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.
Ex Fan des Sixties
Jane Birkin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Petite Baby Doll
Comme tu dansais bien le Rock 'n 'Roll
Ex-fan des sixties
Où sont tes années folles
Que sont devenues toutes tes idoles -
Où est l'ombre des Shadows
Des Byrds, des Doors
Des Moo-
Dy Blues
Séparés Mac Cartney
Georges Harrison
Et Ringo Starr
Et John Lennon - ex-fan des sixties
Petite Baby Doll
Comme tu dansais bien le Rock 'n 'Roll
Ex-fan des sixties
Où sont tes années folles
Que sont devenues toutes tes idoles -
Disparus Brian Jones
Jim Morrison
Eddy Cochran
Buddy
Holly
Idem Jimi Hendrix
Otis Redding
Janis Joplin
T.Rex
Elvis
Ex-fan des sixties, meaning "Former fan of the sixties" is a poignant song sung by Jane Birkin, which takes us down the memory lane of the captivating era of sixties. The song revolves around a nostalgic ex-fan of the 60s era, who recalls her younger years when she was a petite babydoll and how her life revolved around the rock and roll music of the era. The lyrics resonate with the lost innocence, passion for music, and memories of the golden era that still linger in the mind of the singer.
The song captures the essence of the 60s and is a tribute to the countless artists who left their mark on the music industry during that era. The lyrics mention various iconic bands like The Shadows, The Doors, The Byrds, The Animals, Mood Blues, as well as the legendary musicians - Brian Jones, Jim Morrison, Eddy Cochran, and many others who have passed away. The song's message is simple and clear, life moves on, and everything changes, and even the idols of the past fade away, but the memories they leave behind are eternal.
Jane Birkin's "Ex-Fan Des Sixties" became an instant hit after its release and became one of her most celebrated works. It has been remade and covered by many artists across the world, which indicates its continued popularity. The song's universal appeal lies in its heartfelt lyrics that remind listeners of a time gone by.
Line by Line Meaning
Ex-fan des sixties
Once a fan of the 1960s era.
petite Baby Doll
A nickname given to the singer, as she was a young girl during that period.
comme tu dansais bien le Rock 'n 'Roll
The singer fondly remembers the days of dancing to the energetic rock and roll music of the 60s.
ex-fan des sixties
Again, the artist is reminded of her past love for the 60s era.
où sont tes années folles
Where have all your wild years gone? The artist is longing for a time when life was full of youthful vigor and adventure.
que sont devenues toutes tes idoles
What happened to all your idols? The singer is wondering about the fate of the people she idolized during the 60s.
où est l'ombre des Shadows
Where has the influence of the Shadows gone? The singer is reminiscing about the band's impact during the 60s.
des Byrds, des Doors
The artist is missing the musical creativity and innovative sound of these two bands.
des Animals, des Moody Blues
The artist is yearning for the unique sound and style of these two bands.
séparés Mac Cartney Georges Harrison et Ringo Starr et John Lennon
The artist is acknowledging that the Beatles, as a band, have disbanded.
ex-fan des sixties
The singer still feels a connection to that moment in time when the 60s era was still alive and well.
petite Baby Doll
The artist is still calling herself by her nickname from that period.
comme tu dansais bien le Rock 'n 'Roll
The singer is once again fondly remembering how she used to dance to rock and roll music.
ex-fan des sixties
The singer insists that even though times have changed, she is still a fan of that period in time.
où sont tes années folles
The singer is still longing for the wild and free times she experienced in the 60s.
que sont devenues toutes tes idoles
The artist continues to wonder about the fate of the people she idolized during the 60s era.
Disparus Brian Jones
The artist acknowledges that Brian Jones has passed away.
Jim Morrison Eddy Cochran Buddy Holly
The singer is still mourning the death of these musicians.
idem Jimi Hendrix Otis Redding
The singer is also paying homage to these two great musicians who have passed away.
Janis Joplin T.Rex Elvis
The artist is still lamenting the loss of these three iconic musicians.
Contributed by Christian T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.