Gainsbourg made her motion picture debut playing Catherine Deneuve's daughter in the film Paroles et musique (1984). In 1986, Gainsbourg won a César Award for "Most Promising Actress" for L'effrontée, and, in 2000, she won "Best Supporting Actress" for the film La Bûche.
Gainsbourg made her musical debut with her father on the song "Lemon Incest" in 1984. Two years later, she released her debut album Charlotte for Ever, which was produced by her father.
In 2007, Gainsbourg appeared alongside Gael Garcia Bernal in Michel Gondry's La Science des rêves and as Claire in the Todd Haynes directed Bob Dylan biopic I'm Not There, also contributing a cover of the Dylan song "Just Like A Woman" to the film's soundtrack.
In 2006, Gainsbourg released her second album 5:55 to critical acclaim and commercial success, reaching the top spot on the French charts and achieving platinum status in the country. In the UK, the album was moderately successful, reaching #78 (The single The Songs That We Sing only made #129).
Gainsbourg has recently released her third studio album, IRM, which was produced by Beck. One of the influential factors in the album's creative process was her time spent filming Antichrist.
5 55
Charlotte Gainsbourg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Awake with open eyes
A drift upon the night
And miles away from land
[Chorus]
Five fifty five
Five fifty five
A cinq heures cinquante-cinq
Ante meridiem
Too late to end it now
Too early to start again
[Chorus]
Soon the morning will arrive
Can I begin another day
Whilst this old day is still alive
Refusing to be put away
Five fifty five
No sleep tonight
Five fifty five
Like a beast awaits its faith
Laid here with time to kill
The very dead of night
Where time and space stand still
[Chorus]
A cinq heures cinquante-cinq
Nothing will ever change
On the altar of my thought
I sacrifice myself again and again and again
[Chorus]
Charlotte Gainsbourg's song 5 55 is an introspective piece musing on the fleeting nature of time and the cyclical monotony of existence. The opening lyrics, "A cinq heures cinquante-cinq, awake with open eyes," immediately set the tone for the track as one of restlessness and insomnia. Against a hauntingly beautiful piano melody, Gainsbourg sings of being "a drift upon the night and miles away from land," evocative of a feeling of disorientation and being adrift in life. In the chorus, she repeats the phrase "Five fifty-five" almost like a mantra, emphasizing how time, with all its certainty and order, can feel both oppressive and liberating.
The second verse brings a sense of resignation to the lyrics, as Gainsbourg sings that it's "too late to end it now" and "too early to start again." The upcoming morning and its routines loom over her, making it difficult to let go of the current day. The line "refusing to be put away" speaks to the difficulty of ending a day, especially when its significance feels so heavy. The final verse finds Gainsbourg once again feeling trapped, as she sings, "Nothing will ever change on the altar of my thought, I sacrifice myself again and again and again." Here, she's acknowledging the powerful impact of routine and the patterns we form in our thinking, even when they seem to trap us in endless cycles of repetition.
