Born in Manhattan, New York, United States, Apple made her break into the music industry when a friend, who babysat for a record executive, handed her employer a demo. Apple's husky voice, nimble piano skills, and mature lyrics got the attention of Sony executive Andy Slater, who signed her to a record deal.
In 1996, Apple's debut album Tidal was released by a subsidiary of Sony. The album went on to sell 3 million copies (certified triple platinum) domestically.
"Criminal," the fourth single from Tidal, became Apple's breakthrough hit. The song garnered a great deal of attention, in part for its suggestive lyrics ("I've been a bad, bad girl...") but also for the controversial music video, directed by Mark Romanek. The video featured a waifish, half-dressed Apple surrounded by the aftermath of a party, including unconscious party-goers. The video received heavy rotation on VH-1 and MTV and gained the singer immediate notoriety. Years later, Apple said, "I wasn't (comfortable). And you can see that in the video. It's not sexy. It's disturbing."
Other singles from Tidal included "Sleep to Dream," "Shadowboxer," "Never is a Promise," and "The First Taste."
In 1998, she contributed two tracks to the Pleasantville soundtrack, "Please Send Me Someone to Love" and a cover of the Beatles hit "Across the Universe".
In 1999, Apple's second album was released with the name "When the Pawn Hits the Conflicts He Thinks Like a King What He Knows Throws the Blows When He Goes to the Fight and He'll Win the Whole Thing 'fore He Enters the Ring There's No Body to Batter When Your Mind Is Your Might so When You Go Solo, You Hold Your Own Hand and Remember That Depth Is the Greatest of Heights and If You Know Where You Stand, Then You Know Where to Land and If You Fall It Won't Matter, Cuz You'll Know That You're Right" but it has just been commonly called "When the Pawn..." This album released the singles "Fast As You Can," "Limp," and "Paper Bag."
A third album, Extraordinary Machine, which was produced by Jon Brion, was submitted to Sony executives in May 2003. Sony was reportedly unenthusiastic about the finished product, and the project was shelved for over two years. In 2004 and 2005, tracks were leaked on the Internet in MP3 format and played on U.S. and international radio; subsequently, MP3s of the entire album believed produced by Brion (although he later claimed the leaked tracks were "tweaked" beyond his own work), went online. Although a website distributing the album was quickly taken offline via the DMCA copyright law, they soon reached P2P networks and were downloaded by fans.
In August 2005, the album was given a release date of October. Production had been completed by Mike Elizondo (though known for his work with hip-hop artists such as Dr. Dre, he had previously played bass for Apple on Pawn) and co-produced by electronica experimentalist Brian Kehew. Spin Magazine later reported: "Fans erroneously thought that Apple's record label, Epic, had rejected the first version of Extraordinary Machine... in reality, according to Elizondo, Apple was unhappy with the results, and it was her decision to redo the record, not her label's." Two of the eleven previous leaked tracks were relatively unchanged, nine were completely retooled, and one new song was also included. According to Elizondo, "Everything was done from scratch." Upon its release, the album became the highest-charting album of Apple's career (debuting at number seven), and before the end of 2005 had sold more than 300,000 copies in the United States alone.
It was revealed in late 2005 that Sony was initially unhappy with the work, and Apple and Brion sought to rework the album. Sony made caveats on the process, to which Apple balked. After a long period of waiting, she began an attempt to rework the album with close friend Kehew (also a friend and former roommate of Jon Brion). Elizondo was brought back as co-producer to complete the tracks he had begun with Brion and Apple. Despite suggestions that the album had caused a rift between Brion and Apple, they regularly perform together at Largo, a club in Los Angeles, including a joint appearance with Elizondo on bass just before the news broke of an official release. Apple went on a live tour to support the album in late 2005, and from early 2006 supported Coldplay on their tour of North America. The album has yielded four singles: "Parting Gift," "O' Sailor," "Not About Love," and "Get Him Back."
In 2006, a special edition version of "Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas" was released, with Fiona Apple contributing a version of "Sally's Song."
In January 2010, Fiona Apple and Jon Brion performed together at "Love and Haiti, Too: A Music Benefit", a charity concert for the people hurt by the Haiti Earthquake. Fiona sang a cover of "(S)he's Funny That Way", composed by Neil Moret, with lyrics by Richard Whiting, which is often associated with the singer Billie Holiday.
In June 2010, Fiona released a song titled "So Sleepy" produced by Jon Brion written by children involved with the non-profit organization 826LA. The song will be included in a compilation album released by the organization titled Chickens in Love. She also collaborated with Margaret Cho on Cho's album Cho Dependent.
The Every Single Night Songfacts reports that Apple began recording new material for her fourth album The Idler Wheel… in the late 2000s, keeping her sessions secret, even from her label, Epic Records. She opted to produce the album with her touring drummer, Charley Drayton, rather than her longtime collaborator Jon Brion. Executives at Epic only discovered that Apple had recorded an album in early 2012 when she presented it to them. It was released on June 19, 2012, to success, debuting at number three on the Billboard 200. The album sold 72,000 copies in the first week and was nominated for Best Alternative Album at the 2013 Grammy Awards. In 2020, the album was placed at number 213 on the list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time by Rolling Stone.
In 2020, Apple's fifth studio album, "Fetch the Bolt Cutters", was released to universal acclaim. The artist earned two Grammy Awards for the album: Best Alternative Music Album and Best Rock Performance for the lead single "Shameika."
2. Sullen Girl
Fiona Apple Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All day and all night
I wander the halls along the walls
And under my breath I say to myself
"I need fuel to take flight"
And there's too much going on
But it's calm under the waves
Under the waves
In the blue of my oblivion
Is that why they call me a sullen girl, sullen girl
They don't know I used to sail the deep and tranquil sea
But he washed me 'shore
And he took my pearl
And left an empty shell of me
And there's too much going on
But it's calm under the waves
In the blue of my oblivion
Under the waves
In the blue of my oblivion
Under the waves
In the blue of my oblivion
It's calm under the waves
In the blue of my oblivion
Fiona Apple's "Sullen Girl" is a song that explores themes of isolation, vulnerability, and reconciliation. The opening verse describes the singer's sense of aimlessness and confusion when dealing with the overwhelming wave of emotions that come with feeling lost and alone. The phrase "I need fuel to take flight" speaks to the singer's desire to move on and take control of her life. She understands that she needs to find a way to channel her emotions in a positive direction but lacks the inspiration to do so.
The chorus of the song features the phrase "sullen girl" repeated over and over again. The term "sullen" is a negative term that implies a bad attitude or lack of enthusiasm. The singer of the song is aware of how the world views her, but she knows that there is more to her than meets the eye. The lines "They don't know I used to sail the deep and tranquil sea. But he washed me ashore, And he took my pearl" reveal that at one point in her life, the singer was a different person, someone who felt free and unbound. However, something or someone caused her to lose her sense of integrity and purpose. The fact that she refers to her past self in the third person shows that she has lost touch with that version of herself.
The final verse of the song repeats the lines "And there's too much going on. But it's calm under the waves. In the blue of my oblivion." These lines represent the singer's understanding that even when everything is chaotic and confusing, there is always a sense of tranquility and calmness in her subconscious. The term "blue of my oblivion" is a metaphor for the deep, blue sea that lies beneath the surface of her thoughts. The song emphasizes that while the singer may seem sullen and disconnected from the world, there is always more to her story than meets the eye.
Line by Line Meaning
Days like this, I don't know what to do with myself
I'm lost and unsure of my purpose
All day and all night
I'm constantly feeling this way
I wander the halls along the walls
I'm aimlessly moving through life
And under my breath I say to myself
I can't express these feelings to others
"I need fuel to take flight"
I need motivation to get out of this state
And there's too much going on
The world overwhelms me
But it's calm under the waves
I find peace in solitude
In the blue of my oblivion
In the depths of my mind
Is that why they call me a sullen girl, sullen girl
Others see and label me as gloomy
They don't know I used to sail the deep and tranquil sea
I had a past in which I was content
But he washed me 'shore
Someone ruined that happiness
And he took my pearl
They took something significant from me
And left an empty shell of me
They left me feeling hollow and incomplete
It's calm under the waves
I find solace in being alone
In the blue of my oblivion
In my own thoughts and memories
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: FIONA APPLE MAGGART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind