She supposedly declared that at a very young age she decided that she would be an actress, singer, musician and dancer, most preferably all at the same time. She studied classical piano, but practically hated her education. She enrolled at the age of 17 at the art-school Studio Herman Teirlinck in Antwerp. In her third year there she made a solo-programme with songs of her own, alone at the piano. Shortly after she became known to a moderately wide audience in 1996 when she entered Humo’s Rock Rally with a tape of her own version of Are 'Friends' Electric?, originally sung by Tubeway Army. The song ended up on Random, a tribute album to Gary Numan (of the Tubeway Army), who says he was impressed by An's version.
After this, An toured for two years with a theatre group, and starred in a Belgium television series ("Moeder, waarom leven wij"), gave a few solo performances and collaborated with DAAU on their song "Broken", where she sings all of the vocals.
In 1998 she signed a record deal with Warner Music Benelux. This resulted in her first album titled Mud Stories, completely in singer-songwriter fashion. Most of the album was recorded on electric piano in the winter of 1998 and 1999 in the attic of a theatre in Gent. The extra acoustic piano parts were done in the spring of 1999. This resulted in a range of songs with very little production. It’s basically just An and her piano (and accordion, occasionally). Mud Stories speaks to the mind with complex lyrics and professional piano play, which misled the press (especially the Dutch) into comparing her with Tori Amos, much to An's surprise. An herself said that her music was not at all influenced by Tori Amos, but rather by John Cale and classical music. The record sold over 25,000 copies in Belgium and the Netherlands. Even though the Dutch press didn't give her good reviews, she managed to sell a lot of albums, possibly because of her extensive touring and appearing at a few big festivals.
In 2002 An Pierlé released her second record, Helium Sunset. Unlike the previous album, this album was also released outside of the Benelux and France. The sound of Helium Sunset moves away from the dark, gloomy solo performance to a more enriched band feel, with expanded drums, cello and other instruments. Her lyrical style remains of highly poetic and complex level.
Following the release of Helium Sunset was a live album named Live Jetset with Orchestra, an album with back up from a full orchestra. The album was apparently very limited in release numbers and sold out pretty quickly.
An Pierlé and band released the album An Pierlé & White Velvet in early May 2006. An and the band are now also performing under the same name. As of late April 2006, the first single named "How does it feel" was already available for download in online stores.
An Pierlé is involved in a romantic relationship with her guitarist, Koen Gisen.
Fish
An Pierlé Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He knows all about my desires.
Sea turns to grout, some clouds cried too loud.
I'm tangled in coralloid wires
Maybe I'm drowning, pretend I don't notice
I just can't admit I like drifting down there
Hey Mr.Wind, why don't you blow things
Over, over
But instead he blows the coals.
While with the waves he goes
Ripple babble babble ripple babble...
Cut the crap, come on and
Flow me home
Things are sure to straighten out
Once more.
Fish in the sea looks sideways at me,
He thinks that I smell a bit fishy.
Maybe I'm drowning self-pity takes over
while Mr.Wind whistles a song in my ear.
As before
Won't do it no more
do it no more
Said that before.
The lyrics of An Pierlé’s Fish tell a vivid story of an individual’s internal struggle. It speaks about the singer’s cravings, desires, and their reluctance to admit them. The opening lines “fish in the sea, swims backwards to me, he knows all about my desires”, express the underlying theme of the song. The fish, as a symbol of the subconscious mind, understands the person's deepest needs, and it swims backward to them, signifying the need to look into the past to understand the present. As the song proceeds, it takes the listener on a journey of dialectical contrasts, featuring the grim image of a sea that has turned to grout and the singer’s tangled existence in coralloid wires - perhaps a metaphor for feeling trapped or stuck.
The chorus offers a ray of hope, with the request for the wind to help in blowing things over, suggesting a change of direction, a fresh start. However, the wind blows the coals, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but it still persists in the same direction, keeping the music’s momentum intact. The singer looks to the fish in the sea again, and this time, it looks sideways and passes judgment on the singer by saying they smell fishy. This could serve as a metaphor for the singer's fear of being judged by others.
Overall, the song Fish by An Pierlé provides the listener with a glimpse into the complexities of the human mind and the struggle to navigate one's inner desires. The imagery in the lyrics works well in supporting the contrasting themes of the song, and the chorus offers a glimpse of hope even in the most difficult of times.
Line by Line Meaning
Fish in the sea, swims backwards to me
The fish in the sea, with its natural ability, senses the singer's desires and approaches backwards towards them.
Sea turns to grout, some clouds cried too loud.
The sea, affected by the singer's negative thoughts represented by the crying clouds, seems lifeless and stagnant.
I'm tangled in coralloid wires
The singer feels trapped in their negative thoughts, which are intertwined and complex like coral wires.
Maybe I'm drowning, pretend I don't notice
The artist is overwhelmed by their negative emotions and feels like they are drowning, but they try to ignore it.
I just can't admit I like drifting down there
The artist secretly enjoys being in this negative state and finds it difficult to let go of it.
Hey Mr. Wind, why don't you blow things
The singer appeals to the wind to bring about change and move things in a positive direction.
Over, over
The singer emphasizes their desire for the wind to blow away the negativity and bring positivity.
But instead he blows the coals.
Contrary to the artist's wishes, the wind unknowingly fuels the negativity and intensifies it.
While with the waves he goes
The wind moves along with the waves, creating a chaotic atmosphere.
Ripple babble babble ripple babble...
The sound of the water creates a soothing effect and diverts the artist's attention from the negativity.
Cut the crap, come on and
The singer urges themselves to cut the negative thoughts and emotions and move on.
Flow me home
The artist yearns to return to a positive state of mind and be free from negativity.
Things are sure to straighten out
The singer believes that things will eventually get better with time and effort.
Once more.
The singer has been in this cycle of negativity before and hopes to break free from it.
Fish in the sea looks sideways at me,
The fish in the sea seems to judge the singer, perhaps indicating the need for self-reflection and change.
He thinks that I smell a bit fishy.
The fish may represent the artist's intuition, which recognizes the authenticity of their feelings.
Maybe I'm drowning self-pity takes over
The artist feels overwhelmed by self-pity and becomes consumed by their negative thoughts and emotions.
while Mr. Wind whistles a song in my ear.
Despite the singer's negative thoughts, the wind remains ever-present and creates a calming effect to uplift their spirits.
As before
The singer reflects on their previous experiences with negativity and how they have overcome it in the past.
Won't do it no more
The artist makes a resolve to no longer give in to negativity and strive for positive change.
do it no more
The artist emphasizes their determination to break free from the cycle of negativity.
Said that before.
The artist acknowledges that they have made this resolution before and reminds themselves to stay true to it this time.
Contributed by Elena T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.