Lemon Incest (song)

Infobox Single
Name = Lemon Incest


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Artist = Serge Gainsbourg and Charlotte Gainsbourg
Album = Love on the Beat
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B-side = "Hmm hmm hmm"
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Format = 7" single CD maxi CD single
Recorded = 1984
Genre = Pop
Length = 5:12
Label = Philips
Writer = Lyrics : Serge Gainsbourg Music : Frédéric Chopin
Producer = Philippe Lerichomme Billy Rush
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"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 title is a play on words in French-language 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". [Elia Habib, "Muz hit. tubes", p. 55,56 (ISBN 2-9518832-0-X)]

The music video shows Gainsbourg, naked torso, and Charlotte, wearing a shirt and trousers, lying on a bed.

Controversy

This song has caused a scandal because it deals with pedophilia and incest in a positive way. Charlotte, who then was twelve, sings ambiguous lyrics seeming to refer to a physical love beetwen 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. [Serge Gainsbourg, by Hubert Bregent [http://www.fdaf.org/theme_gainsbourg.htm Fdaf.org] (Retrieved October 3, 2008)]

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 disloge 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."Lemon Incest", French Singles Chart [http://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?key=74610&cat=s Lescharts.com] (Retrieved October 3, 2008)]

To date, the song is the 630th best-selling single of all time in France. [Best-selling singles of all time in France [http://www.infodisc.fr/S_ToutTemps.php?debut=600 Infodisc.fr] (Retrieved October 3, 2008)]

Track listings

; 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

Charts

References