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."
I Know
Fiona Apple Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If that's what I am so far
Until you get out of this mess
And I will pretend
That I don't know of your sins
Until you are ready to confess
But all the time, all the time
I'll know, I'll know
And you can use my skin
To bury secrets in
And I will settle you down
And at my own suggestion
I will ask no questions
While I do my thing in the background
But all the time, all the time
I'll know, I'll know
Baby
I can't help you out
While she is still around
So for the time being, I'm being patient
And amidst this bitterness
If you'll just consider this
Even if it don't make sense all the time
Give it time
And when the crowd becomes your burden
And you've early closed your curtain
I'll wait by the backstage door
While you try to find
The lines to speak your mind
And pry it open, hoping for an encore
And if it gets too late, for me to wait
For you to find you love me, and tell me so
It's okay, don't need to say it
In the song “I Know”, Fiona Apple takes on the role of the supportive lover who is ready to do anything to get her partner out of their mess. She likens herself to a crowbar that will help her partner to break free from their problems. She is prepared to play her part quietly in the background without asking any questions, but all the while, she is keenly aware of her partner's sins. Fiona is willing to offer her skin as a place to bury secrets in and help to settle her partner down. She wants to help him find the words to speak his mind, and gives him the time and space he needs to sort out his emotions.
The lyrics of the song evoke feelings of loyalty, patience, and forgiveness. Fiona offers a deep sense of unconditional love and support to her partner. She is willing to wait for him, hoping for an encore, and even if he cannot say it, she will be okay. The music in the song is melancholic and slow-paced, creating a sense of longing and anticipation that perfectly matches the theme of the lyrics. The overall effect is one of a deeply personal and emotional relationship, where there is a shared sense of trust and commitment.
Line by Line Meaning
So be it, I'm your crowbar
I am willing to do whatever it takes to help you get out of the mess you're in.
If that's what I am so far
I'm still learning and growing, but right now I'm doing all I can to help you.
Until you get out of this mess
My goal is to help you escape the difficult situation you're in.
And I will pretend
I won't judge you or bring up your past mistakes.
That I don't know of your sins
Even though I am aware of your past mistakes.
Until you are ready to confess
I'll wait for you to be ready to admit your mistakes.
But all the time, all the time
Despite the fact that I won't bring up your mistakes, I'll never forget them.
I'll know, I'll know
I'll always be aware of what you've done and how it affects us.
And you can use my skin
You can trust me and confide in me with your secrets.
To bury secrets in
I'll keep them safe with me and won't tell a soul.
And I will settle you down
I'll do what I can to help calm you and ease your anxiety.
And at my own suggestion
I'll take the initiative to help you without being asked.
I will ask no questions
I won't pry or be too inquisitive about your situation.
While I do my thing in the background
I'll work to help you without being too obvious or drawing too much attention.
Baby
A term of endearment for the person being addressed.
I can't help you out
I can't offer much assistance while she is still in the picture.
While she is still around
I'm not comfortable getting involved while the other person is still present.
So for the time being, I'm being patient
I'll wait for the right time to help you and won't rush anything.
And amidst this bitterness
Despite the harshness of the situation.
If you'll just consider this
If you take a moment to think about my perspective.
Even if it don't make sense all the time
Even if my actions or words are confusing sometimes.
Give it time
Time can bring clarity and understanding to difficult situations.
And when the crowd becomes your burden
When the attention and pressure become too much for you.
And you've early closed your curtain
When you feel like you've reached the end of your limit and want to withdraw.
I'll wait by the backstage door
I'll be there to support you and help you escape when you're ready.
While you try to find
When you're searching for the right words or thoughts.
The lines to speak your mind
To express your thoughts and feelings clearly.
And pry it open, hoping for an encore
To try to rekindle the relationship and get another chance to make things right.
And if it gets too late, for me to wait
If too much time passes and I can't keep waiting forever.
For you to find you love me, and tell me so
For you to realize your feelings and express them to me.
It's okay, don't need to say it
I already know how you feel and it doesn't need to be said out loud.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Fiona Apple Maggart
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind