Very sad to hear that Jane has died. Lady M was at school with her on the Isle of Wight, and she became a 60's icon over here. Jane was ostensibly France's favourite English girl.
She had been diagnosed with Leukaemia about 10 years ago, and has now sadly succumbed.
Rather than choose one of her better songs, I've decided to offer our bizarrely 'favourite' song; 'Ex fan des sixties'.
With lyrics such as 'Disparus Brian Jones, Jim Morrison....' etc, this has to be one of the most comically bad 'serious' songs ever. We both love it and detest it; but mostly we just laugh at it. It will always be our favourite.
Not surprisingly the dreadful lyrics were written by her smokin-n-drinkin boyfriend Serge Gainsbourg. If you can face reading them, I have offered them in full below; I don't think you need to speak French to understand them. And as for the video.....
We shall really miss knowing she's no longer with us.
Ex-fan des sixties, petite baby dollComme tu dansais bien le rock'n'rollEx-fan des sixties, où sont tes années folles?Que sont devenues toutes tes idoles?
Où est l'ombre des ShadowsDes Byrds, des DoorsDes Animals, des Moody BluesSéparés, McCartneyGeorge HarrisonEt Ringo Starr et John Lennon
Ex-fan des sixties, petite baby dollComme tu dansais bien le rock'n'rollEx-fan des sixties, où sont tes années folles?Que sont devenues toutes tes idoles?
Disparus Brian Jones, Jim MorrisonEddie Cochrane, Buddy HollyIdem Jimi HendrixOtis ReddingJanis Joplin, T.Rex, Elvis
Disparus Brian Jones, Jim MorrisonEddie Cochrane, Buddy HollyIdem Jimi HendrixOtis ReddingJanis Joplin, T.Rex, Elvis
Farewell Jane Birkin.
ReplyDeleteStrange video. Poor Jane seems to have been suffering from a stiff neck.
The video is as pretentious as any I've seen.
DeleteShe looks more French to me than anyone
ReplyDeleteYou're right. She became very French.
DeleteJudging by the wide position of her legs, I suspect that Jane was about to give birth. I admit that "Je t'aime" aroused me all those years ago. It was such an unusual song to make it to the British charts.
ReplyDeleteGainsbourg liked to be controversial. He basically wrote about sex all the time.
DeleteShe was such a beauty - but sadly as with us all - she went the way of all flesh. As to her position while singing - to put it crudely as we did in those far off days - she was 'asking for it' just as Gainsbourg intended.
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid to say that you have it right 100%.
DeleteWeird!
ReplyDeleteThe song, the writer, the video, and just about everything else.
DeleteHow very odd! How very French!
ReplyDeleteIt's strange song indeed.
DeleteRIP JB. She lived life her way.
ReplyDeleteAnd led a great life. She was loved by so many.
Delete