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.
Telephone
An Pierlé Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm the voice in your head,
I'm the portrait that hangs
on the wall,
I'm the treasure inside
Down the alley she goes
One for the road
Take a biscuit and listen politely
to what I'm about to tell
Down the alley she goes
(She sings)
Go precious queen
you mean everything to Mum & Dad
They'll be sad when you're gone
but your target is
Higher
Down the alley she goes
Look at the stairs and
whatever they mean,
It's a frightening thing to look up to
but it is your task
In the alley!
And then she walks
on the telephone wire
To have a little chat with god
So far so good, I am your friend,
and if you get scared, just sing. Lala
One cannot make omelets
without breaking eggs
And the aimless are useless
so go on and
Fight for your dreams
In the alley!
Hey little girl
are the voices still there?
Do you hear them from
Nowhere
The set up was mean,
filial piety in the alley,
She falls
Her final way to heaven
The lyrics of An Pierlé's song Telephone seem to be about a young girl who is being motivated by someone, who claims to be the voice inside her head, to achieve her dreams. The voice, which is also described as a portrait and a treasure, tells the girl to keep moving forward and not to let fear or other voices hold her back. The girl is urged to be brave, to fight for her dreams, and to not be aimless.
The song is full of vivid imagery, referencing an alley where the girl goes, the stairs which can be scary to look up to, and telephone wires which the girl walks on to talk to God. These images seem to represent the obstacles and challenges that the girl must face in order to achieve her dreams. The voice also mentions "filial piety" in the alley, which could represent the pressure from family or society to conform to certain expectations, but the girl is urged to rise above this and follow her own path.
The song overall seems to be a message of encouragement and empowerment, urging the listener to ignore negative voices and fears and to pursue their dreams no matter what. The use of vivid imagery and metaphorical references add layers of depth and nuance to the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey little girl
The singer is addressing the singer, who is young or vulnerable.
I'm the voice in your head,
The singer is a part of the singer's internal dialogue or psyche.
I'm the portrait that hangs on the wall,
The singer is a representation of an ideal, such as morals or values.
I'm the treasure inside
The artist is something precious or valuable within the artist.
Down the alley she goes
The artist is moving in a new direction, either literally or metaphorically.
Hush and don't tell anyone
The singer is being told to keep a secret, possibly a dangerous one.
One for the road
A final gesture or offering before parting ways.
Take a biscuit and listen politely to what I'm about to tell
The artist is offering sustenance and asking the artist to listen carefully.
Go precious queen
The artist is being encouraged and praised for her worth or potential.
you mean everything to Mum & Dad
The artist's family cares deeply about her.
They'll be sad when you're gone but your target is higher
The singer has lofty goals and needs to leave her family in pursuit of them, causing them pain.
Look at the stairs and whatever they mean
The artist is being challenged to face an obstacle or challenge, despite the fear it may provoke.
It's a frightening thing to look up to but it is your task
The task at hand is daunting but necessary for moving forward.
And then she walks on the telephone wire
The singer is performing a daring or symbolic act of defiance or creativity.
To have a little chat with god
The singer is reaching for a higher power, possibly for support or guidance.
So far so good, I am your friend,
The artist is still with the artist and offering reassurance.
And if you get scared, just sing. Lala
The artist is being given a tool for coping with fear or uncertainty.
One cannot make omelets without breaking eggs
Success or change often requires sacrifice or risk.
And the aimless are useless so go on and fight for your dreams
The singer is being urged to have a purpose and ambition, rather than being passive or directionless.
Hey little girl are the voices still there?
The artist is checking in with the artist, possibly about her fears or doubts.
Do you hear them from nowhere
The voices the artist hears may be irrational or from within.
The set up was mean, filial piety in the alley,
The situation the artist found herself in was harsh, possibly because of her family or community's expectations.
She falls, her final way to heaven
The singer's journey ends in a dramatic, perhaps fatal, way.
Contributed by Zoe V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
jonas kinet
Hey little girl
I'm the voice in your head,
I'm the portrait that hangs
on the wall,
I'm the treasure inside
Down the alley she goes
Hush and don't tell any-
One for the road
Take a biscuit and listen politely
to what I'm about to tell
Down the alley she goes
(She sings)
Go precious queen
you mean everything to Mum & Dad
They'll be sad when you're gone
but your target is
Higher
Down the alley she goes
Look at the stairs and
whatever they mean,
It's a frightening thing to look up to
but it is your task
In the alley!
And then she walks
on the telephone wire
To have a little chat with god
So far so good, I am your friend,
and if you get scared, just sing. Lala
One cannot make omelets
without breaking eggs
And the aimless are useless
so go on and
Fight for your dreams
In the alley!
Hey little girl
are the voices still there?
Do you hear them from
Nowhere
The set up was mean,
filial piety in the alley,
She falls
Her final way to heaven