Serge Gainsbourg

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/serge-gainsbourg

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Serge Gainsbourg born?April 2, 1928
2. Where was Serge Gainsbourg born?Paris, France
3. When did Serge Gainsbourg die?March 2, 1991 (age 62)
4. Who was Serge Gainsbourg?He was a famous French singer, songwriter, and artist who mixed many music styles and wrote clever, sometimes controversial songs.
5. Why did people ban his song "Je t'aime... moi non plus"?The song had very explicit lyrics and sensual sounds, so radio stations and the Vatican said it was not appropriate, but it still became very popular.

Chanson: A style of French song, typically narrative and often poetic, with a focus on lyrics.
Iconoclast: A person who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions.
Polymath: A person of wide-ranging knowledge or learning in various fields.