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.
IRM
Charlotte Gainsbourg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'd cross the desert to the sea
Learn to speak in tongues something
That makes sense to you and me
I'd like to unplug the phone
Sending messages with a mirror
Stand on the old plateau
Down in the Rio Del Sol
I sunk my suitcase alone
Filed up the Amazon
With snakes and vines and ropes for my clothes
Me And Jane Doe and Rousseau
We've got nowhere to go
Walking through cactus and stones
Down in the city so cold
Shining like razors in the sun
You can go there anytime that you like
And try to find happiness from a gun
Charlotte Gainsbourg's song, "IRM," speaks to the idea of wanting to escape from reality and find another world where communication is not limited by language barriers. The singer expresses a desire to cross the dessert to the sea, and instead of learning another language, she wants to find a common language that makes sense to both her and her listener. The symbol of the mirrors is also used to send messages to someone by signaling with the reflection. The singer wants to use this language to connect with people, even if they are not physically close. She then expresses a desire to unplug the phone, which can be seen as a metaphor for turning off the noise and confusion of daily life.
The song continues with a reference to the Rio Del Sol, where the singer feels isolated and alone. She then talks about the Amazon and the difficult journey of traveling through the wilderness of snakes and vines while wearing clothes made of ropes. The singer is accompanied by Jane Doe and Rousseau, but they are all lost and have nowhere to go. They are walking through the harsh terrain of stones and cactus.
The song finishes with a contrast between the natural environment of the countryside and the urban environment of the city. The singer describes the city as being "so cold," and says that finding happiness there is like trying to find it from a gun. The seemingly harsh statement can be interpreted to mean that violence is not the solution, and that true happiness cannot be found through violent means.
Line by Line Meaning
If I had my way
Given the freedom of choice to do things the way I want to
I'd cross the desert to the sea
I'd be willing to traverse any distance or challenges to reach my destination
Learn to speak in tongues something
Acquiring the skill to communicate using a language or dialect that is unfamiliar to me
That makes sense to you and me
So that we both understand each other, without any confusion or misinterpretation
I'd like to unplug the phone
Switching off the telephone to disconnect from the distractions and disturbances of the outside world
Sending messages with a mirror
Using the reflection of light to convey a message to someone else
Stand on the old plateau
To be on a flat surface at a higher elevation or altitude that has existed for a long time
With a satellite dish and Geronimo's ghost
Being accompanied by an apparition of Geronimo and having access to a device to transmit messages via satellite technology
Down in the Rio Del Sol
Being in or near the river called 'Rio Del Sol', which could be a metaphor for a place of solitude or reflection
I sunk my suitcase alone
Putting down my baggage and being by myself with my thoughts and emotions
Filed up the Amazon
Having traveled along the longest river in the world, (The Amazon), which can often be dangerous and unpredictable.
With snakes and vines and ropes for my clothes
Being dressed in materials found in nature such as vines and using ropes to clothe myself due to being unprepared.
Me And Jane Doe and Rousseau
Spending time with unnamed people or imaginary characters such as Jane Doe and Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
We've got nowhere to go
Feeling lost with no sense of direction or purpose
Walking through cactus and stones
Navigating through hostile terrain filled with painful and cumbersome obstacles.
Down in the city so cold
Being situated in an urban environment where people may seem cold, distant or disconnected from each other.
Shining like razors in the sun
Appearing very bright or illuminated under the sunlight, much like a razor blade glistening in the sun.
You can go there anytime that you like
An invitation to anyone who dares to venture into the city, they are welcome anytime
And try to find happiness from a gun
Trying to find joy or satisfaction through dangerous or violent means, like guns, which ultimately is not the right approach.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BECK HANSEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
odile
Take a picture, what's inside?
Ghost image in my mind
Neural pattern like a spider
Capillary to the center
Hold still and press the button
Looking through a glass onion
Following the x-ray eye
From the cortex to medulla
Analyze EKG
Can you see a memory?
Register all my fear
On a flowchart disappear
Leave my head demagnetized
Tell me where the trauma lies
In the scan of pathogen
Or the shadow of my sin
Michael M
I love how she used her MRI audio in reverse for this song. Such a great track!
Ursdemars
bravo, c'est vraiment une idée originale d'avoir écrit une chanson sur l'IRM.
odile
Take a picture, what's inside?
Ghost image in my mind
Neural pattern like a spider
Capillary to the center
Hold still and press the button
Looking through a glass onion
Following the x-ray eye
From the cortex to medulla
Analyze EKG
Can you see a memory?
Register all my fear
On a flowchart disappear
Leave my head demagnetized
Tell me where the trauma lies
In the scan of pathogen
Or the shadow of my sin
philorkill
Thanks! Was looking for a creative way of "processing" those amazing technical MRI sound I've heard doing my first journey through "the tunnel". And yeah...Gainsbourg did it...who else... :D
Yermek Akhmetov
Merci, Charlotte, ты самая лучшая!!!
K-leb
2:00
I can hear Beck's voice!
Josue Jr
Te amo Charlotte!!!
Gordon Reilly
Parfait
awakawI ateazrutY ialociN adneG
If you like Charlotte, you will like Tove Lo and several songs that she sung like Talking Body, etc.
Baba Louie
You've posted your other remixes, all amazing. I really wish you'd post the diskjokke remix of this song. Please 🙏