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Lemon Incest

Summary

"Lemon Incest" is a song recorded by French father and daughter Serge and Charlotte Gainsbourg. It was recorded in 1984 and released as a single from Serge's 1985 album Love on the Beat and on Charlotte's 1986 debut album Charlotte For Ever, marking her musical debut.

"Lemon Incest"
Single by Serge and Charlotte Gainsbourg
from the album Love on the Beat and Charlotte for Ever
B-side"Hmm Hmm Hmm"
Released1985
Recorded1984
GenrePop, New wave music
Length5:12
LabelPhilips
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Philippe Lerichomme
  • Billy Rush
Serge Gainsbourg singles chronology
"Love on the Beat"
(1984) 		"Lemon Incest"
(1985) 		"No Comment"
(1985)
Charlotte Gainsbourg singles chronology
"Lemon Incest"
(1985) 		"If"
(2004)

"Lemon Incest" is a pop song about a relationship between Serge and Charlotte, the latter of whom was 12 or 13 years old at the time, set to the melody of Frédéric Chopin's Étude Op. 10, No. 3. Its title is a play on the French term un zeste de citron, which translates to lemon zest in English.

"Lemon Incest" and its music video, which showed Serge and Charlotte half-naked together in bed, were highly controversial in France due to their implications of pedophilia and incest. As an adult, Charlotte routinely defended the song, which both she and Serge have denied was about incest. Some critics described the lyrics as disturbing and the song as creepy. It peaked at number two in France, where it spent 14 weeks on the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP) chart and was also certified silver by the SNEP.

Release, composition and video edit

"Lemon Incest" is a "sultry" and "suggestive"[1] pop[2] duet and ballad[3] recorded and composed[4] by Serge Gainsbourg and his then-12- or 13-year-old[A] daughter, Charlotte Gainsbourg, who made her musical debut with the song.[9][11] It was recorded in 1984 and included on Serge's controversial new wave album Love on the Beat, which was released the same year, as well as on Charlotte's 1986 debut album Charlotte For Ever.[12][13][14][15]

The title of "Lemon Incest" is a play on the phrase un zeste de citron, the French term for lemon zest.[16] Its lyrics, written by Serge,[17] describe an incestuous[18] relationship between Serge and Charlotte, the latter of whom sings in French, "The love we will never make together is the most beautiful, the most violent, the purest."[6] The song's melody is taken from Étude Op. 10, No. 3 in E major by Frédéric Chopin.[17] Critics have described her vocals as "wobbly",[3] "shrill",[14] "breathy", and a "cracking whisper". The song has a disco beat and is backed by synths, keyboards, and a chorus singing the song's title.[12][19][20]

The music video for the song shows Serge, shirtless and in jeans,[20] with Charlotte, wearing a blue dress shirt[21] and panties.[13] They lie side-by-side in a large white double bed.[11][22] Serge caresses Charlotte and the two are surrounded by cracked rocks and covered by smoke.[23][24][25]

Reception edit

 
A frame from the music video for "Lemon Incest"

Controversy edit

"Lemon Incest" and its accompanying music video were widely condemned in France based on accusations that they glamorised paedophilia and incest, which Serge denied.[16][26] Charlotte also later denied claims that the song was actually about incest, saying that, although the song uses the word "incest", "[Serge is] just talking about the infinite love of a father for his daughter and of a daughter for her father."[23] According to The Guardian's Francine Gorman, "Lemon Incest" "caused one of the biggest scandals of [Serge] Gainsbourg's career" and was "his most highly contested release".[13] Sylvie Simmons wrote in her 2001 biography Serge Gainsbourg: A Fistful of Gitanes that the song's music video "hit [a] 10 on the scandalometer".[8] Far Out's Sam Kemp and The Telegraph listed it as the most and one of the most controversial music videos of all time, respectively.[26][24]

Charlotte remained unaware of the controversy surrounding the song during its popularity, as she was attending boarding school in Switzerland when it was released.[14][11] As an adult, Charlotte described both her and Serge's relationship and the song itself as "very innocent" and "very pure", adding that she understood the lyrics when she sang them.[5][27] She also stated that it was "very generous" of her mother, actress Jane Birkin—who called the song "a bit dodgy"—to "let [her] be free like that".[28][3] Birkin later stated that the song "never came as a shock or a surprise or even a worry [to her], knowing Serge's great love for Charlotte".[29] Charlotte was, however, critical of the video, stating, "But that video—ack."[30]

Critical reception edit

For The Guardian, James Wignall wrote retrospectively that he "actually quite like[d]" the song and that its lyrics were "quite benign" despite accusations that they were pro-paedophilia.[8] Flavorwire's Alison Nastasi stated that the song was "pretty damn catchy" but "totally bizarre", calling "Charlotte’s trembling, adolescent delivery" "intriguing".[31] Ludovic Hunter-Tilney of the Financial Times compared "Lemon Incest" to "Je t'aime... moi non plus", Serge's 1969 duet with Birkin, his then-wife, writing that Charlotte "disturbingly reprised the erotic role her mother played in the Serge-penned 1969 hit."[27] Simon Vozick-Levinson of The New York Times wrote that it "nearly outdid the scandal caused by her parents' explicit duet, 'Je t'aime... moi non plus,' in the late '60s".[32] AllMusic's Thom Jurek also compared Charlotte's vocal performance on "Lemon Incest" to her mother's on "Je t'aime... moi non plus" and described the song as "one of a kind" and "sick, cheap, and somehow strangely compelling." He also wrote, however, that the song was "nothing special" musically.[12] For Spin's list of the "worst songs by otherwise great artists", Liza Lentini praised Charlotte's "beautiful" voice on the song, but wrote that its subject matter "never, ever sat quite right for [her]", also writing, "I don't think the song itself...has much merit."[17] Derrick Clifton of Mic called "Lemon Incest" "perhaps one of the most disturbing songs and music videos ever recorded", and identified it as an example of rape culture in music videos due to its implications of statutory rape.[33]

Josh Gray of Clash and Vice's Kim Kelly called it "creepy".[34][35] Melissa Anderson of The Village Voice wrote that it "provoke[s] a certain unease" and Benjamin Ivry of The Forward described it as "salacious", "bizarre", and "icky".[36][37] It was listed as one of the creepiest father-daughter duets of all time by VH1 in 2015.[38]

Legacy and aftermath edit

"Lemon Incest" was called Charlotte's only hit record by Shawn Levy of The Oregonian.[39] A snippet of "Lemon Incest" was included on Serge's 1985 live album, Gainsbourg Live, in which the song begins before he stops to tell the audience, in French, "Charlotte has to go to school tomorrow, she has homework to do."[40] Two years after the release of "Lemon Incest", Serge directed the film Charlotte for Ever, which he starred in alongside Charlotte. In it, Serge plays a screenwriter who becomes sexually attracted to his daughter, played by Charlotte.[41][42] The controversy surrounding "Lemon Incest" was also furthered when Serge kissed Charlotte on the lips after she won the César Award for Most Promising Actress in 1986 for her role in An Impudent Girl.[43] Serge produced Charlotte's debut album of the same name, which was released the same year and featured two other duets between the two: "Plus Doux Avec Moi" and the title track. On the latter, she sings, in French, "Daddy, daddy, I'm afraid to taste your flavor."[14] She did not return to music until over a decade later, and her sophomore album, 5:55, was released in 2006.[44][11] As of 2019, she regularly closes her tours with a performance of "Lemon Incest".[14] The track was also used in the 2009 film Genova.[45] It was covered by French singer Alex Beaupain for his remake of Love on the Beat in 2021.[46]

Chart performance edit

On the SNEP's Top 50 chart, "Lemon Incest" debuted at number four for the week of 27 October 1985, then peaked at number two the following week. The song spent a total of 14 weeks on the chart, 10 of which were spent in the top-10 of the chart.[47][11] The song did not make an impact in the United States.[48]

Charts edit

Chart (1985–1986) Peak
position
France (SNEP)[49] 2

Certifications edit

Region Certification Certified units/sales
France (SNEP)[50] Silver 250,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.

