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.
Le Canari Est Sur Le Balcon
Jane Birkin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Elle pense à son canari
Avant d'en finir
Une fois pour toute avec la vie
Elle prend la cage
Et va sur le balcon
Le vent glacé de l'hiver la saisit
Lui donne des frissons
Elle a ouvert le gaz
Et s'allonge sur son lit
Sur le pickup
Elle a mis son disque favori
Déjà, elle n'a plus toute sa raison
Elle voit d'étranges fleurs
Des fleurs bizarres
Et des papillons
Tandis que sur Londres
Lentement descend la nuit
Sur le guéridon
Auprès de la fille endormie
On peut lire, griffonnés au crayon
Rien que ces quelques mots
"Le canari est sur le balcon"
The lyrics of "Le canari est sur le balcon" tell the story of a woman contemplating suicide by turning on the gas in her apartment. However, before doing so, she thinks of her beloved canary and takes it out to the balcony. As she stands there, she feels the cold winter wind and shivers. She then goes back inside and turns on the gas, lying on her bed and listening to her favorite record on the turntable. As she begins to lose her grip on reality, she sees strange flowers and butterflies.
As the night falls over London, the girl falls asleep with a note on the bedside table that says, "Rien que quelques mots le canari est sur le balcon" which translates to "Just a few words, the canary is on the balcony". This suggests that the canary provides her with some sense of hope or comfort, despite her despair.
The song is a haunting reflection on the fragility of life and the struggle to find meaning in the face of overwhelming darkness. It is a powerful reminder that even in the darkest moments, there may be small moments of beauty or hope that can keep us going.
Line by Line Meaning
Avant d’ouvrir le gaz ell’ pense à son canari
Before beginning the suicidal act of inhaling gas, she thinks of her beloved canary.
Avant d’en finir un’ fois pour toute avec la vie
Before finally ending her life.
Ell’ prend la cage et va sur le balcon
She takes the canary's cage and goes out to the balcony.
Le vent glacé de l’hiver la saisit
The freezing winter wind takes hold of her.
Lui donn’ des frissons
Shivering follows
Elle a ouvert le gaz et s’allonge sur son lit
She turns on the gas and lies down on her bed.
Sur le pickup elle a mis son sondis favoris
She put on her favorite record on the turntable.
Déjà elle n’a plus toute sa raison
She's already lost some of her rationality.
Ell’ voit d’étranges fleurs, des fleurs bizarr’s, Et des papillons
She sees strange, bizarre flowers and butterflies.
Tandis que sur Londres lentement tombe la nuit
As the night falls slowly over London.
Sur le guéridon auprès de la fille endormie
On the nightstand next to the girl who's asleep.
On peut lire griffonné au crayon
One can read, scribbled in pencil,
Rien que quelques mots le canari Est sur le balcon
Just a few words: The canary is on the balcony.
Lyrics © EDITIONS TRANSATLANTIQUES
Written by: Serge Gainsbourg
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@blackcat_tm5900
La grande Jane, Repose en paix
@marianaaguilargutierrez7008
Quelle jolie voix c'est très agréable de t' écouter Jane Birkin merci
@user-ge9qf9ll5o
My love foreever ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
@johnsehil9997
C’est tellement triste
@EdouardPicard0224
RIP
@FreddySpr
🙏🏻😢
@roelensstephane829
Un piano, un alcool fort, un Gainsbourg, et souvent un diamant. en voilà un
@user-kn6bg3ds7f
Не слышала эту песню у Джейн. Ее голос легкий, как воздух и нежный, как ветерок.
Спасибо из Украины💙💛