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."
Sallys Song
Fiona Apple Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That feels like tragedy's at hand
And though I'd like to stand by him
Can't shake this feeling that I have
The worst is just around the bend
And does he notice my feelings for him?
And will he see how much he means to me?
What will become of my dear friend?
Where will his actions lead us then?
Although I'd like to join the crowd
In their enthusiastic cloud
Try as I may, it doesn't last
And will we ever end up together?
no, I think not, it's never to become
For I am not the one.
In Fiona Apple's song "Sally's Song," the lyrics convey a sense of foreboding and longing. Sally, the singer, suspects that tragedy is imminent and feels compelled to be there for someone she cares about. However, she harbors doubts about her ability to truly stand by him, a nagging feeling that the worst is yet to come.
Sally wonders if this person she cares for, likely Jack Skellington from Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas," is aware of her feelings towards him. She hopes that he will recognize the depth of her affection, but she ultimately believes that their relationship is not meant to be. Sally questions what lies ahead for her dear friend and the consequences of his actions. She contemplates joining the crowd that enthusiastically embraces life, but she feels it's futile, as the joyous moments never endure.
The last lines of the song convey Sally's resignation that they will never be together. She realizes that she is not the chosen one for the person she cares about and accepts that their paths will not intersect romantically.
Line by Line Meaning
I sense there's something in the wind
I have a strong intuition about an impending tragedy
That feels like tragedy's at hand
It seems like a disaster is about to happen
And though I'd like to stand by him
Even though I want to support him
Can't shake this feeling that I have
I can't get rid of this emotion I'm experiencing
The worst is just around the bend
The most dreadful thing is imminent
And does he notice my feelings for him?
I wonder if he is aware of my affection for him
And will he see how much he means to me?
Will he comprehend the depth of my feelings for him?
I think it's not to be
I believe it's not going to happen
What will become of my dear friend?
What will happen to my beloved friend?
Where will his actions lead us then?
What consequences will arise from his choices?
Although I'd like to join the crowd
Even though I wish to blend in with everyone
In their enthusiastic cloud
In their euphoric state
Try as I may, it doesn't last
No matter how hard I try, it doesn't endure
And will we ever end up together?
Is there a chance for us to be together?
no, I think not, it's never to become
No, I don't think so, it will never happen
For I am not the one.
Because I am not the person meant for him.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@punch-drunkasmr5639
I sense there's something in the wind
That seems like tragedy's at hand
And though I'd like to stand by him
Can't shake this feeling that I have
The worst is just around the bend
And does he notice my feelings for him
And will he see how much he means to me
I think it's not to be
What will become of my dear friend
Where will his actions lead us then
Although I'd like to join the crowd
In their enthusiastic cloud
Try as I may, it doesn't last
And will we ever end up together
No, I think not, it's never to become
For I am not the one
@scrubdaddy3000
this not being on spotify is my villain origin story
@Rockerpianist
It used to be...
@sBabysKid-nk8eh
Or Pandora 😔
@TLOEric
you and me both
@lsnyder9298
Came here to say this 😆
@PrincessMorbucksPink
Or ITunes, I had the CD back in the day
@limpbizkitluvr
Idk how they expect me to complete my Fiona apple playlist when this isn’t on Apple Music or sootify
@starstrudel8417
I can't explain it, but there's such an astonishing degree of awareness in Fiona Apple's harmonic/instrument decisions. The lyrics anxiously jerk between innocent yearning and distracted apprehension, and she's crystallized it perfectly without being predictable. Dismal and sweet, this version takes the cake for me!
@andrewsalvatin
You explained it 👌🏽
@pex_the_unalivedrunk6785
I like Fiona's version better than Amy Lee's because she sounds drunk and sings an octave lower....and it has that sexy violin riff at the end.