commonly played at weddings and is often featured collections of wedding music because of its romantic style. The title is a play on words in French in the chorus between "Un zeste de citron" ("A lemon zest") and "Inceste de citron"("lemon incest"). The verses sung by Charlotte "are quickly short of breath and lack to give a relief to the singing which is beautiful nevertheless". Gainsbourg sings with "a repetitive phrasing which takes some distances with the melody".[1]
The music video shows Gainsbourg, shirtless and in jeans, and Charlotte, wearing a shirt and panties, lying on a bed.
Controversy
This song has caused a scandal because it glamorizes pedophilia and incest. Charlotte, who then was twelve, sings ambiguous lyrics seeming to refer to a physical love between an adult and a child. In addition, the relationship between the two singers is the same as the protagonists of the song, which led to suspicions on the autobiographical nature of the work. Serge Gainsbourg denied these allegations in the media.[2] Charlotte Gainsbourg recently defended her decision to record the track, though acknowledging it was a "provocation".[3]
Chart performances
The single went straight to #7 on October 26, 1985. It climbed to #6 for two weeks, then reached #2 and stayed there for four consecutive weeks, being unable to dislodge the successive two number-one hits Century's "Lover Why" and Jean-Jacques Goldman and Michaël Jones' "Je te donne". Then it kept on dropping on the chart and totalled ten weeks in the top ten and 18 in the top 50.[4]
To date, the song is the 630th best-selling single of all time in France.[5]
Uses in media
Track listings
Vorlage:Col-begin Vorlage:Col-2
- 7" single
- "Lemon Incest"
- "Hmm hmm hmm"
- CD maxi
- "Lemon Incest"
- "Hmm hmm hmm"
- "Lemon Incest" (video)
- CD single
- "Lemon Incest" — 5:12
- "Hey Man Amen" (Live Zénith 1988) by Serge Gainsbourg — 4:04
Certifications
| Country | Certification | Date | Sales certified | Physical sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| France[7] | Gold | 1985 | 200,000 | 477,000[8] |
Charts
| Chart (1985-1986) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| French SNEP Singles Chart[4] | 2 |
References
External links
- ↑ Elia Habib, Muz hit. tubes, p. 55,56 (ISBN 2-9518832-0-X)
- ↑ Serge Gainsbourg, by Hubert Bregent Fdaf.org (Retrieved October 3, 2008)
- ↑ 'I didn't like feeling fragile' BBC. 23 January 2010
- ↑ a b "Lemon Incest", French Singles Chart Lescharts.com (Retrieved October 3, 2008)
- ↑ Best-selling singles of all time in France Infodisc.fr (Retrieved October 3, 2008)
- ↑ Genova: "Genova, mon amour". Indy Media, 7. März 2009, abgerufen am 8. Januar 2010.
- ↑ French certifications Chartsinfrance.net (Retrieved October 3, 2008)
- ↑ Gainsbourg's certifications and sales in France See: "Les Ventes" => "Toutes les certifications depuis 1973" => "GAINSBOURG Charlotte & Serge" Infodisc.fr (Retrieved October 3, 2008)