"Histoire de Melody Nelson" is a concept album by French songwriter Serge Gainsbourg, released in 1971. Gainsbourg wrote the album's lyrics, while Jean-Claude Vannier composed the music. The album is often considered Gainsbourg's masterpiece and a classic in the French pop music canon.
The album tells a Lolita-inspired story, narrated by Gainsbourg, a man who collides with a young girl, Melody Nelson, on her bicycle. They become involved in a romantic and illicit affair that ends abruptly when Melody dies in a plane crash. As such, the seven tracks progress from light-hearted to melancholic, concluding with the narrator's lament.
Musically, "Histoire de Melody Nelson" is noted for its lush arrangements, combining elements of pop, jazz, funk, and traditional French chanson. Serge Gainsbourg's poetically decadent and sensual lyrics are set against a backdrop of funky bass lines, lush string and choir arrangements, and distinctive guitar sounds, making it one of French pop's most influential and celebrated albums.
This album departed significantly from Gainsbourg's previously lighter pop style and was more complex, leading to its initial commercial failure. However, in retrospect, "Histoire de Melody Nelson" has become an influential album across various genres and remains an iconic release.
English model and actress Jane Birkin, Gainsbourg's partner at the time, provided the voice of the title character, Melody Nelson, as well as the cover art image. The cover and inner sleeve were photographed by Tony Frank, featuring the redhead Birkin with her doll-like appearance, clad kaftan and cuddling a rag doll, all adding to the album's aesthetic.
