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.
Sous le Soleil
Jane Birkin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Do Capricorne ou do Cancer
Depuis j'ai oublié lequel
Sous le soleil exactement
Pas à côté, pas n'importe où
Sous le soleil,sous le soleil
Exactement juste en dessous.
C'était tout au bord de la mer
Depuis j'ai oublié laquelle
Sous le soleil exactement
Pas à côté, pas n'importe où
Sous le soleil, sous le soleil
Exactement juste en dessous.
Était-ce le Nouveau-Mexique
Vers le Cap Horn, vers le Cap Vert
Était-ce sur un archipel
Sous le soleil exactement
Pas à côté, pas n'importe où
Sous le soleil, sous le soleil
Exactement juste en dessous.
C'est sûrement un rêve érotique
Que je me fais les yeux ouverts
Et pourtant si c'était réel?
Sous le soleil exactement
Pas à côté, pas n'importe où
Sous le soleil, sous le soleil
Exactement juste en dessous.
The lyrics of "Sous le soleil exactement" by Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg speak about a precise point on the tropic of Cancer or Capricorn where the sun shines exactly below. The singer has forgotten which of the two tropics it was, but the memory of the sunlight is still vivid in their mind. The song speaks about the longing for a lost memory of a place that was on the shore of the sea, but the singer cannot remember which country it was in, making the experience even more elusive. The singer wonders if it was in New Mexico, near the Cape Horn or the Cape Verde islands, or on an archipelago.
The repetition of the phrase "sous le soleil exactement" creates a sense of longing and melancholy, highlighting the elusive nature of the singer's memories. The song's chorus signifies the singer's longing to be exactly where the sun shines above them, not merely beside them or anywhere else. Although the refrain is blissful, it is a bittersweet sensation since the memory resides in the singer's mind, and they cannot go back to it again. In conclusion, this song beautifully explores lost memories and experiences, expressed poetically through the imagery of the sun.
Line by Line Meaning
Un point précis sous le tropique
A precise spot along the tropic
Do Capricorne ou do Cancer
Either in Capricorn or in Cancer
Depuis j'ai oublié lequel
But since then, I have forgotten which one
Sous le soleil exactement
Exactly under the sun
Pas à côté, pas n'importe où
Not next to it, not just anywhere
Sous le soleil,sous le soleil
Under the sun, under the sun
Exactement juste en dessous.
Exactly right beneath it.
Dans quel pays, dans quel district
In which country, which district
C'était tout au bord de la mer
It was right by the seaside
Depuis j'ai oublié laquelle
But since then, I have forgotten which one
Était-ce le Nouveau-Mexique
Was it New Mexico
Vers le Cap Horn, vers le Cap Vert
Towards Cape Horn, towards Cape Verde
Était-ce sur un archipel
Was it on an archipelago
C'est sûrement un rêve érotique
Surely it's an erotic dream
Que je me fais les yeux ouverts
That I'm having with open eyes
Et pourtant si c'était réel?
But what if it were real?
Sous le soleil exactement
Exactly under the sun
Pas à côté, pas n'importe où
Not next to it, not just anywhere
Sous le soleil, sous le soleil
Under the sun, under the sun
Exactement juste en dessous.
Exactly right beneath it.
Lyrics © WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC FRANCE, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: Serge Gainsbourg, Bruno Ralle, Guillaume Siron
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind