I've never spent a ton of time with Serge Gainsbourg's music, though I do enjoy a bit of his unique brand of sleazy, kitschy fun now and then. To be honest, I don't think I'd ever heard any of his work until Luna covered "Bonnie And Clyde" on 1995's fantastic Penthouse album. But it led me back to Gainsbourg's original version, duetting with Brigitte Bardot (from the 1968 album of the same name). It also led me to Bardot's own brief discography, which is pretty great in a similar vein.

Now, I don't know French, so most of the lyrics are a mystery to me (though some of the cover versions mix in some English translation), but it's one of those songs where the vibe is all you really need, giving the same air of twisted romance and outlaw excitement to the couple as the Warren Beatty/Faye Dunaway film had done a year earlier. That said, while the original is a trip, I still prefer Luna's cover, which featured Dean Wareham duetting with Stereolab's Leatitia Sadier (and with Luna bassist (and Dean's wife) Britta Phillips on subsequent live versions). Wareham's sly, slightly-detached drawl and psychedelic dream pop match the song perfectly.

The original:

Luna (studio version with Sadier):
Luna live 2015:
Serge's son Lulu with Scarlett Johansson
Walkabouts cover:
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