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.
Waterloo Station
Jane Birkin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
La Gare de Waterloo
Bientôt sous le portique de la gare
Bientôt au milieu des bâillements d'une grande nation
Et bien, bientôt
J'arriverai à Waterloo.
En riant de la plaisanterie faite sur le dos du pauvre Napoléon,
En sifflant une mélodie digne de Nelson
Et bien, bientôt .
Et naturellement je chanterai la chanson des Kinks.
Et pas celle de ABBA
Gare de Waterloo
Il y a de nombreuses années de cela
Je quittai mon pays sans plus attendre
Pour aller chercher fortune loin de l'Angleterre.
Il fallait que parte
Loin.
L'endroit le plus loin,
C'était Paris, en France.
Il fallait que je dise au monde entier
Que, pendant tout ce temps-là, j'avais été divisée en moi-même.
Par de belles visions de rivières sombres,
Et de parcs verts
J'étais hantée.
Finalement je n'ai plus de goût pour tous les amusements
Dont cette jeune fille avait dû faire l'expérience
Pour enfin retourner
À la gare de Waterloo.
The song "Waterloo Station" by Jane Birkin is about the journey and reflections of a person coming back to the Waterloo Station in London. The song is sung in French with a few lines in English, and it expresses different emotions and thoughts throughout the journey. The first verse talks about the impending arrival at the station and the yawning of a great nation, which could symbolize the busy and hectic nature of London. The person is arriving at the station to the tune of a Nelson-worthy melody, with a reference to the Kinks song, possibly indicating a nostalgic longing for British culture.
Line by Line Meaning
Bientôt sous le portique de la gare
Soon under the archway of the station
Bientôt au milieu des bâillements d'une grande nation
Soon amidst the yawns of a great nation
Et bien, bientôt
Well, soon
J'arriverai à Waterloo.
I will arrive at Waterloo.
En riant de la plaisanterie faite sur le dos du pauvre Napoléon,
Laughing at the joke made at the expense of poor Napoleon,
En sifflant une mélodie digne de Nelson
Whistling a melody worthy of Nelson
Et bien, bientôt .
Well, soon.
Et naturellement je chanterai la chanson des Kinks.
And naturally I will sing the song of the Kinks.
Et pas celle de ABBA
And not that of ABBA.
Gare de Waterloo
Waterloo station
Il y a de nombreuses années de cela
Many years ago
Je quittai mon pays sans plus attendre
I left my country without delay
Pour aller chercher fortune loin de l'Angleterre.
To seek fortune far from England.
Il fallait que parte
I had to leave
Loin.
Far.
L'endroit le plus loin,
The farthest place,
C'était Paris, en France.
Was Paris, in France.
Il fallait que je dise au monde entier
I had to tell the whole world
Que, pendant tout ce temps-là, j'avais été divisée en moi-même.
That, during all that time, I had been divided within myself.
Par de belles visions de rivières sombres,
By beautiful visions of dark rivers,
Et de parcs verts
And green parks
J'étais hantée.
I was haunted.
Finalement je n'ai plus de goût pour tous les amusements
Finally, I no longer have a taste for all the amusements
Dont cette jeune fille avait dû faire l'expérience
That this young girl had to experience
Pour enfin retourner
To finally return
À la gare de Waterloo.
To Waterloo station.
Writer(s): RAY DAVIES, RUFUS WAINWRIGHT
Contributed by Eliana A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.