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.
Sans Toi
Jane Birkin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
toutes ces journées Sans Toi
ne servent à rien
elles passent et puis voilà
crois-moi, crois-moi
toutes ces journées sans joie
et toi comme un miracle
qui n'arrive pas
de beau pour toi et moi
c'est de la porcelaine
qui vole en éclats
tout ce que je voulais
de beau pour toi et moi
et tous ces petits bouts
qu'on ne retrouve pas
reviens, reviens
ou je me fous en bas
ce n'est pas du chantage
mais ça dépend de toi
crois-moi, crois-moi
crois-moi je ne mens pas
si tu voyais mes cernes
la nuit je ne dors pas
chaque jour sans amour
rabote un peu de moi
y'a des pelures dans tous les coins
ma vie en petits tas
tu m'as confié ton ombre
mais toi tu n'es pas là
j'ai le brouillard de l'ombre
sous chacun de mes pas
tu vois, tu vois
toutes ces journées Sans Toi
ne servent à rien
elles passent et puis voilà
voilà, voilà
que me revient tout ça
ces journées, fous d'amour,
accrochée à ton bras
six mois c'est long
sans nouvelles de toi
peut-être que je te manque
mais je ne le sais pas
six mois, six mois
ça fait déjà six mois
que je perds les pétales
reviens-moi, reviens-moi
et surtout ne sois pas heureux
non, surtout pas sans moi
puisses-tu finir pute, mal marié,
très seul et tout en bas
tu vois, tu vois
toutes ces journées Sans Toi
ne mènent à rien
je fais n'importe quoi
Sans Toi
The lyrics to Jane Birkin's song "Sans Toi" are a lamentation of a lover who is desperately missing her significant other. The singer expresses how the days without her lover are worthless and empty, bogged down by a lack of joy. She adds that all she wants for both of them is a perfectly happy life together. But instead, it has shattered and broken, lying in tiny pieces that cannot be mended. She pleads for her lover to return because her life is incomplete without him. She also expresses her desperate need for her lover by highlighting her lack of sleep and the damage that each day without love inflicts upon her. She compares her lover's absence to the foggy hue of a shadow, which follows her everywhere and impairs her vision of the path ahead.
Additionally, she recalls the days when she was hopelessly in love with her lover and laments how those happy days seem so far away from her now. She tells her lover that it has been six long and painful months since she last heard from him. She wonders if her absence means anything to him and hopes that he understands how much he means to her.
Jane Birkin's "Sans Toi" is an immaculate expression of heartbreak, loneliness, and the longing to be with a loved one once more. It is a soothing and consoling track to listen to if you have ever felt the same. Music can be a balm for the soul, especially during moments of deep emotional pain.
Line by Line Meaning
tu vois, tu vois
You see, you see
toutes ces journées Sans Toi
All these days without you
ne servent à rien
Are useless
elles passent et puis voilà
They pass and that's it
crois-moi, crois-moi
Believe me, believe me
toutes ces journées sans joie
All these joyless days
et toi comme un miracle
And you, like a miracle
qui n'arrive pas
That doesn't come
tout ce que je voulais
All I wanted
de beau pour toi et moi
For you and me to have something beautiful
c'est de la porcelaine
Was like porcelain
qui vole en éclats
That shatters
et tous ces petits bouts
And all these little pieces
qu'on ne retrouve pas
That can't be found
reviens, reviens
Come back, come back
ou je me fous en bas
Or I'll jump off
ce n'est pas du chantage
This isn't blackmail
mais ça dépend de toi
But it depends on you
crois-moi je ne mens pas
Believe me, I'm not lying
si tu voyais mes cernes
If you saw my eye bags
la nuit je ne dors pas
I don't sleep at night
chaque jour sans amour
Every loveless day
rabote un peu de moi
Chips away at me
y'a des pelures dans tous les coins
There are peelings everywhere
ma vie en petits tas
My life in little piles
tu m'as confié ton ombre
You entrusted me with your shadow
mais toi tu n'es pas là
But you're not here
j'ai le brouillard de l'ombre
I have the shadow's fog
sous chacun de mes pas
Under every step of mine
voilà, voilà
Here it is, here it is
que me revient tout ça
That all comes back to me
ces journées, fous d'amour,
Those days, crazy in love
accrochée à ton bras
Hanging on to your arm
six mois c'est long
Six months is a long time
sans nouvelles de toi
Without news from you
peut-être que je te manque
Maybe you miss me
mais je ne le sais pas
But I don't know
ça fait déjà six mois
It has already been six months
que je perds les pétales
That I'm losing petals
et surtout ne sois pas heureux
And especially don't be happy
non, surtout pas sans moi
No, especially not without me
puisses-tu finir pute, mal marié,
May you end up as a prostitute, in a bad marriage,
très seul et tout en bas
Very alone and rock bottom
ne mènent à rien
Lead to nothing
je fais n'importe quoi
I do anything
Sans Toi
Without you
Contributed by Cooper E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.