Born in Manhattan, New York, United States, Apple made her break into the music industry when a friend, who babysat for a record executive, handed her employer a demo. Apple's husky voice, nimble piano skills, and mature lyrics got the attention of Sony executive Andy Slater, who signed her to a record deal.
In 1996, Apple's debut album Tidal was released by a subsidiary of Sony. The album went on to sell 3 million copies (certified triple platinum) domestically.
"Criminal," the fourth single from Tidal, became Apple's breakthrough hit. The song garnered a great deal of attention, in part for its suggestive lyrics ("I've been a bad, bad girl...") but also for the controversial music video, directed by Mark Romanek. The video featured a waifish, half-dressed Apple surrounded by the aftermath of a party, including unconscious party-goers. The video received heavy rotation on VH-1 and MTV and gained the singer immediate notoriety. Years later, Apple said, "I wasn't (comfortable). And you can see that in the video. It's not sexy. It's disturbing."
Other singles from Tidal included "Sleep to Dream," "Shadowboxer," "Never is a Promise," and "The First Taste."
In 1998, she contributed two tracks to the Pleasantville soundtrack, "Please Send Me Someone to Love" and a cover of the Beatles hit "Across the Universe".
In 1999, Apple's second album was released with the name "When the Pawn Hits the Conflicts He Thinks Like a King What He Knows Throws the Blows When He Goes to the Fight and He'll Win the Whole Thing 'fore He Enters the Ring There's No Body to Batter When Your Mind Is Your Might so When You Go Solo, You Hold Your Own Hand and Remember That Depth Is the Greatest of Heights and If You Know Where You Stand, Then You Know Where to Land and If You Fall It Won't Matter, Cuz You'll Know That You're Right" but it has just been commonly called "When the Pawn..." This album released the singles "Fast As You Can," "Limp," and "Paper Bag."
A third album, Extraordinary Machine, which was produced by Jon Brion, was submitted to Sony executives in May 2003. Sony was reportedly unenthusiastic about the finished product, and the project was shelved for over two years. In 2004 and 2005, tracks were leaked on the Internet in MP3 format and played on U.S. and international radio; subsequently, MP3s of the entire album believed produced by Brion (although he later claimed the leaked tracks were "tweaked" beyond his own work), went online. Although a website distributing the album was quickly taken offline via the DMCA copyright law, they soon reached P2P networks and were downloaded by fans.
In August 2005, the album was given a release date of October. Production had been completed by Mike Elizondo (though known for his work with hip-hop artists such as Dr. Dre, he had previously played bass for Apple on Pawn) and co-produced by electronica experimentalist Brian Kehew. Spin Magazine later reported: "Fans erroneously thought that Apple's record label, Epic, had rejected the first version of Extraordinary Machine... in reality, according to Elizondo, Apple was unhappy with the results, and it was her decision to redo the record, not her label's." Two of the eleven previous leaked tracks were relatively unchanged, nine were completely retooled, and one new song was also included. According to Elizondo, "Everything was done from scratch." Upon its release, the album became the highest-charting album of Apple's career (debuting at number seven), and before the end of 2005 had sold more than 300,000 copies in the United States alone.
It was revealed in late 2005 that Sony was initially unhappy with the work, and Apple and Brion sought to rework the album. Sony made caveats on the process, to which Apple balked. After a long period of waiting, she began an attempt to rework the album with close friend Kehew (also a friend and former roommate of Jon Brion). Elizondo was brought back as co-producer to complete the tracks he had begun with Brion and Apple. Despite suggestions that the album had caused a rift between Brion and Apple, they regularly perform together at Largo, a club in Los Angeles, including a joint appearance with Elizondo on bass just before the news broke of an official release. Apple went on a live tour to support the album in late 2005, and from early 2006 supported Coldplay on their tour of North America. The album has yielded four singles: "Parting Gift," "O' Sailor," "Not About Love," and "Get Him Back."
In 2006, a special edition version of "Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas" was released, with Fiona Apple contributing a version of "Sally's Song."
In January 2010, Fiona Apple and Jon Brion performed together at "Love and Haiti, Too: A Music Benefit", a charity concert for the people hurt by the Haiti Earthquake. Fiona sang a cover of "(S)he's Funny That Way", composed by Neil Moret, with lyrics by Richard Whiting, which is often associated with the singer Billie Holiday.
In June 2010, Fiona released a song titled "So Sleepy" produced by Jon Brion written by children involved with the non-profit organization 826LA. The song will be included in a compilation album released by the organization titled Chickens in Love. She also collaborated with Margaret Cho on Cho's album Cho Dependent.
The Every Single Night Songfacts reports that Apple began recording new material for her fourth album The Idler Wheel… in the late 2000s, keeping her sessions secret, even from her label, Epic Records. She opted to produce the album with her touring drummer, Charley Drayton, rather than her longtime collaborator Jon Brion. Executives at Epic only discovered that Apple had recorded an album in early 2012 when she presented it to them. It was released on June 19, 2012, to success, debuting at number three on the Billboard 200. The album sold 72,000 copies in the first week and was nominated for Best Alternative Album at the 2013 Grammy Awards. In 2020, the album was placed at number 213 on the list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time by Rolling Stone.
