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 décadance
Jane Birkin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Non
Contre moi
Non, pas comme ça
Et danse
La décadanse
Bouge tes reins
Lentement
Reste là
Derrière moi
Balance
La décadanse
Que tes mains
Frôlent mes seins
Et mon c?ur
Qui est le tien
Mon amour
De toujours
Patience
La décadanse
Sous mes doigts
T'emmènera
Vers de lointains
Au-delà
Des eaux troubles
Soudain troublent
Mes sens
La décadanse
M'a perdue
Ah tu me tues
Mon amour
Dis m'aimes-tu?
Je t'aimais
Déjà mais
Nuance
La décadanse
Plus encore
Que notre mort
Lie nos âmes
Et nos corps
Dieux Pardonnez nos
Offenses
La décadanse
A bercé
Nos corps blasés
Et nos âmes égarées
Dieux!
Pardonnez nos offenses
La décadanse
A bercé
Nos corps blasés
Et nos âmes égarées
The lyrics of Jane Birkin’s song “Décadanse” are full of sensuality, desire and passion. Through the words, Birkin and lyricist Serge Gainsbourg paint a picture of an intimate encounter between two lovers engaging in a dance of decadence. The song is sung in French, adding to its seductive essence. The lyrics begin with Birkin asking her lover to face her, but not in that way. She then proceeds to encourage him to dance the “décadanse,” to move his hips slowly and to stay there behind her. As the dance ensues, she asks him to touch her breasts and move his hands slowly across her body, suggesting an increasing level of intimacy between the two.
Throughout the song, Birkin’s voice becomes increasingly passionate, rising to a climax as she exclaims, "Ah tu me tues" ("Oh, you kill me"). She then implores her lover to tell her if he loves her. She confirms her own love for him, but with nuance. The repetition of the phrase “La décadanse” creates a hypnotic rhythm, adding to the seduction and intensity of the moment. The song ends with Birkin asking the gods to forgive their sins as they engage in the decadent dance of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Tourne-toi
Turn yourself around
Non
No
Contre moi
Against me
Non, pas comme ça
No, not like that
Et danse
And dance
La décadanse
The decadance
Bouge tes reins
Move your hips
Lentement
Slowly
Devant les miens
In front of mine
Reste là
Stay there
Derrière moi
Behind me
Balance
Swing
La décadanse
The decadance
Que tes mains
That your hands
Frôlent mes seins
Touch my breasts
Et mon cœur
And my heart
Qui est le tien
That is yours
Mon amour
My love
De toujours
Forever
Patience
Patience
La décadanse
The decadance
Sous mes doigts
Under my fingers
T'emmènera
Will take you
Vers de lointains
To distant
Au-delà
Beyond
Des eaux troubles
The troubled waters
Soudain troublent
Suddenly trouble
Mes sens
My senses
La décadanse
The decadance
M'a perdue
Lost me
Ah tu me tues
Ah you're killing me
Mon amour
My love
Dis m'aimes-tu?
Say, do you love me?
Je t'aimais
I loved you
Déjà mais
Already, but
Nuance
Nuance
La décadanse
The decadance
Plus encore
Even more
Que notre mort
Than our death
Lie nos âmes
Ties our souls
Et nos corps
And our bodies
Dieux Pardonnez nos
Gods forgive us
Offenses
Offenses
A bercé
Has rocked
Nos corps blasés
Our jaded bodies
Et nos âmes égarées
And our lost souls
Dieux!
Gods!
Pardonnez nos offenses
Forgive our offenses
La décadanse
The decadance
A bercé
Has rocked
Nos corps blasés
Our jaded bodies
Et nos âmes égarées
And our lost souls
Lyrics © SHAPIRO BERNSTEIN & CO. INC.
Written by: SERGE GAINSBOURG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind