Jane Birkin, OBE (born Jane Mallory Birkin in London on 14 December 1946; d… Read Full Bio ↴Jane Birkin, OBE (born Jane Mallory Birkin in London on 14 December 1946; died 16 July 2023) was an Anglo-French singer and actress. She attained international fame and notability for her decade-long musical (and romantic) partnership with singer Serge Gainsbourg, beginning with the duet Je t'aime... moi non plus released in 1969. Later she made musical collaborations and duets with many artists, including Feist, Bryan Ferry, Franz Ferdinand, The Magic Numbers, Beck, Rufus Wainwright, and many others.

Birkin was born to David Birkin and Judy Campbell, an actress in Noel Coward musicals. Her great aunt was Freda Dudley Ward, a mistress of Edward VIII while he was Prince of Wales.

Birkin emerged in the swinging '60s in London, starring as one of the models in the controversial film Blowup in 1966.

In 1968, Birkin went to France to audition for the lead female role in Slogan. Though she did not speak French, she got the role.

In 1969, she and Serge Gainsbourg released the song "Je t'aime... moi non plus" ("I love you... me neither"), written by Gainsbourg and featuring both of them singing, which caused a scandal for its sexual explicitness. Arguably due in part to the publicity it got from being banned by radio stations in Italy, Sweden, Spain, and the UK, it was a commercial success all over Europe. The song's fame is a result of its salacious lyrics (sung in French) against a background of female moaning and groaning, culminating in an orgasm at the song's conclusion (which some claim to be the result of Jane and Serge actually engaging in sex during the recording of the song).

Birkin took a short break from her acting career in 1971-72, but returned as Brigitte Bardot's lover in Don Juan (or if Don Juan were a woman) in 1973.

In 1975, she appeared in Gainsbourg's first film, also titled Je t'aime... moi non plus, which created quite a stir for its frank examination of sexual ambiguity. For this performance she was nominated for a Best Actress César Award.

Birkin has starred in the Agatha Christie films Death on the Nile and Evil Under the Sun, and recorded several albums, including Baby Alone in Babylone, Amours des Feintes, Lolita Go Home and Rendez-vous. She has obtained in the category Female Artist of the year in France the Victoires de la Musique award in 1992 .

She starred in two films by Jacques Doillon — as Anne in La fille prodigue (1981) and as Alma in La pirate (1984, nominated for a César Award). This work led to an invitation from Patrice Chéreau to star on stage in La Fausse suivante by Marivaux at Nanterre. After this, she also began to appear frequently on stage in plays and concerts (in France, Japan, the UK and then the US).

Jacques Rivette collaborated with her for Love on the Ground (1983) and La belle noiseuse (1991, Nominated Césars best supporting actress). Additionally, she appeared in Merchant Ivory's A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries (1998, also used her song "Di Doo Dah") and Merci Docteur Rey (2002), while Le Divorce's end title song featured her singing "L'Anamour", composed by Serge Gainsbourg.

In 2006, she played Elektra, directed by Philippe Calvario in France.

Jane Birkin's humanitarian interests led her to work with Amnesty International, on immigrant welfare and AIDS issues. Birkin has also visited Bosnia, Rwanda. and Palestinian Territories, often working with children. She has been awarded an OBE for her services to acting, as well as the Ordre National du Mérite in France.

She made musical collaborations and duets with artists such as Feist, Beth Gibbons from Portishead, Bryan Ferry, Brian Molko from Placebo, Franz Ferdinand, Manu Chao, Brett Anderson from Suede, Mickey (3d), Françoise Hardy, Cali, The Divine Comedy, The Magic Numbers, Paolo Conte, Beck, Rufus Wainwright, Yann Tiersen, Alain Souchon, Les Negresses Vertes, Johnny Marr from The Smiths, Zazie, MC Solaar, Yosui Inoue, Étienne Daho, Alain Chamfort, Jimmy Rowles, Goran Bregović, Sonny Landreth, The Soundtrack of Our Lives and many others.

Birkin recorded the song "Beauty" on French producer Hector Zazou's 2003 album Strong Currents.
She is noted as being the inspiration for fashion house Hermès' popular Birkin Bag after the actress was seen struggling with several bags while boarding an aeroplane.
Her image features on the cover art of Have You Fed the Fish? by singer-songwriter Badly Drawn Boy (which features her daughter Charlotte Gainsbourg on backing vocals).
Despite decades of residence in France and the ability to speak French fluently, Birkin still retains a strong English accent and makes grammatical mistakes when speaking French.

Personal Life :
She was married from 1965 until 1968 to John Barry, an English composer who wrote the musical score to the James Bond movies. Their daughter, the photographer Kate Barry, was born in 1968.

Muse of Gainsbourg :
She had a very passionate and creative relationship with her mentor Serge Gainsbourg — they met on the set of Slogan and married in 1968. They separated in 1980. Their daughter is actress Charlotte Gainsbourg.

In 1982 she gave birth to her third daughter, Lou Doillon, from her relationship with the director Jacques Doillon.

Elaeudanla Teiteia
Jane Birkin Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Elaeudanla Teïtéïa
Elaeudanla Teïtéïa
Sur ma Remington portative
J'ai écrit ton nom Laetitia
Elaeudanla Teïtéïa

Laetitia les jours qui se suivent
Hélas ne se ressemblent pas

Elaeudanla Teïtéïa

C'est ma douleur que je cultive
En frappant ces huit lettres-là
Elaeudanla Teïtéïa

C'est une fleur bien maladive
Je la touche du bout des doigts
Elaeudanla Teïtéïa

S'il faut aller à la dérive
Je veux bien y aller pour toi
Elaeudanla Teïtéïa

Ma raison en définitive
Se perd dans ces huit lettres là
Elaeudanla Teïtéïa

Sur ma Remington portative
J'ai écrit ton nom Laetitia

Elaeudanla Teïtéïa
Elaeudanla Teïtéïa

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Jane Birkin's Elaeudanla Teiteia are a beautiful and melancholic ode to lost love. The song is about Laetitia, the object of the singer's affection, whose name the singer has written on her portable Remington typewriter. The phrase "Elaeudanla Teiteia" is a play on words and is, in fact, the reversed order of the name "Laetitia," which adds a touch of whimsy to the song.

The song's lyrics describe the bittersweet nature of love and the pain of longing for someone who is no longer there. The singer speaks about how every day that passes is different, yet her feelings for Laetitia remain constant. She says that writing Laetitia's name is a way for her to cultivate her sorrow and keep her memory alive.

The singer also speaks of the fragility of her love, describing it as a "maladive" or sickly flower that she can barely touch. However, she also expresses her willingness to go wherever Laetitia may lead her, even if it means drifting aimlessly.

Line by Line Meaning

Elaeudanla Teïtéïa
Repeating the name that has a deep emotional significance

Sur ma Remington portative
On my portable typewriter

J'ai écrit ton nom Laetitia
I wrote your name, Laetitia

Elaeudanla Teïtéïa
Repeating the name that has a deep emotional significance

Laetitia les jours qui se suivent
Laetitia, the days that follow

Hélas ne se ressemblent pas
Unfortunately, they don't look alike

Elaeudanla Teïtéïa
Repeating the name that has a deep emotional significance

C'est ma douleur que je cultive
It's my pain that I cultivate

En frappant ces huit lettres-là
By striking those eight letters

Elaeudanla Teïtéïa
Repeating the name that has a deep emotional significance

C'est une fleur bien maladive
It's a very sickly flower