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.
Once Again
An Pierlé Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm just alive
I never got nowhere great
By surprise
All I do is silly things
With my life
I'm sorry already but
I think I'll survive
I have to walk
Though I'm gonna fall down again
The same as always
But I stay tough
Hope I'm gonna rise and remain
To swim through the rain
Once again
Its nice to see the girls swirl
Like flies around you
You say you don't notice, but
Well, I'm sure you do
And its funny to see you father
Grow physically through you
You way you want action but
You've got too much to lose
If you don't choose to
Walk
How are you gonna fall down again
And learn something, oh
Life's insane
Hope you're gonna rise and remain
To swim through the rain
Once again
My mummy said
You get you head
Sorted out
Its for the best
My mummy said
Girl get you head
Sorted out
Its for the best
My mummy said
Girl get your head
Sort yourself out
Before its too late and there's no one around
Once again
The song Once Again by An Pierlé is an introspective and reflective piece that addresses the struggles and uncertainties of life. The first verse highlights the irony of existence, where one does not have to do anything strange to be alive yet cannot reach great heights by surprise. The lyrics suggest that life is often mundane, and we only see the silly things we do with our lives. However, despite the obstacles, the singer is determined to stay tough and hopeful that she will rise and overcome the challenges that come her way.
The second verse shifts the focus to observation and contemplation. The singer notices the attention that a person receives from others, yet does not acknowledge it. The lyrics become ironic when the singer points out that it is funny to see how a parent's physical attributes are passed down to their children. The song implies that action and change are necessary in life. However, the fear of losing things can be paralyzing, making it challenging to choose a direction to go in. Thus, the lyrics advise to keep walking, learn from failure and rise again.
The song's meaning is a reminder that life is not perfect, nor is it meant to be. It is essential to accept this reality while embracing the uncertainties that come with it. Once again, the song encourages us to stay positive and hopeful, even in the face of hardships.
Line by Line Meaning
I've never done anything strange
I have not done anything peculiar or unconventional
I'm just alive
I am only living
I never got nowhere great
I have never achieved anything significant
By surprise
Unexpectedly
All I do is silly things
I only do foolish things
With my life
With the time that I have
I'm sorry already but
I apologize in advance, but
I think I'll survive
I believe I will endure
I have to walk
I must keep going
Though I'm gonna fall down again
Even though I will stumble once more
The same as always
As usual
But I stay tough
However, I remain strong
Hope I'm gonna rise and remain
I aspire to improve and persist
To swim through the rain
To overcome challenges
Once again
Like I've done before
Its nice to see the girls swirl
It's pleasant to watch the women dance
Like flies around you
Around you, like buzzing insects
You say you don't notice, but
You claim to be unaware, but
Well, I'm sure you do
But I am convinced that you do
And its funny to see you father
It's humorous to witness your father
Grow physically through you
Physically resembling you
You way you want action but
You desire action, but
You've got too much to lose
You stand to lose too much
If you don't choose to
Unless you make the decision to
How are you gonna fall down again
How will you stumble once more
And learn something, oh
And gain knowledge from it
Life's insane
Life is chaotic
Hope you're gonna rise and remain
I trust you will improve and persist
To swim through the rain
To overcome challenges
My mummy said
My mother told me
You get you head
Sort out your thoughts
Sorted out
Organized
Its for the best
It's in your best interests
Girl get your head
Sort out your thoughts, girl
Sort yourself out
Organize your life
Before its too late and there's no one around
Before it's too late and you have no one left
Once again
As you have done before
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: EARL KLUGH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind