performer, composer, songwriter, director. Although his variety of styles makes it difficult to pin him down to any one musical movement, Gainsbourg is considered one of the most influential creators of popular music of all time[citation needed]. The artist's lyrics are dominated by metaphors, hidden meanings, word play; the understanding of his work is complicated by the fact that exact translations into other languages are impossible.
He was famous for extremely original, controversial and ambiguous lyrics, scandalous acts and love affairs with famous women. All his life he smoked a lot, his favorite Gitanes cigarettes, and abused alcohol, especially in his last years.
in 1965 Luxembourg's France Gall won the Eurovision Song Contest with his song Poupée de cire, poupée de son. It was the first non-ballad type song to win the contest and in 2005. was selected as one of the fourteen best Eurovision songs of all time. The scandal was caused by the re-singing of the French national anthem "The Marseillaise" with a different text from the official version. His most famous work is the love song Je t'aime... moi non plus. The first version of this song, recorded with and dedicated to Brigitte Bardot, was never released. The re-recorded song with Jane Birkin was banned in many countries due to its overtly erotic content.
Daughter of S. Gainsbourg and English actress Jane Birkin, Charlotte Gainsbourg is a film actress who won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival for her role in Lars von Trier's Antichrist.
