On Sunday, two days after Bastille Day (and my birthday), the legendary actor and singer Jane Birkin passed away. See the Times obituary.

I first became aware of her work when I saw Antonioni’s 1966 film “Blow Up” when I was a grad student at U.C.L.A.

But it was many years later that I discovered that she was the female voice in Serge Gainsbourg’s epic 1969 song, “Je t’aime.” (Brigitte Bardot was the singer on the original first version of the track. But a second track, the one that was released commercially was produced with Birkin; read the Wiki on the song.)

Serge Gainsbourg was arguably the greatest inspiration for my band. Our songs, nearly all in French, are mostly about sex and the dialectics of amour (I’ll just euphemize it like that) — à la Gainsbourg.

In 2005, after we kicked one of the singers out of the band, we were forced to change the name thanks to a federal court trademark case. Yes, it’s where the expression comes from: he made a federal case about it.

After what seemed like endless discussion and parsing of potential band names, it was Jean-Luc (aka Dan), I believe, who suggested we borrow it from the title of Gainsbourg cut where Birkin appears.

She moans (and feigns orgasm) as she says “je t’aime” (“I love you”).

He responds not by saying “moi aussi” (“me, too”) as one would expect.

Instead he tells her, “moi non plus” (“me neither”).

To French speakers, the malapropism is immediately apparent. And in many ways, it captured the newly unbound culture of sexuality of the era, of which Gainsbourg and Birkin were both icons in their own rights.

And so, in an allusion and nod to our music heroes, we called the band Nous Non Plus (“us/we neither”). The paronomasia also reflects the fact that we could no longer call our band the original name — neither do we, so to speak.

Rest in peace, Jane. Your life was an inspiration to so many of us and your work brought joy and thought to so many of our artistic pursuits!