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 Want You
Fiona Apple Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every print I left upon the track
Has led me here
And next year it'll be clear
This was only leading me to that
And by that time
I hope that
Love me
You
Love me
I move with the trees
In the breeze
I know that time is elastic
And I know when I go
All my particles disband and disperse
And I'll be back in the pulse
And I know none of this'll matter
In the long run
But I know a sound is still a sound
Around no-one
And while I'm in this body
I want somebody to want
And I want what I want
And I want
You
To love me
You
And I know that you do
In the dark
I know that you do
And I know that you know
That you got the protector to pick me up
And I want you to use it
Blast the music
Bang it, bite it, bruise it
Whenever you want to begin, begin
We don't have to go back to where we been
I am the woman who wants you to win
And I've been waiting
Waiting for
You
To love me
You
You
Fiona Apple's "I Want You" is a melancholic ballad that captures the universal feeling of unrequited love. The song's gentle, slow tempo and restrained instrumentation create an intimate and emotional atmosphere. The repeated phrase "You're the one I love" expresses the singer's longing for the person who doesn't reciprocate their feelings. The lyrics in the second verse reveal the singer's desperation to keep the other person close, even if it means only being their convenience. They hold onto the hope that one day, the other person will feel the same way about them.
The chorus's repetition of "come to me tenderly" adds to the song's pining and vulnerability, luring the listener into the singer's intense emotional world. The bridge, which features Apple's emotive vocal performance, describes the singer's constant thoughts of the other person, even at the most unexpected moments.
In conclusion, Apple's "I Want You" is a tender and reflective song that touches on the painful experience of loving someone who doesn't feel the same way. It's a raw and open exploration of a one-sided relationship, leaving the listener with a lingering feeling of heartache.
Line by Line Meaning
Tenderly, tenderly
I want you to come to me with affection
Come to me tenderly
I want you to approach me with softness and care
You're the one I love, you're the one I love
You are the person I am deeply in love with
Hold it dear, hold it tight
Please cherish and grip onto our relationship
When you're near it's alright
When we're together everything feels okay
Baby don't be afraid to love me, love me
Please do not hesitate to love me with all your heart
Love me to you
I want you to show me love that is genuine and true
Come to me, come to me
Please come closer to me
You love me
You have affection for me
When it pleases you
You only love me when it's convenient for you
You want me
You desire my presence
When it's easy to do
Only when it requires little effort from you
You hold me
You keep me close
When you don't want anybody else to
You want me only when you don't have another option
I've been keeping it convenient
I have been making myself available to you without hesitation
For you I keep close to me
I consciously maintain proximity to you
I've been make it too easy for you hang on
I have been making it effortless for you to hold onto our relationship without effort on your end
I've been holding on and dreaming on
I have been invested and hopeful about our relationship
But you only come round to me
You only seek me out when it's convenient for you
Late at night
During the nighttime
When the stars come out
When the stars appear in the sky
I walk those eyes and turning round
I wander and gaze around, searching for you
And it wasn't long enough
The time we spent together did not feel sufficient
When I see one fall
When I see a shooting star
Looking for you can't see it all
Despite my search, I cannot find you
Uh uh uh uh uh
Vocalization expressing disappointment or sadness
But it pleases you
Your actions are solely based on your own pleasure and convenience
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Fiona Apple Maggart
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Luis Najle
Oh my baby baby
I love you more than I can tell
I don't think I can live without you
And I know that I never will
Oh my baby baby
I want you so it scares me to death
I can't say anymore than "I love you"
Everything else is a waste of breath
I want you
You've had your fun you don't get well no more
I want you
Your fingernails go dragging down the wall
Be careful darling you might fall
I want you
I woke up and one of us was crying
I want you
You said "Young girl I do believe you're dying"
I want you
If you need a second opinion as you seem to do these days
I want you
You can look in my eyes and you can count the ways
I want you
Did you mean to tell me but seem to forget
I want you
Since when were you so generous and inarticulate
I want you
It's the stupid details that my heart is breaking for
It's the way your shoulders shake and what they're shaking for
I want you
It's knowing that she knows you now after only guessing
I want you
It's the thought of her undressing you or you undressing
I want you
she tossed some tatty compliment your way
I want you
And you were fool enough to love it when she said
"I want you"
I want you
The truth can't hurt you it's just like the dark
It scares you witless
But in time you see things clear and stark
I want you
Go on and hurt me now then we'll let it drop
I want you
I'm afraid I won't know where to stop
I want you
I'm not ashamed to say I cried for you
I want you
I want to know the things you did that we do too
I want you
I want to hear she pleases you more than I do
I want you
I might as well be useless for all it means to you
I want you
Did you call her name out as she held you down
I want you
Oh no my darling not with that clown
I want you, I do
