Because of Jane Birkin

While I was researching the last post I found out today is Jane Birkin's birthday and as my mind tends to do I immediately thought of the one song I knew of hers, the one sung with her lover Serge Gainsbourg that got condemned by the pope, the scandalous and infamous and oh so sexy "Je t'aime, moi non plus"

"In 1968 Gainsbourg had written "Je t'aime, moi non plus", an explicitly erotic song which he had recorded with Brigitte Bardot. After the pair's relationship had ended, Bardot begged Gainsbourg not to release the recording as a single and Gainsbourg, the perfect gentleman, respected her wishes. However, in 1969 Jane recorded the notorious
song as a duet with Gainsbourg and it appeared on the pair's joint album "Jane Birkin Serge Gainsbourg".

When "Je t'aime moi non plus" was released as a single later that year it caused an absolute scandal. Indeed, Gainsbourg's erotic lyrics and Jane's passionate whispering totally outraged public opinion. The international press attacked the song's "lewd" message, radios banned it from their playlists and the Vatican went so far as to issue a statement condemning the immoral nature of the song. In short, "Je t'aime moi non plus" benefited from a huge amount of free publicity and rocketed straight to the top of the charts, selling around a million copies in the space of just a few months. Needless to say, Gainsbourg and Birkin became the most scandalous couple of the year and their relationship became the subject of intense media scrutiny."

And for its time I could see how it could be that shocking. Since it is one of my favorite songs and it is Jane's birthday (mother of one of mt favorite actresses/singers) I thought I'd share it.


the lyrics in French

Je t'aime, je t'aime
oh, oui je t'aime!
moi non plus
oh, mon amour...
comme la vague irrésolu
je vais, je vais et je viens
entre tes reins
je vais et je viens
entre tes reins
et je me retiens

je t'aime, je t'aime
oh, oui je t'aime!
moi non plus
oh mon amour...
tu es la vague, moi l'île nue
tu va, tu va et tu viens
entre mes reins
tu vas et tu viens
entre mes reins
et je te rejoins

je t'aime, je t'aime
oh, oui je t'aime!
moi non plus
oh, mon amour...
comme la vague irrésolu
je vais, je vais et je viens
entre tes reins
je vais et je viens
entre tes reins
et je me retiens

tu va, tu va et tu viens
entre mes reins
tu vas et tu viens
entre mes reins
et je te rejoins

je t'aime, je t'aime
oh, oui je t'aime!
moi non plus
oh mon amour...
l'amour physique est sans issue
je vais, je vais et je viens
entre tes reins
je vais et je viens
et je me retiens
Non! Maintenant viens!

Anglais

I love you, I love you
Yes I love you
Me either

Oh my love
Skin to skin
Like the search of a way

I go, I go and I come (I come)
Between you (you)
I go and I come
Between you
And I retain myself (myself)

I love you, I love you
Oh yes I love you
Me either

Oh my love
You're the wave
Me the naked island

You go, you go and you come
Between me
You go and you come
Between me
Still I retain myself (myself)

I love you, I love you
Oh yes I love you
Me either

Oh my love
Skin to skin
Like the search of a way

I go, I go and I come (I come)
Between you (you)
I go and I come
Between you
And I retain myself (myself)

You go, you go and you come
Between me
You go and you come
Between me
Still I retain myself

I love you, I love you
Oh yes I love you
Me either

Oh my love
There is no tomorrow
Like the search of a way

I go, I go and you come
Between you
I go and I come
In between you
No don't stop, no

"I go and I come" get it?


Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin- Je t'aime... moi non plus [download]
Cat Power & Karen Elson- I Love You (Me Either) [download] buy it on iTunes

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