She has had one of the more interesting dual careers, as a cartoon animator (including a stint as a principal animator for the Ren & Stimpy show) and as an indie pop singer/songwriter, more popular in France than in Brooklyn, where she was raised, or in her current home of California.
As a child, Elinor became fascinated with France, and jumped at the opportunity to participate in an exchange program in France in junior high. Today, her albums tend to contain songs in both English and French, which draw heavily on themes and styles from French 1960s pop music.
Beginning in the early 1980s, she worked as an animator for Archie Comics and Pee Wee's Playhouse; in 1986 we see her working on the Madonna feature Who's That Girl, animating the star in the title sequence and the contemporaneous music video. Her first band, The Pussywillows, was formed in 1987, although their existence was interrupted for a year while April March attended the one-year Disney Character Animation program in California. In 1991, the Pussywillows broke up, and Blake formed the Shitbirds, which lasted until 1995. Since then, March has recorded as a solo artist, and has appeared on some motion picture soundtracks, as well as the Cartoon Network series I Am Weasel theme song. Most notable is her remake of Laisse tomber les filles into Chick Habit that was featured in the 1999 campy teen comedy 'But I'm a Cheerleader' and Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof. Her appeal in the United States has grown with her recent and ongoing collaborations with Jonathan Richman, Los Cincos and the Dust Brothers, and in France with her collaborations with Bertrand Burgalat.
In 2022, she released the album "In Cinerama," considered by some reviewers to be her best ever.
www.aprilmarch.com
Sugar
April March Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I liked you right away
Your eyes were like cherries
Your skin was like clay
Shirt in your hands
Your nails were not clean
But your hair was jellied
I was a girl
I had no fear
Till you took my sugar
And left me tears
You lay under the aspen
You put your hand in mine
I wanted to smile
But your grip was unkind
I was a girl
I had no fear
Till you took my sugar
And left me tears
I was a girl
I had no fear
Till you took my sugar
And left me tears
I was a girl
I had no fear
Till you took my sugar
And left me tears
The song "Sugar" by April March is a haunting yet beautiful tale of a girl who falls for a boy who takes her into the forest. She is initially taken with him, admiring his cherry-like eyes and the texture of his skin that was like clay. However, as the story progresses, we learn that the boy's intentions were not pure, as he takes away her innocence, represented by the metaphorical "sugar," and leaves her in tears.
The lyrics are evocative and paint a vivid picture of the forest where the encounter takes place. The description of the boy's appearance adds to the eerie and unsettling tone of the song. His nails are not clean, but his hair is jellied, emphasizing the contrast between his unkempt and polished aspects. The moonlight is a recurring motif, casting an eerie light on the events that unfold.
The chorus, "I was a girl, I had no fear, till you took my sugar and left me tears," is a powerful and poignant line that captures the essence of the song. The girl's innocence is taken away, and she is left with nothing but tears, a metaphor for the pain and sadness she has endured.
Overall, "Sugar" is a haunting and beautiful song that tells a powerful story of innocence lost. The lyrics are rich in imagery and emotion, and the melody complements the lyrics perfectly, adding to the haunting atmosphere of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
You took me into the forest
You led me to a secluded place surrounded by trees
I liked you right away
I was immediately attracted to you
Your eyes were like cherries
Your eyes were bright and red, like the fruit
Your skin was like clay
Your skin was smooth and pale, like pottery
Shirt in your hands
You were holding your shirt for some reason
Your nails were not clean
Your fingernails were dirty or unkempt
But your hair was jellied
Your hair was slicked back with some kind of product
And the moonlight, it gleamed
The moon's light shone brightly
I was a girl
When this happened, I was still young and naive
I had no fear
I wasn't scared of anything
Till you took my sugar
Until you stole or damaged what was precious to me
And left me tears
And caused me to cry or feel sad
You lay under the aspen
You were lying down beneath a specific type of tree
You put your hand in mine
You touched me intimately
I wanted to smile
I had positive emotions in response to your touch
But your grip was unkind
But you held my hand too tightly, in a hurtful way
Contributed by William P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
ManThe Tower
Where are you now April March, your music will always live in my calendar.