Letissier has used numerous personal and stage names, and remarked that he "just ha many names for all the layers". He began his career as Christine and the Queens. For his second studio album, he shortened it to Chris, which was accompanied by a shift to a persona described as "a woman playing with masculine tropes". In October 2021, he was using the name Rahim. This sparked a debate around cultural appropriation due to the name's Arabic origin. He eventually began using a succession of different names such as Sam le pompier (the French title of Fireman Sam) and a full stop before settling on Redcar, sometimes shortened as Red. In August 2022, he updated his pronouns to he/him across social media platforms. In 2023, with the release of fourth album Paranoïa, Angels, True Love, he seemed to have reverted to simply Chris. However, he still occasionally uses his birth name, about which he said: "Héloïse Letissier is my parents' provenance and I love my parents. I sometimes use Héloïse to reconnect me to my childhood, but my inner child name is Manamané."
Girlfriend
Christine and the Queens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm gone in a flick, but back in a second
With salted skin, rash for no reason
Boys are loading their arms, girls gasp with envy
F-f-for whom are they mimicking endlessly?
Same old sadness in small lumps on my jaw
For lusting after is the usual freak show
F-f-f-fingers angrily sunk on the jugular, then girlfriend
Don't feel like a girlfriend
But lover
Damn, I'd be your lover
Girlfriend
Don't feel like a girlfriend
But lover
Damn, I'd be your lover (touché, touché yeah)
Yes sir, I am wet, for I abandoned my fame in the lake
Let's see now how fast you're breathing
And how long this will all take
Those who used to pass by me think they are baffling a liar
F-fuck is you? You don't even taste much better!
Came back steaming in sweats in the morning
I muscled in for I wanted to hold him
Then shriveled to let those bird-dogs rage through
F-fuck is me? F-fuck is you, f-fuck is you, now, girlfriend
Don't feel like a girlfriend
But lover
Damn, I'd be your lover
Girlfriend
Don't feel like a girlfriend
But lover
Damn, I'd be your lover
Chris, I don't know why you trippin'
Touché, touché, touché, touché
Touché, touché, touché, touché
Touché, touché, touché, touché
You got to keep on rollin' girl, keep rollin', rollin' (touché, touché)
Touché, touché, touché, touché (b-b-b-baby)
Touché, touché, touché, touché (b-b-b-baby)
Touché, touché, touché, touché (b-b-b-baby)
Touché, touché, touché, touché (b-b-b-baby) (oh no, yeah)
Christine and the Queens's song "Girlfriend" addresses the way that gender roles and societal expectations can impact our sense of self and our relationships. The lyrics explore the idea of mimicking others and trying to fit into traditional gender roles, rather than being true to oneself. The line "boys are loading their arms, girls gasp with envy, for whom are they mimicking endlessly?" highlights the pressure people feel to conform to gender norms, often at the expense of their own authentic expression. The song also touches on feelings of lust and desire, with lines like "for lusting after is the usual freak show."
Line by Line Meaning
I'm gone in a flick, but back in a second
I'll be back very shortly and without any delay
With salted skin, rash for no reason
I have rashes on my skin for no apparent reason
Boys are loading their arms, girls gasp with envy
Boys are showing off and girls are envious
F-f-for whom are they mimicking endlessly?
Who are they trying to impress by constantly mimicking others?
Same old sadness in small lumps on my jaw
I feel the same old sadness and it's reflected on my face with small bulges on my jaw
For lusting after is the usual freak show
It's common to be labeled as a freak if you show interest in anyone
May your girl come, birdie die under this spur
May your partner come to you and attract you towards them
F-f-f-fingers angrily sunk on the jugular, then girlfriend
I grip your throat tightly with my fingers in anger, then you become my girlfriend
Don't feel like a girlfriend
I don't feel like just a girlfriend
But lover
I feel like your lover
Damn, I'd be your lover
I really wish I could be your lover
Yes sir, I am wet, for I abandoned my fame in the lake
I am wet because I left my fame behind in the lake and now I'm free from it
Let's see now how fast you're breathing
Let's see how excited you are right now
And how long this will all take
And how long this whole thing will last
Those who used to pass by me think they are baffling a liar
People who used to pass by me now think I'm lying
F-fuck is you? You don't even taste much better!
Who are you to judge? You're not even good enough
Came back steaming in sweats in the morning
I came back in the morning, sweating profusely
I muscled in for I wanted to hold him
I pushed my way in because I wanted to hold him
Then shriveled to let those bird-dogs rage through
Then I gave up trying to hold on and let my opponents have him
F-fuck is me? F-fuck is you, f-fuck is you, now, girlfriend
Who am I to you? Who are you to me? Now you're just my girlfriend
You got to keep on rollin' girl, keep rollin', rollin' (touché, touché)
You have to keep moving, girl, and not get caught up in others' expectations
Touché, touché, touché, touché
Good point, well said
Touché, touché, touché, touché (b-b-b-baby)
Good point, baby
Touché, touché, touché, touché (oh no, yeah)
Good point, and it's true
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Heloise Letissier, Damon Garrett Riddick
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@miarose743
Fingers.... Girlfriend. The only 2 words i understood and needed to understand. I'm sold.
@steve20664
Doesn’t she say fuck a few times or maybe it’s just my hearing
@jessiecator1740
Fuck is me fuck is you. Not sure what that means, but fuck is me fuck is you Chris!
@jammanastic
Just found the song and had to look up the lyrics it is actually pretty deep
@kandace4088
Y'all, there are subtitles with the lyrics :)
@danielseifert3309
Play nice. Kay! Long nails, bad. Broken Elevator, good..
@thebatman1019
This for me is hands down the most authentic late 80s/early 90s sounding thing i have heard produced NOW. Its like ive gone back in time...amazing!
@TheVioletReality
thebatman1019 That's because the legendary David Frank from The System played keyboards on it :)
@daniellepalmer6079
It's very Loose Ends - esque. Wonderful.
@BaronKimball
Yeah no doubt- and it's a great song.