Poux translates to "lice". It's an unexpected and somewhat provocative word to find in a song, especially in a romantic context.
In "Elisa", Serge Gainsbourg's lyrics are known for their playful and often unconventional nature. Here, he asks Elisa to "cherche-moi des poux" (look for lice on me), which is a very intimate and almost childlike request, suggesting a deep level of comfort and affection, despite the unusual imagery. This makes the word memorable and intriguing.
Serge Gainsbourg’s “Elisa” is a cheeky snapshot of forbidden flirtation wrapped in playground imagery. The narrator, a worldly forty-year-old, invites the twenty-year-old Elisa to “jump on his neck” and pick through his hair for imaginary lice, a childlike game that quickly turns into a sensual ritual. By asking her to dig her delicate fingers into the “jungle” of his hair and style playful curls, he blurs the line between innocent fun and adult desire, hinting that love can feel both mischievously youthful and intensely physical.
At its heart, the song celebrates carefree rebellion against social judgment. Gainsbourg openly mentions their age gap yet shrugs it off with a wink, declaring “les autres on s’en fout” (we don’t care about the others). Together they pretend their combined ages add up to only “thirteen, fourteen,” emphasizing how love makes them feel like kids again. The result is a light, catchy ode to living in the moment, ignoring critics, and indulging in the playful intimacy that sparks between two people who refuse to let convention clip their wings.
Serge Gainsbourg (1928-1991) was one of France's most influential and provocative singer-songwriters, celebrated for his sharp wit, playful wordplay, and fearless approach to taboo subjects. Born Lucien Ginsburg in Paris to Russian-Jewish immigrant parents, he first made his name writing songs for other French stars before building his own singing career through the 1960s and 1970s.
He moved fluidly between chanson, pop, reggae, and rock, and became internationally known for the breathy 1969 duet "Je t'aime... moi non plus" with Jane Birkin. Songs like "Premiers SymptĂ´mes" show his gift for turning dark, personal subject matter, heartbreak and self-destruction, into vivid, darkly funny storytelling. He remains one of the most sampled and studied songwriters in French pop history.