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."
AMistake
Fiona Apple Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm gonna do it on purpose
I'm gonna waste my time
'Cause I'm full as a tick
And I'm scratching at the surface
And what I find is mine
And when the day is done and I look back
And the fact is I had fun
All the advice I shunned and I ran
Where they told me not to run
But I sure had fun
So I'm gonna fuck it up again
I'm gonna do another detour
Unpave my path
And if you wanna make sense
Whatcha lookin' at me for?
I'm no good at math
And when I find my way back
The fact is I just may stay
Or I may not
I've acquired quite a taste
For a well-made mistake
I wanna make a mistake
Why can't I make a mistake?
I'm always doing what I think I should
Almost always doing everybody good
Why?
Do I wanna do right?
Of course
But do I really wanna feel I'm forced to answer you?
Hell no
I've acquired quite a taste
For a well-made mistake
I wanna make a mistake
Why can't I make a mistake?
I'm always doing what I think I should
Almost always doing everybody good
Why? oh oh oh
Fiona Apple's "Mistake" is a song that openly embraces the idea of making mistakes, even if it goes against the norm or what society expects of you. Apple sings about the desire to mess up, to go off the beaten path, and to make a detour from the straight and narrow. She is "full as a tick," which represents the feeling of being trapped or stagnant, and wants to scratch the surface and find something that feels like hers.
Despite the fear of being judged or told "I told you so," Fiona revels in the idea of looking back and knowing that she had fun, even if it led her down a seemingly wrong path. She acknowledges that she is not good at everything, including math or following the advice of others, but finds comfort in the idea of getting lost and finding her way back to a new version of herself.
The song also explores the idea of constantly doing what we think we should, which may not necessarily bring us joy or fulfillment. The chorus repeats the phrase "I've acquired quite a taste for a well-made mistake," emphasizing that making mistakes can be a part of growth and learning, even if it doesn't immediately make sense to others.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm gonna make a mistake
I am intentionally going to screw up
I'm gonna do it on purpose
This mistake is a deliberate choice
I'm gonna waste my time
I am aware that this mistake will be a waste of time
'Cause I'm full as a tick
I am feeling content and indulgent
And I'm scratching at the surface
I am unsatisfied and looking for something more
And what I find is mine
I will take what I want, even if it is not rightfully mine
And when the day is done and I look back
As the day comes to an end, I reflect on my actions
And the fact is I had fun
Regardless of the outcome, I enjoyed myself
Fumbling around
I am clumsily navigating through life
All the advice I shunned and I ran
I ignored others' guidance and did what I wanted
Where they told me not to run
I went against others' warnings and did it anyway
But I sure had fun
The experience was worth it for the enjoyment I received
So I'm gonna fuck it up again
I am going to intentionally ruin things once more
I'm gonna do another detour
I will take another path than the one expected of me
Unpave my path
I will create my own way and ignore established routes
And if you wanna make sense
If you are trying to make sense of my actions
Whatcha lookin' at me for?
Why are you looking to me for answers?
I'm no good at math
I am not inclined to follow rules or stick to logic
And when I find my way back
If and when I return to where I started
The fact is I just may stay
I may choose to settle and abandon the detour
Or I may not
However, I may choose to continue the detour
I've acquired quite a taste
I have developed a liking for
For a well-made mistake
Mistakes that have turned out well for me
I wanna make a mistake
I desire the satisfaction of making a mistake
Why can't I make a mistake?
Why are mistakes not socially acceptable?
I'm always doing what I think I should
I usually conform to societal expectations
Almost always doing everybody good
I prioritize the needs and interests of others
Why?
Why do I consistently prioritize others' needs over my own desires?
Do I wanna do right?
Am I truly attempting to do the right thing?
Of course
Yes, I do want to do the right thing
But do I really wanna feel I'm forced to answer you?
However, I do not appreciate feeling pressured to explain myself
Hell no
Absolutely not
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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