I want you
You've had your fun you don't get well no more
I want you
No one who wants you, could want you more
I want you
I want you
I want you
Every night when I go off to bed and when I wake up
I want you
I'm going to say it once again 'til I instill it
I know I'm going to feel this way until you kill it
I want you
I want you
I want you
Carolina Aviles Perez
Oh my baby baby
I love you more than I can tell
I don't think I can live without you
And I know that I never will
Oh my baby baby
I want you so it scares me to death
I can't say anymore than "I love you"
Everything else is a waste of breath
I want you
You've had your fun you don't get well no more
I want you
Your fingernails go dragging down the wall
Be careful darling you might fall
I want you
I woke up and one of us was crying
I want you
You said "Young girl I do believe you're dying"
I want you
If you need a second opinion as you seem to do these days
I want you
You can look in my eyes and you can count the ways
I want you
Did you mean to tell me but seem to forget
I want you
Since when were you so generous and inarticulate
I want you
It's the stupid details that my heart is breaking for
It's the way your shoulders shake and what they're shaking for
I want you
It's knowing that she knows you now after only guessing
I want you
It's the thought of her undressing you or you undressing
I want you
she tossed some tatty compliment your way
I want you
And you were fool enough to love it when she said
"I want you"
I want you
The truth can't hurt you it's just like the dark
It scares you witless
But in time you see things clear and stark
I want you
Go on and hurt me now then we'll let it drop
I want you
I'm afraid I won't know where to stop
I want you
I'm not ashamed to say I cried for you
I want you
I want to know the things you did that we do too
I want you
I want to hear she pleases you more than I do
I want you
I might as well be useless for all it means to you
I want you
Did you call her name out as she held you down
I want you
Oh no my darling not with that clown
I want you, I do
I want you
You've had your fun you don't get well no more
I want you
No one who wants you, could want you more
I want you
I want you
I want you
Every night when I go off to bed and when I wake up
I want you
I'm going to say it once again 'til I instill it
I know I'm going to feel this way until you kill it
I want you
I want you
I want you
pau
Oh my baby baby
I love you more than I can tell
I don't think I can live without you
And I know that I never will
Oh my baby baby
I want you so it scares me to death
I can't say anymore than "I love you"
Everything else is a waste of breath
I want you
You've had your fun you don't get well no more
I want you
Your fingernails go dragging down the wall
Be careful darling you might fall
I want you
I woke up and one of us was crying
I want you
You said "Young girl I do believe you're dying"
I want you
If you need a second opinion as you seem to do these days
I want you
You can look in my eyes and you can count the ways
I want you
Did you mean to tell me but seem to forget?
I want you
Since when were you so generous and inarticulate?
I want you
It's the stupid details that my heart is breaking for
It's the way your shoulders shake and what they're shaking for
I want you
It's knowing that she knows you now after only guessing
I want you
It's the thought of her undressing you or you undressing
I want you
She tossed some tattered compliment your way
I want you
And you were fool enough to love it when she said
"I want you"
I want you
The truth can't hurt you, it's just like the dark
It scares you witless
But in time you see things clear and stark
I want you
Go on and hurt me now and then let it drop
I want you
I'm afraid I won't know where to stop
I want you
I'm not ashamed to say I cried for you
I want you
I want to know the things you did that we do too
I want you
I want to hear she pleases you more than I do
I want you
I might as well be useless for all it means to you
I want you
Did you call her name out as she held you down?
I want you
But no my darling, not with that clown
I want you, I do
I want you
You've had your fun you don't get well no more
I want you
No one who wants you could want you more
I want you
I want you
I want you
Every night when I go off to bed
And when I wake up
I want you
I'm going to say it once again 'til I instill it
I know I'm going to feel this way until you kill it
I want you
I want you
Amanda Zaniratti
Almost two decades of this performance still this is the best unofficial cover ever made. I dream so badly that sometime it will be recorded, at least, in a single... Fiona is something else that it's impossible to describe.
Conor Reeves
I would have killed to have been at this performance. Every word Fiona sings is dripping with emotion: sadness, envy, jealousy, rage, lust, disgust. It's just so layered. I'd argue it's even better than the original.
WillieWagglestick
I've really never heard such a perfect performance in my life. Fiona Apple does an incredible job with this.
Uncle Tyrell
God damn! How did this happen? I think an entire album of Costello and Fiona would be incredible. Not that they care, nor should they, but such an album would steal the Grammys all the way. We NEED something like this!
Juan Ortiz
She completely immersed herself in that song and made it her own. Bravo Fiona!!! Costello was smart ; decided to just hang back and play that eery guitar on this one.
mia barclay
Fiona is something else the passion in her voice and the buildup throughout the song just leaves me speechless everytime
ALYmusicalstuff
I'm in love with how she moves on stage. It's like she herself is part of the song.
Man Out Of Time
The intensity of Ian Curris, the sophistication Grace Jones and the panache of Nico.
Aylee Moore
because she is.
Neil Walker
Yes duende, like the voice is not through her throat but through her body