The Homoerotic Reimagining of the Song “Mon Légionnaire”

By Sasha Brandt

Serge Gainsbourg transformed a classic French song into a subtle yet powerful commentary on sexuality and nationalism. 

Serge Gainsbourg - Mon légionnaire videoextras from the official clip by Luc Besson

Serge Gainsbourg – Mon légionnaire videoextras from the official clip by Luc Besson (film director of The Fifth Element, Léon, Taken)

Mon Légionnaire was originally written in 1936 by Raymond Asso and Marguerite Monnot, and first recorded by Marie Dubas that same year. When Edith Piaf picked it up in 1937, it became one of her earliest hits, a poignant ballad about a one-night encounter with a mysterious French Foreign Legion soldier. Fifty years later, the provocative French singer Serge Gainsbourg would transform this classic into a subtle yet powerful commentary on sexuality and nationalism.

The French Foreign Legion, formed in the late 19th century, was unique for being composed entirely of foreign nationals under French command. It played a crucial role in France’s colonial endeavours, particularly in North Africa, with its spiritual home based in Algeria. While considered an elite military unit, the Legion was popularly imagined as a haven for scoundrels and vagabonds – an image Piaf’s version of the song captured perfectly.

In 1987, Gainsbourg, who famously declared ‘provocation is oxygen’, covered the song for his album You’re Under Arrest. Known for his career-long mission to challenge authority and social norms, he kept every word of the original lyrics intact. Yet by singing them straight – no pun intended – he transformed the song into a homoerotic narrative that challenged both nationalist rhetoric and heteronormative assumptions about military masculinity. Do not forget that he was already challenging sexuality with Je t’aime… moi non plus and nationalism with the French national anthem set to reggae chords.

The song’s ambiguity is a masterclass in subtle subversion. The only hint of the lover’s gender in French comes from the line “Il m’a aimée toute la nuit” (“He loved me through the night”), where “aimée” is feminine. However, crucially, the distinction between the feminine “aimée” and masculine “aimé” is purely visual – both are pronounced identically.

The French Foreign Legion, traditionally viewed as an emblem of French masculinity and colonial power, becomes something entirely different in Gainsbourg’s interpretation. His husky voice brings new meaning to lines such as:

‘He had had big, bright eyes
That sometimes flashed bolts of lightning
Like storms passing across the sky
He was covered with tattoos
That I never quite understood’

The song’s ambiguity is a masterclass in subtle subversion. The only hint of the lover’s gender in French comes from the line ‘Il m’a aimée toute la nuit’ (‘He loved me through the night’), where “aimée” is feminine. However, crucially, the distinction between the feminine “aimée” and masculine “aimé” is purely visual – both are pronounced identically.

The homoerotic undertones become particularly poignant in the refrain:

‘I don’t know his name, I know nothing about him
He loved me through the night
My legionnaire!
Leaving me to my destiny,
He left in the morning
Full of light!
He was slim, he was handsome,
He smelled like hot sand’

By reimagining this nationalist symbol as a potential gay encounter, Gainsbourg challenged the Western colonial narrative that typically feminised the East while asserting Western masculinity. This was particularly subversive given the French Foreign Legion’s significant North African membership and its role in French colonialism.

The song reaches its emotional climax with the final verses:

‘They found him in the desert.
His beautiful eyes were open.
Clouds were passing across the sky.
He showed them his tattoos.
He smiled,
showing them his neck, and said: ‘Unseen and untaken.’
Showing them his heart, he said: ‘No one here.’
He had no idea… I forgive him.’

The homoeroticism in Gainsbourg’s version was deeply subversive for its time. By queering this nationalist symbol, he challenged the Western colonial narrative that positioned the East as feminine and submissive. The French Foreign Legion, despite including many North African soldiers, represented French masculine power. This was particularly potent given the Legion’s history in Algeria, from the initial conquest in the 1830s to the traumatic Algerian War of Independence in the 1950s.

In the context of the 1980s, when discussions about France’s colonial legacy and sexuality were particularly fraught, Gainsbourg’s version stood as a powerful statement. This was, after all, the same period when his reggae version of the national anthem caused military demonstrations at his concerts. By maintaining the original lyrics while changing their context, he demonstrated how the same words could tell a completely different story – one that questioned established norms about gender, sexuality, and national identity in French culture.

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GAY45 is committed to publishing a diversity of articles, prose, and poetry. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. And here’s our email if you want to send a letter: [email protected]

– – –

GAY45 is committed to publishing a diversity of articles, prose, and poetry. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. And here’s our email if you want to send a letter: [email protected].

– – –

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Author

  • Sasha Brandt is a staff writer and editorialist for GAY45 and Pavilion - journal for politics and culture. They will publish the first novel ‘Amber memoirs‘ in 2025. They live in Vienna.

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