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.
Les yeux fermes
Jane Birkin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Lionel FLORENCE/Guy DELACROIX)
Sais-tu ce que c'est d'aimer/ Quand la vie nous décourage, / Mais il n'y
a des marécages/ Impossibles à traverser.
Sais-tu qu'après les orages, / Le ciel s'envahit de rose, / Passent les
bleus, les ecchymoses/ Et avec eux les nuages.
Mais surtout les yeux fermés, / Il n'y ait rien que l'on voie, / Et même
si c'est mieux comme ça/ Vouloir tout garder pour soi.
s'impose.(bis)
Je sais ce que c'est d'aimer/ Quand l'amour vous est égal; / Je sais les
feux de Bengale/ Impossibles à rallumer.
Mais aussi que les yeux fermés, / Je ne verrai toujours que toi/ Et tant
que ce sera comme ça/ Je ne les rouvrirai pas.
On a beau savoir les choses, / On ne s'habitue pas/ Au silence qui
s'impose.(bis)
Sais-tu ce que c'est d'aimer/ Quand l'amour se fait volage, / Dresser
d'infinis barrages/ Quand la vie part en fumée.
Que savons-nous de voyages/ Quand les portes restent closes/ Que les
mémoires s'enkilosent/ Qu'on en oublie les visages.
Alors que les yeux fermés/ Je ne verrai toujours que toi/ Et tant que ce
sera comme ça/ Je ne les ouvrirai pas.
On a beau savoir les choses/ On ne s'habitue pas/ Au silence qui
s'impose.(bis)/ A ce silence qui s'impose/ Ce silence qui s'impose.
The lyrics of Jane Birkin's song Les yeux fermes (Closed Eyes) express the struggles and complexities of loving someone deeply, even when life gets difficult and seems impossible to navigate. The song begins by asking if the listener knows what it's like to love when faced with challenges that cannot be easily overcome. Despite these obstacles, there can still be moments of beauty, like a rose-colored sky after a storm. The phrase "surtout les yeux fermés" (but especially with closed eyes) is repeated throughout the song, suggesting that perhaps it's easier to love and hold onto those beautiful moments when we shut out the outside world and focus solely on the person we care for.
The second verse explores the idea that even if love is no longer present or has become hard to rekindle ("quand l'amour vous est égal," or when love is indifferent), the memory of that love can still be all-consuming when we close our eyes. The final verse acknowledges the pain and difficulty of loving someone who is unpredictable or unreliable ("quand l'amour se fait volage," or when love becomes fickle), and how memories and faces can fade from our minds as we build barriers to protect ourselves. However, once again, the repetition of "je ne verrai toujours que toi" (I will only ever see you) implies that despite all of these challenges, the love remains and holds power over the singer.
Overall, the lyrics of Les yeux fermes are a poetic and introspective reflection on the challenges and beauty of loving someone, and how the memory of that love can stay with us even in difficult circumstances. The repetition of "on ne s'habitue pas au silence qui s'impose" (we never get used to the imposed silence) further emphasizes the struggle of loving someone despite barriers and the ongoing need to process and come to terms with the end of a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Sais-tu ce que c'est d'aimer
Do you know what it's like to love
Quand la vie nous décourage,
When life discourages us,
Mais il n'y a des marécages
But there are swamps
Impossibles à traverser.
That are impossible to cross.
Sais-tu qu'après les orages,
Do you know that after the storms,
Le ciel s'envahit de rose,
The sky fills with pink,
Passent les bleus, les ecchymoses
The blues and bruises fade away
Et avec eux les nuages.
And with them, the clouds.
Mais surtout les yeux fermés,
But especially with eyes closed
Il n'y ait rien que l'on voie,
There's nothing to see
Et même si c'est mieux comme ça
And even if it's better that way
Vouloir tout garder pour soi.
To want to keep everything to oneself.
On a beau savoir les choses,
We can know things,
On ne s'habitue pas
But we never get used to
Au silence qui s'impose.(bis)
The silence that imposes itself. (repeat)
Je sais ce que c'est d'aimer
I know what it's like to love
Quand l'amour vous est égal;
When love is indifferent to you;
Je sais les feux de Bengale
I know the Bengal fires
Impossibles à rallumer.
Impossible to relight.
Mais aussi que les yeux fermés,
But also that with eyes closed,
Je ne verrai toujours que toi
I will always see only you.
Et tant que ce sera comme ça
And as long as it's like that
Je ne les rouvrirai pas.
I won't open them.
Sais-tu ce que c'est d'aimer
Do you know what it's like to love
Quand l'amour se fait volage,
When love becomes fickle
Dresser d'infinis barrages
To put up infinite barriers
Quand la vie part en fumée.
When life goes up in smoke.
Que savons-nous de voyages
What do we know of journeys
Quand les portes restent closes,
When the doors remain closed,
Que les mémoires s'enkilosent,
When memories become burdensome,
Qu'on en oublie les visages.
And we forget faces.
Alors que les yeux fermés,
So with eyes closed,
Je ne verrai toujours que toi
I will always see only you.
Et tant que ce sera comme ça
And as long as it's like that
Je ne les ouvrirai pas.
I won't open them.
On a beau savoir les choses
We can know things
On ne s'habitue pas
But we never get used to
Au silence qui s'impose.(bis)
The silence that imposes itself. (repeat)
A ce silence qui s'impose
To this silence that imposes itself
Ce silence qui s'impose.
This silence that imposes itself.
Writer(s): Guy Delacroix, Lionel Jacques Florence Copyright: Polygram Music Sarl.
Contributed by Lillian R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@automaticjellyfish8539
My god entendre Brett et Jane chanter ensemble ! QUEL PLAISIR !!
@mariliareis7075
Casam maravilhosamente
@anatristao5014
Um maravilhoso dueto. O resultado é uma obra-prima.
Alguém poderia traduzir a letra para o inglês? Ou espanhol, ou português? Obrigada
@stephaniesteph4975
Do you know what it is to love When life discourages you But there are no fish markets Impossible to cross Do you know that after the storms The sky is flooded with pink The blue bruises fade And with them the clouds - but above all with closed eyes There's nothing we see And even if it's better like this Wanting to keep everything to yourself - no matter how much you know things We don't get used to it To the silence that imposes itself To the silence that imposes itself - I know what it is to love When you don't care about love I know the sparklers Impossible to restart I know that after the shipwrecks Fine sand settles Or the boats rest And fall asleep on the beach - and also with their eyes closed I will always only see you And as long as it's like this I won't open them - no matter how much we know things We don't get used to it To the silence that imposes itself To the silence that imposes itself - do you know what it is to love When love becomes fickle Set up endless barriers When life goes up in smoke - what do we know about travel When the door stays closed Let memories become numb Let us forget the faces - while our eyes are closed I will always only see you And as long as it's like this I won't open them We know things well We don't get used to it To the silence that imposes itself To the silence that is not imposed To the silence that imposes itself To the silence that imposes itself
@anatristao5014
@@stephaniesteph4975 Thank you very much.
@papasfritas1511
Brett, amor de mi vida.
@user-nh6hr4yi4l
世界で一番好きな曲！
@SylvainThuret
D'un côté Obistro. De l'autre, ce chef d'oeuvre. Comme quoi, rien n'est tout blanc ou tout noir.