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.
Pour Ce Que Tu N'Etais Pas
Charlotte Gainsbourg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Paroles et musique: Serge Gainsbourg
J' t'ai pris pour ce que tu n'? Tais pas
T'ai laiss? Pour ce que tu es
Je t'ai
Jet?
Par trop de lucidit?
Tu peux toujours courir, moi
J' suis partie en illusions
Partie
Arri-
V? E en d? Rision
Tu es tout ce que je ne suis pas
Tu es tout ce que je hais
J'ai lu
Le faux-cul
Dans tes yeux gris horizon
Tu peux me suivre pas? Pas
T'inqui? Tes Je sais ce que tu es
Ta Ya-
Maha
A plus de are? Flexion
Maintenant tu sais pourquoi
J'aime jusqu'? La d? Raison
J'aime
M? Me
Si parfois c'est sans raison
Aveugl? ? Ce point l'a-
Mour, de texte explication
Tu es moins
Que rien
Tu es vraiment un con
J' t'ai pris pour ce que tu n'? Tais pas
T'ai laiss? Pour ce que tu es
Je t'ai
Jet?
Par trop de lucidit?
Aveugl? ? Ce point l'a-
Mour, de texte explication
Tu es moins
Que rien
Tu es vraiment un con
Charlotte Gainsbourg's song Pour Ce Que Tu N'Etais Pas, which translates to "For What You Were Not," is a melancholic ballad about leaving someone behind for being true to themselves. Written and composed by Serge Gainsbourg, Charlotte's father, the song features the recurring theme of disillusionment that is prevalent throughout his work. Throughout the song, Charlotte sings about how she left the person in question for who they are despite taking them for someone else. The lyrics express how she realized that the person she left behind is not who she thought they were, and that is ultimately why she left them.
The lyrics are filled with a mix of emotions, from bitterness to pity to anger. The line "Tu es tout ce que je ne suis pas, Tu es tout ce que je hais," translates to "You're everything I'm not, you're everything I hate," emphasizing the stark contrast between Charlotte and the person she left. The mention of the phrase "Aveugl? ? Ce point l'a-Mour" translates to "Blinded to this point of love," showing how love can blind someone from seeing the truth about their partner's true nature. The final line "Tu es vraiment un con" translates to "You are truly an idiot," expressing Charlotte's anger at the person for not being who she thought they were.
Overall, Pour Ce Que Tu N'Etais Pas is a song that speaks to the power of love to deceive and the subsequent disillusionment when one realizes the truth. It is an emotional ballad that showcases the intricate storytelling and lyrical talent that runs in the Gainsbourg family.
Line by Line Meaning
J' t'ai pris pour ce que tu n'? Tais pas
I mistook you for someone you're not
T'ai laiss? Pour ce que tu es
I left you for who you really are
Je t'ai Jet? Par trop de lucidit?
I ended things with you because I was too clear-headed
Tu peux toujours courir, moi
You can try to chase after me, but I'm gone
J' suis partie en illusions
I left while still holding onto illusions
Partie Arri-V? E en d? Rision
My departure now seems like a joke
Tu es tout ce que je ne suis pas
You are everything I am not
Tu es tout ce que je hais
You are everything that I hate
J'ai lu Le faux-cul Dans tes yeux gris horizon
I saw through the hypocrisy in your gray horizon eyes
Tu peux me suivre pas? Pas
You can try to follow me, but not step by step
T'inqui? Tes Je sais ce que tu es
Don't worry, I know who you truly are
Ta Ya-Maha A plus de are? Flexion
Your motorbike can't keep up with my reflection
Maintenant tu sais pourquoi J'aime jusqu'? La d? Raison
Now you know why I love beyond reason
J'aime M? Me Si parfois c'est sans raison
I love even if sometimes it's without reason
Aveugl? ? Ce point l'a-Mour, de texte explication
Love has blinded me to the point I need to explain with text
Tu es moins Que rien Tu es vraiment un con
You are worth less than nothing and truly a jerk
Contributed by Lucy P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.