Notes edit

  1. ^ Some sources list Charlotte's age at the time as 12 years old;[5][6] others list it as 13.[7][8] Charlotte herself has variously stated that she was 12 years old[9] and 13 years old.[10]

References edit

  1. ^ Shifflett, Jonathan (2 August 2018). "Charlotte Gainsbourg's New Album Deals With Grief -- Her Father's Death And Her Sister's Suicide". LAist. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  2. ^ Hawking, Tom (28 October 2010). "10 of the Creepiest Pop Songs of All Time". Flavorwire. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  3. ^ a b c Dupont, Joan (2 June 2009). "Charlotte Gainsbourg: From Grim Pain to Hell in Eden". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  4. ^ Goudot, Juliette (25 May 2022). "Charlotte Gainsbourg «Être soi, j'y travaille»". Moustique (in French). Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  5. ^ a b Ayuso, Julia Webster (9 April 2022). "Singer Serge Gainsbourg Promoted Incest and Pedophilia. Now He's Being Honored". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  6. ^ a b Perrouin, Airelle (8 June 2021). "The Continuing Cult of French Provocateur Serge Gainsbourg". PopMatters. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  7. ^ Lyden, Jack (21 February 2010). "Scanning The Mind Of Charlotte Gainsbourg". NPR. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  8. ^ a b c Wignall, James (6 November 2008). "The (censored) story of Serge Gainsbourg". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  9. ^ a b Sobczynski, Peter (21 March 2022). "Eyes of Her Mother: Charlotte Gainsbourg on Jane by Charlottere". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  10. ^ Frei, Matt (20 November 2017). "Charlotte Gainsbourg: 'I don't want it to become a male witch hunt'". Channel 4. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  11. ^ a b c d e O'Hagan, Sean (10 January 2010). "Charlotte Gainsbourg: 'I had no idea how scared I was of dying'". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  12. ^ a b c Jurek, Thom. "Serge Gainsbourg - Love on the Beat Album Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  13. ^ a b c Gorman, Francine (28 February 2011). "Serge Gainsbourg's 20 most scandalous moments". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  14. ^ a b c d e Gottraux, Fabrice (22 August 2019). "«Lemon Incest», un zeste de Gainsbourg". Tribune de Genève (in French). Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  15. ^ Larocca, Amy (6 May 2010). "62 Minutes With Charlotte Gainsbourg -- New York Magazine - Nymag". New York. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  16. ^ a b Joyce, Colin (December 4, 2017). "Charlotte Gainsbourg Searches for Answers in Death". Vice. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  17. ^ a b c Spin staff (20 July 2022). "The 50 Worst Songs By Otherwise Great Artists". Spin. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  18. ^ Geisler, Oliwia (10 December 2021). "Serge Gainsbourg's Paris home to open to the public in spring". The Connexion. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  19. ^ Allen, Jeremy (19 January 2017). "Jeremy Allen On Mick Harvey's Intoxicated Women". The Quietus. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  20. ^ a b Manickavel, Kuzhali (10 December 2019). "From 'Lemon Incest' to Prince's 'Sister', songs that make you wonder, 'What were they thinking?'". Firstpost. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  21. ^ Anderson, Melissa (19 October 2015). "Melissa Anderson on Agnès Varda's Jane B. par Agnès V. and Kung-Fu Master!". Artforum. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  22. ^ Dunn, Lily (9 December 2021). "How the French bohemian elite celebrated predatory behaviour". Aeon. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  23. ^ a b Mahdawi, Arwa (26 October 2019). "Charlotte Gainsbourg: 'Everything now is so politically correct. So boring'". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  24. ^ a b Ranscombe, Si N (10 May 2015). "The 10 most controversial music videos". The Telegraph. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  25. ^ Noonan, David (1 October 2006). "Life in Film: David Noonan". Frieze (102). Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  26. ^ a b Kemp, Sam (1 September 2021). "The 10 most controversial music videos of all time". Far Out. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  27. ^ a b Hunter-Tilney, Ludovic (12 October 2017). "'I like being manipulated'". Financial Times. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  28. ^ "Ahead of show with Iggy Pop, Jane Birkin talks Serge, #MeToo". RFI. 6 March 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  29. ^ Eckardt, Steph (January 29, 2016). "Jane Birkin Looks Back, And Back and Back: A Conversation with an Icon". W. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  30. ^ Swanson, Carl (13 March 2014). "Lars's Real Girl: Charlotte Gainsbourg on Nymphomaniac and Working With von Trier". Vulture. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  31. ^ Nastasi, Alison (20 March 2012). "Serge Gainsbourg's Most Memorable Music Collaborations". Flavorwire. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  32. ^ Vozick-Levinson, Simon (November 9, 2017). "Charlotte Gainsbourg Finds Her Own Voice". The New York Times. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  33. ^ Clifton, Derrick (17 October 2014). "Rape Culture Is Everywhere Our Kids Can See — Watch Your Favorite Music Videos to Prove It". Mic. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  34. ^ Gray, Josh (December 12, 2018). "Live Report: Charlotte Gainsbourg - KOKO, London". Clash. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  35. ^ Kelly, Kim (January 30, 2015). "A Brief History of Incest in Popular Music". Vice. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  36. ^ Anderson, Melissa (26 January 2016). "Jane Birkin and Charlotte Gainsbourg Enthrall — and Flout Taboo — at FSLC". The Village Voice. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  37. ^ Ivry, Benjamin (26 November 2008). "The Man With the Yellow Star: The Jewish Life of Serge Gainsbourg". The Forward. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  38. ^ Donovan, Frank (June 20, 2015). "The 10 Creepiest Father-Daughter Duets In Music History". VH1. Archived from the original on January 3, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  39. ^ Levy, Shawn (17 April 2010). "Just like a woman: swooning for Charlotte Gainsbourg". The Oregonian. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  40. ^ Pinnock, Tom (January 2016). "Serge Gainsbourg - Casino de Paris 1985 Review". Uncut. IPC Media. p. 88. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  41. ^ Horwitz, Simi (6 September 2019). "Charlotte Gainsbourg: Not Your Typical Jewish Mother". The Forward. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  42. ^ Collin, Robbie (7 June 2018). "Charlotte Gainsbourg on bad reviews, growing up with Serge, and baring her soul to Lars von Trier". The Telegraph. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  43. ^ Olding, Rachel (11 January 2019). "'I feel completely free': how Charlotte Gainsbourg stopped caring". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  44. ^ Tangari, Joe (7 December 2011). "Charlotte Gainsbourg: Stage Whisper". Pitchfork. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  45. ^ "Genova: "Genova, mon amour"". Indy Media. 7 March 2009. Retrieved 8 January 2010.
  46. ^ Lacube, Nathalie (7 November 2021). "Alex Beaupain reprend « Love on the Beat » en Gainsbourg romantique". La Croix (in French). Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  47. ^ Dicale, Bertrand (31 January 2021). "Ces chansons qui font l'actu. "Lemon Incest", trente-six ans après". Franceinfo (in French). Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  48. ^ Yeo, Amanda (28 November 2020). "Robin Sparkles from 'How I Met Your Mother' is so fun. There's just one thing..." Mashable. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  49. ^ "Charlotte & Gainsbourg – Lemon Incest" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  50. ^ "French single certifications – Charlotte & Serge Gainsbourg – Lemon Incest" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved 18 April 2022. Select CHARLOTTE & SERGE GAINSBOURG and click OK. 

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