Summary
Serge complains about his girlfriend’s obsession with rollercoasters.
Paroles de Gainsbourg
Ouais
Je t’emmènerai sur le Scénic railway
Si c’est ce que tu veux
C’est facile
Ouais
Je t’emmènerai sur le Scénic railway
On verra ça demain
C’est promis
Mais ne te sens-tu pas
Quelque peu inconsciente
Tout ce qu’aimer veut dire
Le sauras-tu un jour
Ouais
Je t’emmènerai sur le Scénic railway
Tu n’as que ça en tête
C’est terrible
Ouais
Je t’emmènerai sur le Scénic railway
Mais ces émotions-là
C’est facile
Ouais
Je t’emmènerai sur le Scénic railway
Et cesse de bouder
C’est d’accord
Je t’y verrai ainsi
Que je te veux cruelle
Agrippée à mon bras
Par tes ongles blessés
Ouais
Je vais te sembler un peu cynique ouais ouais
Y’ a pas que les machines
Pour s’envoyer en l’air
Discussion
This might be my #1 favourite Gainsbourg song.
Partly it’s the musical arrangement — I just love the minimalist world of Confidentiel, with Elek Bacsik’s slinky guitar, Michel Gaudry’s slick double bass, Serge’s voice — and nothing else at all. All three players are particularly excellent in this song — most spectacularly Bacsik’s rollercoasting up-and-down intro and outro…
But also: the lyrics.
Mostly it’s a song about sex. Why are you so obsessed with rollercoasters when I can give you all the thrills you need, baby?
But it’s also about… culture, and Serge’s fatal attraction to the banal. What he really seems to be asking her is, “Don’t you feel terrible wasting the time of a genius like me, who should be reading poetry and writing songs?” To which the obvious riposte is — “But why are you wasting your time with her, if she’s so awful?” To which, I bet, the only response is a shrug of the shoulders, maybe an impish wink. It’s the old Jazz Serge vs. Pop Serge story: he may be a genius and all, but he just can’t help himself — he’s drawn to trash. He should be at the library or the concert hall… but there he is at Six Flags.
My favourite couplet: “Tu n’as que ça en tête / C’est terrible.”
Traduction de “Fluid Makeup”
Whatever:
I’ll take take you on the Scenic Railway,
If that’s want you want.
It’s easily done.
Whatever:
I’ll take take you on the Scenic Railway.
We’ll see it tomorrow,
I promise.
But don’t you feel
Just a little bit guilty?
Some day you’ll understand
What true love really means.
Whatever:
I’ll take take you on the Scenic Railway.
It’s all you can think about —
It’s horrible.
Whatever:
I’ll take take you on the Scenic Railway.
But those kind of emotions,
They’re easily done.
Whatever:
I’ll take take you on the Scenic Railway.
And stop moping —
It’s fine.
At least I’ll have you
As I want you: cruel,
Digging into my arms
With broken fingernails.
Whatever:
I’ll probably come off as a cynic —
But it’s not only machines
That send you to the sky.