Originally coming to fame in the mid-1960s singing orchestral pop ballads as the frontman of The Walker Brothers, Walker went on to a solo career balancing a light entertainment/MOR ballad approach with increasing artistic innovations in arrangement and writing. Despite a series of acclaimed albums, a disastrous drop in sales forced him back into straight Middle of the road recordings with little of his own artistic input. This in turn eventually led to a Walker Brothers reunion in the mid-1970s (although the latter eventually moved, by mutual consent, into more avant-garde areas).
From the mid-1980s, Walker revived his solo career while drastically reinventing his artistic and compositional methods, via a series of acclaimed and vividly avant-garde albums. These combined his iconic voice with an unsettling avant-garde approach which owed more to modernist and post-modernist classical composition than to his pop singer past. This change in approach has been compared to "Andy Williams reinventing himself as Stockhausen".
Walker has been a continuing influence on other artists, in particular The Last Shadow Puppets, Marc Almond, Goldfrapp, Douglas Pearce of the band Death in June, Billy MacKenzie of The Associates, David Sylvian, Julian Cope, Antony Hegarty, Thom Yorke, Steven Wilson, David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, Trey Spruance, Perry Blake, Radiohead, Noah Lennox, Mikael Åkerfeldt, and the Divine Comedy/Neil Hannon.
Walker continued to release solo material until his death, and was signed to 4AD Records. As a record producer or guest performer he worked with a number of artists including Pulp, Ute Lemper, Bat For Lashes and Sunn O))).
Mathilde
Scott Walker Lyrics
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On your knees and pray for me
Mathilde's come back to me
Charley, don't want another beer
Tonight I'm gonna drink my tears
Mathilde's come back to me
Go ask the maid if she heard what I said
Tell her to change the sheets on the bed
Mathilde's come back to me
Fellas, don't leave me tonight
Tonight I'm going back to fight
Wretched Mathilde's in sight
My heart, my heart, stop beating so
Just make as if you didn't know
That Mathilde's come back to me
My heart, I don't want you to say
She's lovelier than when she went away
Mathilde, who's come back to me
My heart, stop being overjoyed
Remember you were once destroyed
By Mathilde, who's come back to me
Fellas, please don't go away
Tell me that I mustn't stay
Mathilde's coming back today
My hands, you'll start to shake again
When you remember all the pain
Mathilde's come back to me
You'll want to beat her black and blue
But don't do it, I beg of you
Mathilde's come back to me
My hands, remember all the years
Remember when you caught my tears
Mathilde's come back to me
My hands, you'll want to touch her now
But please try and be strong somehow
Mathilde's here, she's coming now, now
Mama, can you hear me yell
Your baby boy's gone back to hell
Mathilde's come back to me
Charley, champagne right away
I know you've been saving it for the holiday
But Mathilde's come back to me
Go ask the maid if she heard what I said
Tell her to put the best sheets on the bed
Mathilde's come back to me
My friends, don't count on me no more
I've gone and crashed through heaven's door
My sweet Mathilde's here
Once more, once more
At first listen, Scott Walker's song "Mathilde" can sound like a love song expressing long-awaited joy as the titular character comes back to the singer. However, upon closer inspection, "Mathilde" depicts a far more complex and troubled relationship. The first verse begins with the singer calling out to his mother to pray for him, suggesting that he is in a state of desperation. He then expresses a desire to drink his tears, indicating that he is deeply upset. The subsequent lines reveal the source of his distress: Mathilde has returned. The singer seems to imply that Mathilde has caused him pain and that her return is a source of anxiety for him. He requests that everyone stay with him and help him fight against her.
The singer then turns to address his heart, imploring it to maintain a façade of indifference as Mathilde reenters his life. Although he acknowledges her beauty, he tells his heart that he does not want it to feel happiness at her return since she has hurt him before. The lyrics suggest that the singer has experienced physical abuse at the hands of Mathilde, as he warns his hands against physically attacking her even though they may feel the urge to. The song ends with the singer abandoning his friends and rushing towards Mathilde, despite her apparent danger to him.
