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.
La Javanaise
Jane Birkin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Avant d'avoir eu vent de vous mon amour
Ne vous déplaise
En dansant la Javanaise
Nous nous aimions
Le temps d'une chanson
À votre avis qu'avons-nous vu de l'amour?
Ne vous déplaise
En dansant la Javanaise
Nous nous aimions
Le temps d'une chanson
Hélas avril en vain me voue à l'amour
J'avais envie de voir en vous cet amour
Ne vous déplaise
En dansant la Javanaise
Nous nous aimions
Le temps d'une chanson
La vie ne vaut d'etre vécue sans amour
Mais c'est vous qui l'avez voulu, mon amour
Ne vous déplaise
En dansant la Javanaise
Nous nous aimions
Le temps d'une chanson
In this song, Jane Birkin channels the nostalgic romance of French culture, singing about the bittersweet memories of a past love, whom she met while dancing to the Javanaise. The song is a tribute to the Javanaise, a popular dance in France during the 1950s, which originated in the French colonies in Asia. The lyrics speak of how the lovers were brought together by the music and the dance, and how they fell in love while moving to the seductive rhythm.
The first verse sees Birkin asking if her lover had suffered as she had, prior to their meeting, before they both discovered the joy of the Javanaise. The Javanaise becomes a metaphor for the brief but intense nature of their love affair – it was a momentary escape from reality, and the two lovers were perfectly in sync. Despite it being just a fleeting moment of happiness, the memories remain potent, and the song celebrates that.
The second verse is a reflection on what they actually experienced during their brief romantic interlude. Birkin wonders if they had really discovered love, or if it was just a temporary infatuation that the dance helped to fuel. She admits that she was smitten with her lover, despite the fact that they came from two different worlds (hence the line "from you to me, you had me, my love").
Line by Line Meaning
J'avoue j'en ai bavé, pas vous, mon amour?
I confess I suffered, didn't you, my love?
Avant d'avoir eu vent de vous mon amour
Before I heard of you, my love
Ne vous déplaise
Do not be displeased
En dansant la Javanaise
While dancing the Javanaise
Nous nous aimions
We loved each other
Le temps d'une chanson
For the duration of a song
À votre avis qu'avons-nous vu de l'amour?
In your opinion, what did we see of love?
De vous à moi vous m'avez eu, mon amour
Between you and me, you had me, my love
Hélas avril en vain me voue à l'amour
Alas, April dedicates me in vain to love
J'avais envie de voir en vous cet amour
I wanted to see in you this love
La vie ne vaut d'etre vécue sans amour
Life is not worth living without love
Mais c'est vous qui l'avez voulu, mon amour
But it was you who wanted it, my love
Lyrics © WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC FRANCE, SHAPIRO BERNSTEIN & CO. INC.
Written by: Serge Gainsbourg
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Fanny Audin
Une voix toujours aussi magnifique, une musique qui donne un frisson indescriptible. Un hommage magique!
Pierre Lauwers
BRAVO !!!!!! Cette musique attendait de telles interprétations, elle le mérite.
Tudorel Urian
Magnifique interprétation! Merci Jane! J'aime beaucoup cette chanson.
Isabelle Lapasin
Fabuleux j'ai des frissons partout encore un grand honneur que vous nous rendait chère Jane Birkin!
Christophe Rémi VADROT
"rendez"!!!
DELPHINE ROSE
magnifique ... ça donne des frissons ..
François Scibetta
C'est excellent, J'adore ❤️
Nicole Girard
Merci à vous. Votre album est émotion, "Une chose entre autres"...
Respect <3 <3 <3
Marc Delanoe
Merci, toujours aussi magnifique, bravo.
winge-dog jones
Jane is an amazing person who has really lived and experienced the joys and sorrows of life. Her music is a testament to this.