In 2020, Apple's fifth studio album, "Fetch the Bolt Cutters", was released to universal acclaim. The artist earned two Grammy Awards for the album: Best Alternative Music Album and Best Rock Performance for the lead single "Shameika."
Criminal
Fiona Apple Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've been careless with a delicate man
And it's a sad, sad world
When a girl will break a boy just because she can
Don't you tell me to deny it
I've done wrong and I want to suffer for my sins
I've come to you 'cause I need guidance to be true
And I just don't know where I can begin
Ooh, what I need is a good defense
'Cause I'm feeling like a criminal
And I need to be redeemed
To the one I've sinned against
Because he's all I ever knew of love
Heaven help me for the way I am
Save me from these evil deeds before I get them done
I know tomorrow brings the consequence at hand
But I keep living this day like the next will never come
Oh, help me but don't tell me to deny it
I've got to cleanse myself of all these lies, 'til I'm good enough for him
I've got a lot to lose and I'm bettin' high so I'm begging you
Before it ends, just tell me where to begin
Hey, what I need is a good defense
'Cause I'm feeling like a criminal
And I need to be redeemed
To the one I've sinned against
Because he's all I ever knew of love
Let me know the way
Before there's hell to pay
Give me room to lay the law and let me go
I've got to make a play
To make my lover stay
So what would an angel say the devil wants to know?
What I need is a good defense
'Cause I'm feeling like a criminal
And I need to be redeemed
To the one I've sinned against
Because he's all I ever knew of love
Yeah, what I need is a good defense
'Cause I'm feeling like a criminal
And I need to be redeemed
To the one I've sinned against
Because he's all I ever knew of love
Uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh
Ah, ah, ah-yeah
Yeah
In Fiona Apple's 1996 hit "Criminal," the singer-songwriter confesses to her wrongdoings and begs for redemption. Apple portrays herself as a "bad, bad girl" who has been careless with the love of a delicate man, causing her to feel like a criminal. She asks for guidance to be true, as she feels lost and unsure of how to make amends for her actions. Apple sees herself as having a lot to lose and is willing to bet high to make her lover stay. She longs for a good defense to justify her actions as she believes that her lover is all she ever knew of love.
The song's lyrics reveal that Apple was struggling with guilt and seeking forgiveness. The repetition of the line "I've been a bad, bad girl" emphasizes the feeling of shame and regret that she is experiencing. The song's melancholy mood is enhanced by Apple's haunting vocals, which convey her emotional turmoil. By the end of the song, she is pleading for understanding from listeners and, most importantly, from her lover.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been a bad, bad girl
I have behaved wrongly
I've been careless with a delicate man
I haven't taken the necessary care with a sensitive person
And it's a sad, sad world
The world is a miserable place
When a girl will break a boy just because she can
It's disheartening for someone to cause harm to someone just because they can.
Don't you tell me to deny it
I should not deny what I've done
I've done wrong and I want to suffer for my sins
I have committed a grave sin and I am willing to go through the consequences of my actions.
I've come to you 'cause I need guidance to be true
I seek your help to be honest and faithful.
And I just don't know where I can begin
I don't know where to start from.
Ooh, what I need is a good defense
I need a strong justification
'Cause I'm feeling like a criminal
Because I feel guilty for my actions
And I need to be redeemed
I need to be forgiven and find salvation
To the one I've sinned against
To the one I have committed wrong
Because he's all I ever knew of love
Because he is everything I have ever learned to love
Heaven help me for the way I am
May God assist me for who I am
Save me from these evil deeds before I get them done
Rescue me from committing any acts of wickedness before it's too late.
I know tomorrow brings the consequence at hand
I am aware of what tomorrow will bring as a consequence of my actions.
But I keep living this day like the next will never come
But I continue to live today as if tomorrow will never arrive.
Oh, help me but don't tell me to deny it
Please aid me, but do not ask me to deny my action.
I've got to cleanse myself of all these lies, 'til I'm good enough for him
It is my responsibility to clear myself of all the untruths or misdeeds, so I can be worthy of him.
I've got a lot to lose and I'm bettin' high so I'm begging you
I am taking a significant risk and risking a lot of things, so I plead with you.
Before it ends, just tell me where to begin
Before it's too late, suggest where I should start from.
Let me know the way
Guided me towards the right path
Before there's hell to pay
Before having to experience the consequences of my actions.
Give me room to lay the law and let me go
Give the freedom to obey the rule and allow me to leave.
I've got to make a play
I must make a move
To make my lover stay
To make my partner remain by my side
So what would an angel say the devil wants to know?
What answers would a righteous person give to a suspicious person?
Uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh
Expression of sound
Ah, ah, ah-yeah
Expression of sound
Yeah
Expression of agreement or affirmation
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Fiona Apple
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind