The duo Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg is best known for the internationa… Read Full Bio ↴The duo Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg is best known for the international smash "Je t'aime... moi non plus" from 1969. This erotic song was the first foreign language record to hit #1in the UK.
The song was banned by broadcasters in Spain, Sweden, Brazil as well as Britain and was condemned across the world as immoral, not least by the Vatican. It was so saucy that original co-vocalist Brigitte Bardot refused to approve its release. Scandalous singer Serge Gainsbourg soon found a 'willing partner' in British Jane Birkin.

Le canari est sur le balcon
Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Avant d’ouvrir le gaz ell’ pense à son canari
Avant d’en finir un’ fois pour toute avec la vie
Ell’ prend la cage et va sur le balcon
Le vent glacé de l’hiver la saisit
Lui donn’ des frissons

Elle a ouvert le gaz et s’allonge sur son lit
Sur le pickup elle a mis son sondis favoris

Déjà elle n’a plus toute sa raison
Ell’ voit d’étranges fleurs, des fleurs bizarr’s
Et des papillons

Tandis que sur Londres lentement tombe la nuit,
Sur le guéridon auprès de la fille endormie
On peut lire griffonné au crayon

Rien que quelques mots le canari
Est sur le balcon

Overall Meaning

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.