It's not often that you listen to a song on the radio, love it, buy it and then find out there's a whole story behind it!
From Wikipedia:
"The explicit eroticism
of the song was declared offensive at the time of its release. The
lyrics are commonly thought to refer to the taboo theme of engaging in
sex without love, and were delivered in a breathy, suggestive style.
This interpretation of the song as basic "soft porn"
is, however, a misconception. For all who've some knowledge of
Gainsbourg, here we find—as in all his work, always profoundly
cerebral—the note of desperation, of angst (all in casual disguise) which has been at the core of his best work. One key line is precisely: "L'amour physique est sans issue" ("Physical love is a dead end"), which could only be singled out by someone speaking French—and even then only by "intellectuals".
The song culminates in simulated orgasm sounds by Birkin: mostly because of this, it was banned from radio play in Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and the UK, and denounced by the Vatican in a public statement."
Read and post comments |
Send to a friend
]]>
