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.
sister
An Pierlé Lyrics
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To say wise things
To tell true things
When you laugh
I haven't got the strength
To tell you straight things
Cause they are different
Message blows at the sun
Grace
I've got a pretty face
Which automatically implies I'm dumb
Wise Japanese Master says
No time for Roo Di Ments
he's in my head
And I just can't get him out
All is said
And done
Sister is calling
In my head where she sleeps
Longing for desire
she's afraid
Its never to keep
Sister is moving me
I haven't got the guts
To preach you blue things
To talk about true things
I don't know
Cause I'm a chicken in the worst
Sense of the word
About these harsh things
want to be a friend to everyone
Message blows at the sun
I haven't got the sense`
To say sound things
Nor profound things
I'm not strong
Cause I am far too afraid to
Be taken wrongly
Though I really say
Nothing at all
All is said
I'm done
The lyrics to "Sister" by An Pierlé explore themes of insecurity and inadequacy in the face of the world's challenges. The singer acknowledges their limitations in offering wise or profound advice, instead feeling like a "chicken" when it comes to tackling difficult topics. The reference to a "Wise Japanese Master" suggests the singer is seeking guidance, but ultimately feels overwhelmed by the enormity of the issues they face. The titular "Sister" seems to represent a beacon of hope or comfort for the singer, but even that connection feels fragile and uncertain.
Line by Line Meaning
I haven't got the brains
I don't feel smart enough
To say wise things
To speak clever words
To tell true things
To reveal honest truth
When you laugh
In response to your laughter
I haven't got the strength
I lack the courage
To tell you straight things
To speak bluntly
Cause they are different
Because they vary
For everyone
For each individual
Grace
Elegance and poise
I've got a pretty face
My face is attractive
Which automatically implies I'm dumb
People assume I lack intelligence
Wise Japanese Master says
A knowledgeable teacher speaks
No time for Roo Di Ments
No time for rudiments (basic principles)
he's in my head
He exists in my thoughts
And I just can't get him out
I'm unable to remove him from my mind
All is said
Everything has been spoken
And done
And accomplished
Sister is calling
My inner self is beckoning
In my head where she sleeps
Inside my mind where she remains dormant
Longing for desire
Wanting passion and yearning
she's afraid
She feels fear
Its never to keep
It's temporary
Sister is moving me
My inner self is driving me
I haven't got the guts
I'm not bold enough
To preach you blue things
To sermonize about solemn matters
To talk about true things
To discuss real matters
I don't know
I'm uncertain
Cause I'm a chicken in the worst
Because I'm a terrible coward
Sense of the word
In every sense of the term
About these harsh things
Concerning challenging matters
want to be a friend to everyone
I wish to be friends with all
Message blows at the sun
Communication is lost or ignored
I haven't got the sense`
I lack the understanding
To say sound things
To utter sensible words
Nor profound things
Nor deep or insightful ideas
I'm not strong
I'm not capable
Cause I am far too afraid to
Because I'm excessively fearful of
Be taken wrongly
Being misunderstood
Though I really say
Despite truly stating
Nothing at all
Absolutely nothing
All is said
Everything that needed to be said has been said
I'm done
I'm finished
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: STEPHEN E. WERFEL, PAMELA P. RESWICK, CHRISTINE MUSCAT, JOSEPH MUSCAT, SHARON MUSCAT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind