Peyroux started singing at the age of fifteen, when she discovered street musicians in the Latin Quarter in Paris. She joined a group called the Riverboat Shufflers, first passing round the hat, and then singing. At sixteen she joined the The Lost Wandering Blues and Jazz Band, spending two years touring Europe performing songs by the likes of Fats Waller, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and others, which provided the basis for her first album, Dreamland.
Dreamland was released in 1996, and gained widespread attention. Time called it "the most exciting, involving vocal performance by a new singer this year". Dreamland, is a brilliant recording, as Peyroux's distinctive voice is not hindered by overly intricate arrangements. Most of the accompaniment on the record is light and sparse, the way it should be for a singer with such a unique voice. Peyroux soon found herself opening for Sarah McLachlan and Cesária Évora, and made appearances at jazz festivals and on the Lilith Fair tour.
In May 2002 she joined multi-instrumentalist William Galison, and together they appeared at such venues as the Bottom Line, Joe's Pub, and the Tin Angel. In 2003 the duo released a seven-song EP entitled Got You on My Mind, which they sold at shows and online. Got You on My Mind was re-released by William Galison in August 2004; the original EP was expanded by the addition of four tracks by Gallison.
Peyroux released her own sophomore effort, Careless Love, in September 2004. The album received generally positive reviews.
Her new album, Half the Perfect World, was released on September 12, 2006. She collaborated with several artists, including Jesse Harris, Walter Becker, Larry Klein (who also produced the album), and K.d. lang, with whom Peyroux duets on a cover of the Joni Mitchell song, "River".
On July 12, 2007, she was awarded Best International Jazz Artist at the BBC Jazz Awards.
Dance Me To The End Of Love
Madeleine Peyroux Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dance me through the panic 'til I'm gathered safely in
Lift me like an olive branch and be my homeward dove
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
Let me see your beauty when the witnesses are gone
Let me feel you moving like they do in Babylon
Show me slowly what I only know the limits of
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the wedding now, dance me on and on
Dance me very tenderly and dance me very long
We're both of us beneath our love, we're both of us above
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the children who are asking to be born
Dance me through the curtains that our kisses have outworn
Raise a tent of shelter now, though every thread is torn
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin
Dance me through the panic till I'm gathered safely in
Touch me with your naked hand or touch me with your glove
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
The lyrics of Madeleine Peyroux's song "Dance Me To The End Of Love" speak of the power of dance as a metaphor for the journey of love. Employing vivid imagery, the song's central message is about the transcendence and permanence of love, even in the face of our own mortality.
The opening lines of the song, "Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin/Dance me through the panic 'til I'm gathered safely in" immediately establishes the metaphor of dancing as the journey of love. The "burning violin" symbolizes both the passion and pain that love can inspire. The line "Dance me through the panic 'til I'm gathered safely in" speaks to the idea of a partner providing shelter in times of distress. The second verse, "Let me see your beauty when the witnesses are gone/Let me feel you moving like they do in Babylon/Show me slowly what I only know the limits of" reinforces the idea of the power of love when it's just two people, as well as the intimacy that comes with this kind of closeness. This is reinforced in the third verse "Dance me to the wedding now, dance me on and on/Dance me very tenderly and dance me very long/We're both of us beneath our love, we're both of us above" where the lyrics highlight the space created in this journey and the transcendent love that exists. The final two verses "Dance me to the children who are asking to be born/Dance me through the curtains that our kisses have outworn/Raise a tent of shelter now, though every thread is torn/Touch me with your naked hand or touch me with your glove" advocates for the continuation of this journey of love, from the past through future generations.
Line by Line Meaning
Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin
Lead me with your beautiful music, as if your violin is on fire
Dance me through the panic 'til I'm gathered safely in
Guide me through my fears until I feel safe in your embrace
Lift me like an olive branch and be my homeward dove
Raise me up like a symbol of peace and be my guiding force back home
Let me see your beauty when the witnesses are gone
Allow me to witness your true beauty without any distractions or witnesses around
Let me feel you moving like they do in Babylon
Let me feel your rhythm and movements like the people in the ancient city of Babylon
Show me slowly what I only know the limits of
Teach me slowly what I have only learned the limitations of
Dance me to the wedding now, dance me on and on
Take me to the wedding and keep dancing with me endlessly
Dance me very tenderly and dance me very long
Dance with me gently and for a long time
We're both of us beneath our love, we're both of us above
We are both under the influence of love, as well as outside of it
Dance me to the children who are asking to be born
Lead me to the future generation, who are eagerly waiting to be brought into this world
Dance me through the curtains that our kisses have outworn
Take me beyond the curtains where our passionate kisses have left their mark
Raise a tent of shelter now, though every thread is torn
Create a shelter for us, even if it is torn and imperfect
Touch me with your naked hand or touch me with your glove
Touch me with your bare hand or gloved hand, it doesn't matter as long as it's your touch
Dance me to the end of love
Dance with me until the very end of our love and beyond
Dance me to the end of love
Dance with me until the end of our love and beyond
Dance me to the end of love
Dance with me until the end of our love and beyond
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Leonard Cohen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kurt
on The Summer Wind
Unbelievable Saxophon solo!