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."
RED
Fiona Apple Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And what they say
Side by side they both get bright together
They both get gray
But he's been pretty much yellow
And I've been kind of blue
But all I can see is
Now, what am I gonna do?
I don't understand about diamonds
And why men buy them
What's so impressive about a diamond
Except the mining?
But it's dangerous work
Trying to get to you, too
And I think if I didn't have to kill
Kill, kill, kill, kill myself doing it
Maybe I wouldn't think so much of you
I've been watching all the time
And I still can't find the tack
But I wanna know is, is it okay?
Is it just fine?
Or is it my fault?
Is it my lack?
I don't understand about
The weather outside
Or the harmony in a tune
Or why somebody lied
But there's solace a bit in submitting
To the fitfully, cryptically true
What's happened, has happened
What's coming is already on its way
With a role for me to play
And I don't understand
I never understand
But I'll try to understand
There's nothing else I can do
The song "Red Red Red" by Fiona Apple explores the complexity of relationships and the struggle to understand them. The lyrics revolve around the use of color metaphors to describe emotional states and relationships. The first verse explores the concept of complementary colors and how they become gray when next to each other. The colors symbolize the two people in the relationship who were once in harmony but now have fallen apart, causing confusion and distress for the singer.
The second verse discusses the use of diamonds as a symbol of love and how it can be dangerous to pursue someone you love. The singer expresses feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt, questioning if the relationship is even worth pursuing. The repetition of "kill, kill, kill" highlights the destructive nature of love and how it can be harmful to oneself.
The chorus revolves around the color red, which represents the intense emotions the singer is feeling. She is unable to ignore or escape her feelings, and is left confused and unsure of how to move forward. The bridge seeks solace in submitting to the truth, no matter how cryptic and puzzling it may be. The song ends with an unresolved feeling, leaving the listener to interpret the singer's thoughts and feelings.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't understand about complementary colors
I am confused about how colors that complement each other can affect what we think or feel
And what they say
and how they are supposed to make us feel when combined together to create an art piece
Side by side they both get bright together
When combined next to each other, they create a brilliant effect, together shining brighter in comparison.
They both get gray
However, when blended too much, they lose their brilliance and come off as dull.
But he's been pretty much yellow
Although I love him, I feel that he's been cowardly and deceitful, unlike the color yellow which is bright and cheery
And I've been kind of blue
On the other hand, I feel sad and melancholic, like the color blue
But all I can see is Red, red, red, red, red
Despite all of this, my mind is centered on the color red, which often represents passion and love
Now, what am I gonna do?
I'm lost and don't know how to handle my feelings anymore
I don't understand about diamonds
I don't comprehend why someone would think a diamond is a priceless treasure.
And why men buy them
Neither why some men feel that buying diamonds can prove one's love for his companion
What's so impressive about a diamond
I can't find any special feature about a diamond that makes it awe-inspiring
Except the mining?
Could it be that people admire diamonds because it's a hard labor doing dangerous mining?
But it's dangerous work
The mining process is highly perilous
Trying to get to you, too
Trying to reach out to you has been as dangerous as the diamond mining
And I think if I didn't have to kill
I often think that if I don't have to work hard to be with you like other precious stones and perhaps not hurt myself in the process
Kill, kill, kill, kill myself doing it
that it's not too much to ask for to be with you.
Maybe I wouldn't think so much of you
Perhaps, this tunnel vision of love would appear less significant and consuming if the path to be with you wasn't challenging
I've been watching all the time
I have been observing your actions for a while
And I still can't find the tack
And still, I am unsure of what approach to take
But I wanna know is, is it okay?
But I want to know - is everything good or is it just me?
Is it just fine?
Am I overthinking or do you perceive the same thing too?
Or is it my fault?
Am I responsible for looking too much into something that isn't there?
Is it my lack?
Could it be an absence of something within myself?
I don't understand about The weather outside
The world outside is too unpredictable and confusing for me to comprehend.
Or the harmony in a tune
The synchronicity of sound and music has always been elusive to me.
Or why somebody lied
Furthermore, the act of someone saying something that's not true to deceive others baffles me.
But there's solace a bit in submitting
Despite all this confusion, there is peace in giving into the truth and embracing its cryptic nature to understand.
To the fitfully, cryptically true
To the veracity that remains a mystery to many who seek to find it.
What's happened, has happened
The past cannot be undone, it's irreversible.
What's coming is already on its way
The future holds the best or the worst for us, and it's imminent.
With a role for me to play
I have a part to play in shaping up my future and moving forward.
And I don't understand
Despite everything, I still find a lot of difference things confusing and obscure.
I never understand
It's always been like this, and I don't think it would change anytime soon.
But I'll try to understand
But I will put in the effort to try to make sense of it all.
There's nothing else I can do
I don't see an alternative to abstaining from trying to make sense of it all.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: FIONA APPLE MAGGART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind