France Gall Serge Gainsbourg Les Sucettes Lollipops French & English Subtitles

Two versions of this hit song of 1966 , the first by yé-yé pop princess France Gall, the second a duet sung in parts with songwriter/provocateur Serge Gainsbourg. France was too young, at the time to discern the song's double meaning and was horribly embarrassed when she found out, but could not hold it against Serge. The playfulness of the lyrics full of internal rhymes and repetitions, the simplicity and catchiness of the tune make it hard for anyone to find fault with. Compare to Millie Small's 1964 Jamaican ska hit, "My Boy Lollipop." Thanks to philipchek of Paris and KZbin for help with the translation.

[@charleskrug4269]

She was very naiive both in regards to the lyrics as well as Serge. She never performed the song again, nor did she ever work with Gaisbourg again, after finding out the double meaning.

[@reesemalo]

He's such a pervert, he wrote it that way on purpose

[@enricovankeeken9503]

How about 'knowing' to have a hÍt record, and thÉn Complain about it?

[@enricovankeeken9503]

@@bitterbutter1000 ! i suggest you visit a GOOD #shrink X

[@enricovankeeken9503]

@@reesemalo ! i bÉt you & Him... Ánd HER were #besties ?

[@marguskiis7711]

Bullshit. She performed the song years later and collaboration with the ol 13 bastard Sergei continiued until 1972 when Birkin probably vetoed it for good.

[@日本警察ホンダ]

This is one of my favorite songs. Its certainly the only song i can listen to on repeat 5+ times its just so beautiful. My favorite version is the duo with Gainsbourg

[@peterchambers2553]

The beautiful honey voice of France Gall is perfect to my ears. She brightens up every day that I hear her. I love her to bits.

[@alonkatz4633]

Too bad the song itself isn't all sunshine and rainbows...

[@jduff59]

Freud said it best - sometimes a banana is just a banana

[@brucemarsico6]

And sometimes an anise flavoured dick is just an anise flavoured soucette.

[@btd7664]

Not when Lio sings about it.

[@Uio3eva]

Without the suggestive video there is literally no problem with the song. Just seems like a France Gall song, charming as always

[@scottishcheese13]

Only if you don’t know French. We’re missing out on a lot of double entendres that don’t translate to English. It was obvious to everyone except her

[@Kassiusday]

@@scottishcheese13 I think she sounds innocent …

[@scottishcheese13]

@@Kassiusday yeah, kinda seems like he was taking advantage of that

[@peterherberth7658]

True, she had no idea what lollipops was really referring to. When she later found out, she felt betrayed by Gainsburg.

[@huntingfashiondolls3307]

@@scottishcheese13 i speak spanish and some of the words that are similar un spanish are a weird choice, like when it talks about the tongue,or troat even the word anis my god...

[@huntingfashiondolls3307]

Mmm nowadays is imposible to relate this to candy...

[@enricovankeeken9503]

?MY Sugar is #raw X :-)

[@MrPauloRobertoSilva]

Anyway a beautiful song, specially in Gall's voice.

[@wilsonnelsonstilson3757]

Es angelical la voz de France 😍💖

[@marguskiis7711]

Cmon. The anise and drugstore hints towards absinthe, which goes down the throat and makes feel like paradise. Classic decadent semilegal drug.

[@Kassiusday]

Like CBD was until recently !!!

[@lifewithme.anis7812]

I love this song my dad play this to me when im yong because my bame is Anis and its make me remmber him he died 3 years ago

[@seppostolt9024]

I Love this little song. And " Love" Seppo Finland.

[@samteacher3098]

Hermoso duo, grande Serge

[@yatchilam3230]

Don’ tell me Gall did not know what the lyrics implied. She was not 5 years old. After all, the melody and interpretation were very good!

[@theescapist9450]

She didn't tho, it was 1966 in France not 2020 in America

[@peterherberth7658]

Quite right! The age of “free love” had not yet come about. Young people were generally much more innocent then than they are today. Sex before marriage was frowned upon and was not talked about openly. People still went to church. The trend to “shack up” had yet to make an appearance, and yes, France Gall was innocent. When she found out later what the song was really about, she complained bitterly that she had been betrayed by that dissolute reprobate Gainsbourg, who openly stated that he saw women as objects.

[@Riograndeboy]

I've heard it said that Millie Small's "My Boy Lollipop" was the first ska song to hit it big, The video of the young Millie is quite appealing too, although not as much as France's.

[@SailorBarsoom]

I realize that it was a different time, but how did she not know? If the lyrics didn't clue her in, surely the video did?

[@Redmanticore]

I still suspect she did know, but pretended outside to not know. 1966.. sexual revolution in eu/usa had been for a while now and was all the rage, as in very popular and fashionable. I think this time she just regretted it, because she got lecherous old men catcalling her and her parents contacted her. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France_Gall#1966 In 1966, her children's song "Les Leçons particulières" ("Private lessons") was the subject of public notoriety and displeasure; the same occurred when Jean-Christophe Averty choreographed a troupe of men on all fours to illustrate another of her children's songs, "J'ai retrouvé mon chien" ("I've found my dog"), on his television programme, Les Raisins verts.[1] At the beginning of 1967, Gall sang a duet with Maurice Biraud, "La Petite", which describes a young girl coveted by a friend of her father. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mZ68XoqcrMl_abc#t=1m2s France Gall - J'ai retrouvé Mon Chien

[@cri0871]

It was a diffrent time.. And she wasn't married when the song was recorded so I guess she didn't know anything about sex because back then you couldn't see sexual content everywhere.. I just think it's so adorable how inocent girls were in the past..

[@didierduchateau7294]

She is dead now

[@awesomefacemanthesecacc7369]

@@didierduchateau7294 Really, I didn't know she died! How do you know?

[@didierduchateau7294]

Awesome Face Man The Sec Acc I read it on the newspapers few years ago

[@andybeckman8606]

I'm just wondering if there were two more undertones in this song.... "Anise" for Anus and "Pennies" for Penis. After all, why would the French relate to English Pennies instead of French Centimes? Both Penis and Anus are the same words in French!

[@VNRose3]

Points well taken, Andy !

[@VNRose3]

Point well taken, Andy Beckman!

[@jul.m.2692]

Not anus but penni- sounds like péni-s in French. In both pénis and anis the "s" is usually pronounced, clever word play.

[@Angelfeather100]

I think Andy could have had a brilliantt collaboration with Gainsbourg.

[@alleygh0st]

Why? For rhymes' sake.

[@kalimanbuda6501]

Marvelously sick , sickly marvellous

[@18yaonica]

WTF why is her lollipop growing ????

[@huntingfashiondolls3307]

jajajajaaj what?!

[@vivienneya1619]

I think she knew what she sang about. And if not somebody had to know (maybe her father) . She just didnt want thant people know she knew the subtext.

[@andybeckman8606]

See my commentary under Angel Miller's posting.

[@musicsyndrome1413]

Come now This clip made it pretty obvious about what's this song is all about I can't believe that she fell for such an obvious thing So naive

[@youssefmohammed7344]

though this song is saturated with bad references but hey the video is way too innocent

[@enricovankeeken9503]

!whÁt kind of 'bad' habits?

[@truthseeker8429]

She said whatttt?????

[@TTatitalks]

Omg what was serge thinking I mean he’s a genius but he should of known better.

[@musicexpert2]

God, I thought this was just one repeated chorus. I guess there's a bridge in there but man, it's not that different from the chorus. And what the hell is "anise" that they repeat in every other line? Ugh!

[@antoniogarcia1991]

Anise is a spice

[@Movie-Tech]

Licorice flavor

[@KingOFuh]

LICK-o-rish, hence the use of anise repeatedly. It's the main component of real licorice, popular in Europe and Australia. Anisette is LICKorice LICKeur. French girls love to LICK their LICKorice lollies.

[@jordanhanson1564]

Classic

[@randomuser1105]

Serge had no shame.

[@iskandartaib]

So there's no French word for "drugstore"?

[@Jimmy.Bilodeau]

Pharmacie

[@oldhat6100]

And the English work for drugstore is chemist

[@enricovankeeken9503]

! #LaChambre X :-)

[@napabilirim]

@@oldhat6100 or pharmacy

[@brucemarsico6]

Oui..c'est 'farmacie'.

[@randomuser1105]

Serge was such a bastard.

[@lovelylychee2255]

I can’t believe something like this actually came out then. I mean, oh my... really Edit: ALSO, how could she not have known??!?? If she didn’t figure it out herself, did nobody working with her (like her manager or company or family or whatever) not clue her in?????? ?????? I mean she must have known, right?

[@fantacer]

There are some comments above trying to explain it

[@napabilirim]

Come on, it's not like she lived in the 1700's or something...

[@lavenderbee3611]

She must have known, it was purposely scandalous. I'm sure there were many rehearsals, it was on national TV after all. France's family was in the business, and her father was the manager I believe. We are still talking about it 55 years later, so it was a scandal for the ages.

[@alleygh0st]

@@napabilirim Marquis de Sade lived in the 1700s

[@AaronnDK]

What is anise?

[@VNRose3]

licorice flavor

[@AaronnDK]

@@VNRose3 thank you

[@brucemarsico6]

It's a flavour....anisette is an anise drink, like Greek Ouzo.

[@mrbismuth9694]

i might be wrong but it seems in the background may be scenes from a woody allen movie Was Sie schon immer über Sex wissen wollten, aber bisher nicht zu fragen wagten Originaltitel Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) the episode dealing with ejaculation ???

[@erickpaolod.santos3719]

Explicit lyrics in this songs

[@GillesBoutenfeu]

fellatio intuendo

[@dartagnanlevrai]

Gainsbourgn was a pervert with a great talent She was so young not knowing I think dhe never forgive him after and she has been a great singer after RI.P madame Gall

[@huntingfashiondolls3307]

did she die? omg when?

[@geoffaldwinckle1096]

omg

[@ndeahardy7632]

Disgusting 🤢

[@amadagraciosa9190]

I THINK NOBODY NOTICED THIS : 4:06 - ONLY A SECOND, WELL HIDDEN , TELLING EVERYTHING ..... ! = IL ME SEMBLE QUE PERSONNE N'A SAISI CELA : 4:06 - JUSTE UNE SECONDE, BIEN CACHÉE , QUI DIT TOUT ... ! ET REGARDEZ aussi BIEN LE DÉBUT de la VERSION en DUO... ET LA FIN ... ;o) ... ! = LOOK also AT THE BEGINNING of the duo....AND THE END ... ;o) ... !

[@Kassiusday]

I have seen some weird men but can’t figure out ….

[@musicsyndrome1413]

Is this me or this song is full of sexual innuendos?

[@oldhat6100]

iosif Muhammad it must be you. This song is about lollipops

[@musicsyndrome1413]

Dan Air yeah yeah Well I know that the successful partnership between France gall and that composer was no more thanks to this song So why do you think this happened?

[@andybeckman8606]

@@musicsyndrome1413 To make money and fame through notoriety.

[@napabilirim]

The composer made the song about blowjobs... and Gall was too young therefore naive to understand this. But after releasing the song, old men catcalled her and after her parents contacting her, she found out the double meaning, and never worked with the composer again.

[@Kassiusday]

Pour quelques pennies .. unbelievable …. Music is nice … lyrics are spicy ….

[@simsimma9622]

C'MON!!! Haha

[@terminado5977]

jjjjjjjjaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh....!!!!!!!

[@enricovankeeken9503]

! gotta Lóve #thefrench X :-)

[@alexandernix6300]

evil

[@user-fb4cd6vi6d]

Oh oh okay whatever

[@s_lasgalen]

She must've gotten it from her 1st time working with Serge during eurovision 1965 when she sang a song about being "a plastic doll with no mind that just sings/speaks what she was told to" so girl it's kinda your own fault you don't learn on your mistakes

[@user-tr2ly8yc7v]

she didn’t knew