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.
Tower
An Pierlé Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I freak on heights
With a tear in every corner of my eyes
Desert storm is over now
Nothing to fear
With the sailor near...
High on the tower
To discover my saviour nearby
For the sun won't burn my head
As I walk around my tower
For the wind would blow the lashes of my eyes instead
Here we come
Here we try
Here we settle down for ages
For the Man Who Comes
To Save Our All Guts
But the Leppars lay ahead
Winning team by lengthless shoulders
Search the morning ground
Reach for the life bread
As I search for corners
Tired of the wide
I've been hissing at the angels
Who grab viciously at my eyes
Suzy sits upon her window
With her flaming thoughts and greedy thighs
The Sailor wore a mark in the right eye
Here we come
Here we try
Here we've settled down for ages
For the Man To Come To Save Our All Guts
See the level rises ahead
Sailor sits upon its shoulder
Soon enough he'll reach out
for the life braid
(I've grown for ages)
Dear Sailor climb the braid
My hair will not break
It will just ache a little while
But it will not break
Dear Sailor Saviour climb the stairs
My heart will not break
(it will just ache a little while)
The song "Tower" by An Pierlé appears to be about a person who is up high on a tower, possibly literal or metaphorical, and is reflecting on their past experiences and emotions. From the lyrics, it is clear that the person is afraid of heights and has tears in their eyes, but there is someone nearby, possibly a sailor, who brings them comfort. They have had some sort of revelation or second sight while on the tower, which has helped them to discover their savior nearby.
As the song progresses, there are references to other characters such as Suzy and the Leppars, and attempts to settle down for ages. The lyrics are quite cryptic and open to interpretation, but it seems that the person is searching for something, possibly meaning or purpose, and is surrounded by different people who may help or hinder them on their journey. The sailor seems to be a guiding presence, someone who the person trusts to help them navigate difficult situations.
Overall, the song is a haunting and introspective piece that speaks to the human condition of searching for answers and meaning in times of uncertainty. The tower could symbolize a place of refuge, a place to gain perspective, or even a prison of sorts. The sailor could represent hope or a lifeline in times of distress. The themes of fear, isolation, and the quest for understanding are universal, and "Tower" captures them in a poignant and poetic way.
Line by Line Meaning
High on the tower
Feeling elevated on this structure
I freak on heights
Being afraid and anxious due to the height
With a tear in every corner of my eyes
Being emotional and teary
Desert storm is over now
Past difficulties have gone away
Nothing to fear
Having no reason to feel scared
With the sailor near...
Feeling comforted and reassured by the presence of the sailor
I have seen second sights
Having unusual experiences and visions
To discover my saviour nearby
Realizing that a person who can rescue or help is close
For the sun won't burn my head
Being protected from the sun's heat by the tower
As I walk around my tower
Moving along the tower's structure
For the wind would blow the lashes of my eyes instead
Being mindful of the wind's effect on the eyes while up high
Here we come
We have arrived
Here we try
We attempt to succeed
Here we settle down for ages
We have established ourselves for a long time
For the Man Who Comes To Save Our All Guts
Hoping and waiting for a savior to rescue us from danger
But the Leppars lay ahead
Obstacles or challenges are in the future
Winning team by lengthless shoulders
Having an advantage over others
Search the morning ground
Looking for something important on the ground
Reach for the life bread
Trying to obtain sustenance for survival
As I search for corners
Looking in different places for something specific
Tired of the wide
Being bored with or wanting to escape the vastness
I've been hissing at the angels
Feeling angry or frustrated with divine beings
Who grab viciously at my eyes
Feeling like something is attacking or hurting us
Suzy sits upon her window
A person named Suzy is sitting in a window
With her flaming thoughts and greedy thighs
Suzy has intense and selfish desires
The Sailor wore a mark on the right eye
The sailor has a visible injury or symbol on their right eye
See the level rises ahead
The height or level is increasing in front
Sailor sits upon its shoulder
The sailor is positioned on a part of the structure
Soon enough he'll reach out
The sailor will extend or stretch soon
for the life braid
Trying to hold onto something vital
(I've grown for ages)
Having existed for a long time
Dear Sailor climb the braid
Asking the sailor to ascend a part of the structure
My hair will not break
Hair won't break under stress or pressure
It will just ache a little while
Hair will only cause some pain temporarily
But it will not break
Hair will remain strong and unbroken
Dear Sailor Saviour climb the stairs
Addressing the sailor as a person who can help and telling them to ascend the structure
My heart will not break
The heart is strong and won't shatter
(it will just ache a little while)
The heart may only undergo pain briefly
Contributed by Grace C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@loreenacasier6460
Fantastisch!!
@LonnieLandreneau
in the right eye
@disqon
nothing to fear with the sailor near
@blancoC
zalig album!
@maud3444
Very Tori Amos. Love it