Line by Line Meaning
A cinq heures cinquante-cinq
At five fifty-five in the morning
Awake with open eyes
Unable to sleep, eyes wide open
A drift upon the night
Lost in thoughts, caught in the darkness
And miles away from land
Lost in one's own mind, untethered from reality
[Chorus]
Repeat of the title
Ante meridiem
Before noon
Too late to end it now
Past the point of no return, unable to change anything
Too early to start again
Not yet ready to face a new day, still stuck in the old
[Chorus]
Repeat of the title
Soon the morning will arrive
Dawn is approaching
Can I begin another day
Wondering if one has the strength to face yet another day
Whilst this old day is still alive
Unable to let go of the past, struggling to move forward
Refusing to be put away
Not ready to let go and move on
Five fifty-five
Repeat of the title
No sleep tonight
Unable to find rest and respite
Like a beast awaits its faith
Feeling trapped and helpless
Laid here with time to kill
Stuck in limbo, with nothing to do but wait
The very dead of night
The darkest hour of the night
Where time and space stand still
Feeling frozen in time, unable to escape the present moment
[Chorus]
Repeat of the title
Nothing will ever change
Feeling stuck and unable to see a better future
On the altar of my thought
Trapped within one's own mind, unable to escape negative thoughts
I sacrifice myself again and again and again
Feeling like a martyr, constantly giving up everything for others
[Chorus]
Repeat of the title
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JARVIS BRANSON COCKER, JEAN BENOIT DUNCKEL, NICOLAS JEAN MICHEL GODIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Garabella
A cinq heures cinquante-cinq
Awake with open eyes
A drift upon the night
And miles away from land
Five fifty five
Five fifty five
A cinq heures cinquante-cinq
Ante meridiem
Too late to end it now
Too early to start again
Five fifty five
Five fifty five
Soon the morning will arrive
Can I begin another day
Whilst this old day is still alive
Refusing to be put away
Five fifty five
No sleep tonight
Five fifty five
Like a beast awaits its faith
Laid here with time to kill
The very dead of night
Where time and space stand still
Five fifty five
Five fifty five
A cinq heures cinquante-cinq
Nothing will ever change
On the altar of my thought
I sacrifice myself again and again and again
Five fifty five
Five fifty five
@Uki-17
Ох…. Мммм… Це фантастична співоча простота….
А cinq heures cinquante-cinq
Awake with open eyes
A drift upon the night
And miles away from land
Five fifty five
Five fifty five
A cinq heures cinquante-cinq
Ante meridiem
Too late to end it now
Too early to start again
Five fifty five
Five fifty five
Soon the morning will arrive
Can I begin another day
Whilst this old day is still alive
Refusing to be put away
Five fifty five
No sleep tonight
Five fifty five
Like a beast awaits its faith
Laid here with time to kill
The very dead of night
Where time and space stand still
Five fifty five
Five fifty five
A cinq heures cinquante-cinq
Nothing will ever change
On the altar of my thought
I sacrifice myself again and again and again
Five fifty five
Five fifty five
@threadpusher
Charlotte and Air should release another collaboration. This is one of my top 20 favorite albums. Her voice with their composition is timeless. Much respect to such a multi talented musician / actress.
@TheDeebreakofdawn
threadpusher i have no idea air composes this. 👍🏼
@Diberdat66
@dee nguyen same
@gillesfreyche1792
@dee nguyen tu manques !!! Suivez le nouvel album sur Tunecore le zenith de Lulu je serais bien loin deja et surement tres tres peoche en meme temos Veni vidi Voici xxxxlol Mdr pov Tam ....😇
@lesbrown8099
I have just discovered this song and it is powerful! A song that strikes a deep resonance within me. Beautifully written and perfect vocal. Excellent.
@sergionsj
Esse álbum é uma obra prima!👏👏👏👏👏
@Garabella
A cinq heures cinquante-cinq
Awake with open eyes
A drift upon the night
And miles away from land
Five fifty five
Five fifty five
A cinq heures cinquante-cinq
Ante meridiem
Too late to end it now
Too early to start again
Five fifty five
Five fifty five
Soon the morning will arrive
Can I begin another day
Whilst this old day is still alive
Refusing to be put away
Five fifty five
No sleep tonight
Five fifty five
Like a beast awaits its faith
Laid here with time to kill
The very dead of night
Where time and space stand still
Five fifty five
Five fifty five
A cinq heures cinquante-cinq
Nothing will ever change
On the altar of my thought
I sacrifice myself again and again and again
Five fifty five
Five fifty five
@olivierrichard4891
One of my favourite songs, perfect harmony with Air melody.
@crunchstick1277
Right away I caught the AIR element and then the goosebumps wouldn’t stop. I love this!!
@daniordache971
I love Charlotte Gainsbourg and her hypnotic songs, such as this one.