Charlotte Lucy Gainsbourg (born 21 July 1971) is an Anglo-French actress an… Read Full Bio ↴Charlotte Lucy Gainsbourg (born 21 July 1971) is an Anglo-French actress and singer. After releasing an album with her father at the age of fifteen, more than twenty years passed before she released three albums as an adult (5:55, IRM and Stage Whisper) to commercial and critical success. Gainsbourg has also appeared in many films, including several directed by Lars von Trier, and has received both a César Award and the Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Award. She is the daughter of English actress Jane Birkin and French singer and songwriter Serge Gainsbourg.

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.

Greenwich Mean Time
Charlotte Gainsbourg Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Crooked man down a crooked mile
Crooked backbone, crossed out smile
Crooked cat, crooked mouse
We live together in a crooked little house

We're all fine, we're all fine
We fit together like worms on a line
We're so good, we're so nice

We stick together like dirty horse flies

Crooked eyes, crooked tooth
Crooked mind bending back the truth
A crooked road on a crooked town
Looking down at the crumbs on the ground

We're all fine, we're all fine
We fit together like nickles on a dime
We're so good, we're so nice
We talk the mumbo jumbo Greenwich Mean Time

We're all fine, we're all fine
We fit together like nickles on a dime

We're so good, we're so nice
We talk the mumbo jumbo Greenwich Mean Time

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Charlotte Gainsbourg's song "Greenwich Mean Time" paint a picture of a crooked little world where everything is slightly off-kilter. The crooked man with a crooked mile and a crooked backbone, crooked cat and crooked mouse, and even crooked eyes and crooked tooth all inhabit a crooked little house together. Despite this crookedness, the inhabitants state that they are all fine and that they fit together like worms on a line. They talk in the "mumbo jumbo" of Greenwich Mean Time and stick together like "dirty horse flies."

The song is a commentary on conformity and the facade of normalcy. The crookedness of the world serves as a metaphor for the imperfections, quirks, and differences that exist in each individual. Society often tries to force people into a mold of normalcy, where anything different or "crooked" must be hidden or changed. The lyrics imply that, in reality, "normal" is just an illusion and that everyone is a little crooked in their own way. The catchy chorus emphasizes this message of belonging: "We're all fine, We fit together like nickels on a dime, We're so good, we're so nice, We talk the mumbo jumbo Greenwich Mean Time." The song suggests that regardless of how different or crooked we may seem, we can still fit together and find connection with others.

Line by Line Meaning

Crooked man down a crooked mile
A man with a devious character walks down a path of deceit and dishonesty.

Crooked backbone, crossed out smile
This man has a spine that is bent with moral corruption and a smile that is devoid of any genuine emotions.

Crooked cat, crooked mouse
The feline and rodent living in the same house as him are also dishonest creatures.

We live together in a crooked little house
All the inhabitants of the house are deceitful and live in a place where everything is twisted.

We're all fine, we're all fine
Despite their immoral behavior, they all pretend to be content with their lives.

We fit together like worms on a line
They all share the same philistine thoughts and corrupt values, so they stick together with ease.

We're so good, we're so nice
They place a false façade of being good and pleasant to others.

We stick together like dirty horse flies
Like pesky insects that group together, the dishonest characters stay close to each other.

Crooked eyes, crooked tooth
Their physical features are also crooked, symbolizing their flawed morals and values.

Crooked mind bending back the truth
Their corrupt ideologies have twisted reality to suit their own agendas and desires.

A crooked road on a crooked town
The physical world they live in is also flawed, and reflects their moral state.

Looking down at the crumbs on the ground
They are focused on small, mundane things in life, selfishly disregarding larger issues and the impact of their actions.

We talk the mumbo jumbo Greenwich Mean Time
They speak in platitudes and meaningless clichés, using 'Greenwich Mean Time' as a symbol for their empty, superficial conversations.

Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: BECK HANSEN, CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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