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.
Help Camionneur
Jane Birkin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Je fais signe aux camionneurs
Les gros bras les brutes
Les gorets me font pas peur
Help help arête toi mon beau poids lourd
Prends moi emporte moi sur ton gros cul
Porte moi au nu
Les gosses de riches, les porches, les Maserati
Ne m'inspire a moi que du dégout que du mépris
Help help arête toi mon beau 15 tonnes
Prends moi sur ton camion frigorifique
Loin de ce trafic
Les gens m'éclabousse
m'effleurant de leurs ailes
Il me semble percevoire les moteurs diesels
Help help arête toi mon camionneur
Mais oui j'entends la bas comme un Klaxon
Est ce calberson
C'est pas vrai dans le virage un camion parait enfin
Je suis dans ces phares
j'avance il fait hurler ces freins
Help help je suis a toi mon beau routier
prends moi prends sur ton camion citerne la vie est si terne
The lyrics to Jane Birkin's song Help Camionneur are about a woman standing on the side of the road, signaling to truck drivers to stop and pick her up. She is unafraid of the rough and tough men who drive the big rigs, and sings about her disgust and disdain for the wealthy and their flashy sports cars. She begs for a truck driver to take her away from the traffic and noise of the road, and imagines herself being carried away by a massive 15-ton truck or a refrigerated truck.
The lyrics are full of desperation and longing for escape from the monotony of everyday life, as well as a yearning for adventure and freedom. The truck drivers offer a departure from the mundane and a chance to see the world from a different perspective. The singer sees the truck drivers and their powerful machines as a way to escape the superficiality of society and explore new horizons.
One possible interpretation of the lyrics could be a feminist reading, as the singer is taking control of her own destiny and actively seeking out her own form of liberation from societal norms. This is reflected in her willingness to approach rough and intimidating men, who society would typically tell her to avoid. Additionally, her disdain for wealthy individuals and their luxury cars could be seen as a critique of the materialistic and consumeristic nature of society.
Line by Line Meaning
Sur le bords des routes
I stand by the side of the road
Je fais signe aux camionneurs
I signal to the truck drivers
Les gros bras les brutes
The big and rough ones
Les gorets me font pas peur
The pigs don't scare me
Help help arête toi mon beau poids lourd
Help help stop your beautiful heavy truck
Prends moi emporte moi sur ton gros cul
Take me, bring me on your big rear
Porte moi au nu
Bring me to the nude sky
Les gosses de riches, les porches, les Maserati
The rich brats, their Porsches, their Maseratis
Ne m'inspire a moi que du dégout que du mépris
Only disgust and contempt inspire me
Help help arête toi mon beau 15 tonnes
Help help stop your beautiful 15 tons truck
Prends moi sur ton camion frigorifique
Take me on your refrigerated truck
Loin de ce trafic
Far from this traffic
Les gens m'éclabousse
People splash me
m'effleurant de leurs ailes
Touching me with their wings
Il me semble percevoire les moteurs diesels
I seem to perceive the diesel engines
Help help arête toi mon camionneur
Help help stop your truck driver
Mais oui j'entends la bas comme un Klaxon
But yes I hear it there like a horn
Est ce calberson
Is it Calberson?
C'est pas vrai dans le virage un camion parait enfin
It's not true, finally a truck appears in the turn
Je suis dans ces phares
I'm in these headlights
j'avance il fait hurler ces freins
I advance, it makes these brakes scream
Help help je suis a toi mon beau routier
Help help I belong to you my handsome trucker
prends moi prends sur ton camion citerne la vie est si terne
Take me, take me on your tanker truck, life is so dull
Contributed by Grayson M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Christian Christian
This has the same melody as Serge Gainsbourg's 1969 song "Le canari est sur le balcon", which was also sung by Jane Birkin. The earlier lyrics fit the melody much better thematically.