In summary, "Mathilde" is a sorrowful and conflicted song about the return of a troubled lover who has caused the singer both emotional and physical anguish.
Line by Line Meaning
Mama, do you see what I see
Asks his mother to look at him in despair.
On your knees and pray for me
Requests his mother to pray for him to overcome his troubles.
Mathilde's come back to me
His ex-lover has returned.
Charley, don't want another beer
Asks his friend Charley not to offer him another beer.
Tonight I'm gonna drink my tears
He will be drinking alcohol to his sorrows tonight.
Go ask the maid if she heard what I said
Ask the maid if they heard his request.
Tell her to change the sheets on the bed
Ask the maid to change the sheets on the bed.
Fellas, don't leave me tonight
Asks his friends to stay with him through his troubles tonight.
Tonight I'm going back to fight
He will be fighting his inner demons tonight.
Wretched Mathilde's in sight
He sees Mathilde again and describes her as pitiful.
My heart, my heart, stop beating so
His heart is beating heavily from the shock of seeing Mathilde.
Just make as if you didn't know
Trying to ignore the fact that he sees Mathilde again.
That Mathilde's come back to me
Acknowledging the fact that Mathilde has returned to him.
My heart, I don't want you to say
He doesn't want his own heart to recognize that Mathilde is beautiful.
She's lovelier than when she went away
Noticing how Mathilde has gotten more beautiful over the years.
Mathilde, who's come back to me
Talking about Mathilde who has returned to him, her ex-lover.
My heart, stop being overjoyed
Admonishing his heart for being too happy to see Mathilde again.
Remember you were once destroyed
Trying to caution his heart as Mathilde has previously caused him much pain.
By Mathilde, who's come back to me
Recalling the emotional turmoil he went through when Mathilde was in his life before.
Fellas, please don't go away
Urging his friends to stay with him through this emotional time.
Tell me that I mustn't stay
His friends remind him that he should not be with Mathilde again.
Mathilde's coming back today
Repeating the fact that Mathilde is returning to him today.
My hands, you'll start to shake again
Assuming that his hand will start to shake from the shock of seeing Mathilde.
When you remember all the pain
Remembering the emotional and physical pain caused by Mathilde previously.
You'll want to beat her black and blue
He would be tempted to physically hurt Mathilde for all the pain caused.
But don't do it, I beg of you
Resolving that he will not hurt Mathilde despite wanting to.
My hands, remember all the years
Recalling the years that he spent with Mathilde before.
Remember when you caught my tears
Remembering when he cried and his hands wiped his tears.
Mathilde's come back to me
Acknowledging that Mathilde is back in his life.
My hands, you'll want to touch her now
His hands feel the irresistible urge to touch Mathilde again.
But please try and be strong somehow
Resolving to not give in to the temptation and be stronger than his desire.
Mathilde's here, she's coming now, now
Mathilde is finally coming to him, amplifying the emotions he already feels.
Mama, can you hear me yell
Asking his mother if she can hear him shouting in pain or despair.
Your baby boy's gone back to hell
He feels like he is going back to a place of misery and pain.
Charley, champagne right away
Asking his friend Charley to get him some champagne quickly.
I know you've been saving it for the holiday
He knows that the champagne was reserved for a special occasion but he wants it now.
But Mathilde's come back to me
He explains that Mathilde's return is the special occasion.
Go ask the maid if she heard what I said
Asking the maid if she heard his request.
Tell her to put the best sheets on the bed
Asking the maid to put the best sheets on the bed for Mathilde's arrival.
My friends, don't count on me no more
Telling his friends that he won't be there for them anymore.
I've gone and crashed through heaven's door
He feels that he has gone through turmoil and reached a new level of heaven or hell.
My sweet Mathilde's here
Describing Mathilde as his sweet love who has returned to him.
Once more, once more
Repeating the fact that Mathilde has returned to him and will be in his life once more.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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