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."
Use Me
Fiona Apple Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They keep tryin to tell me
That you just want to use me.
But my answer
To all that use me stuff
I want to spread the news, that if it feels this good gettin used
Will you just keep on using me
Until you use me up.
My brother, he sit me right down and he talked to me
And he told me he thought I ought to not let you just fuck on me.
And I know, I know that my brother he meant well
But I just don't know what's really true.
And I said oh brother if you only knew
You'd be wishin you were in my shoes.
So keep on using me, keep on using me
Until you use me up.
It's really true it's really true, you really do you really do
You really do abuse me.
You get me in a crowd of high-class people
And then you gotta act all rude to me.
I want to spread the news, that if it feels this good gettin used
Will you just keep on using me, keep on using me
Until you use me up.
In Fiona Apple's song Use Me, she communicates a message about willingly succumbing to being used by someone even if it may involve potential judgement from others. The lyrics convey the idea that while her friends and brother may believe that she is being taken advantage of, she enjoys the experience of being used even if it means her partner is mistreating her. Despite her brother's concern, Fiona still thinks that his perception of her situation is flawed and that he would be envious of her predicament. The chorus of the song reinforces this notion as Fiona openly expresses her desire to be used until she is completely depleted, emphasizing how much she relishes the feeling of being manipulated.
Towards the end of the song, Fiona acknowledges that her partner's behavior towards her is abusive, but even so she still feels that he is worth staying with. She recognizes that her partner treats her poorly in the presence of other people, but this does not stop her from wanting to continue being used by him. By expressing her unequivocal dedication to her partner, Fiona is taking control of her own life by deciding for herself what she considers to be meaningful or significant. The song's message is that every person has the autonomy to make their own decisions and that critics' views should not always be taken as a genuine reflection of reality.
Line by Line Meaning
All my friends think it's their appointed duty
My friends believe it's their responsibility to tell me that you only want to use me.
They keep tryin to tell me
They persist in trying to warn me.
That you just want to use me.
That your intentions towards me are simply to benefit yourself.
But my answer
But my response remains the same.
To all that use me stuff
To all the warnings about being used.
I want to spread the news, that if it feels this good gettin used
I want to share the message that if this feeling of being used is pleasurable,
Will you just keep on using me
Will you continue to use me?
Until you use me up.
Until you completely consume me.
My brother, he sit me right down and he talked to me
My brother sat me down and had a serious conversation with me.
And he told me he thought I ought to not let you just fuck on me.
He advised me not to let you take advantage of me.
And I know, I know that my brother he meant well
And I understand that my brother had good intentions.
But I just don't know what's really true.
However, I am unsure of what is genuinely accurate.
And I said oh brother if you only knew
I explained to him that if he truly comprehended the situation,
You'd be wishin you were in my shoes.
He would envy my position.
So keep on using me, keep on using me
So please continue to use me.
Until you use me up.
Until you have fully exploited me.
It's really true it's really true, you really do you really do
It's not just hearsay, it's genuine.
You really do abuse me.
You truly do take advantage of me.
You get me in a crowd of high-class people
In the company of wealthy people,
And then you gotta act all rude to me.
You behave terribly towards me.
I want to spread the news, that if it feels this good gettin used
I want everyone to know that if this sensation of being used is this enjoyable,
Will you just keep on using me, keep on using me
Can you please continue to use me?
Until you use me up.
Until you have completely consumed me.
Contributed by Maria D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
fixedgearjerk
Wouldn't call myself a Fiona Apple "fan" but I've always appriciated her music, this truly hit the the spot. Sooo funky, sooo smooth, very very nicely done.
chelsea collins
I remember downloading this off KaZaa when I was like 12. No one has a bigger influence on my own musical life or has helped me get through some of the toughest of times than my queen Fiona. She introduced me to Bill Withers with this cover, another life long favorite for me, and I love you her so much.
Y K
I think you and I may be around the same age, because every word you wrote is true for me too. 😊
MirageEspejismo
This is by far my favorite cover song from Fiona!! Hands down! Her sultry voice is perfect for this. And I think this is really is better than the original. PS:mccabe you are sooo right!
robert micheals
Cool cover, I like it better than the original, the band is also kickin ass on this song!
gekrepten
wow i used to have this mp3 way back in the day. i am so glad i found this on youtube so i can listen to it again. i've always loved her version. thanks for posting!
IsisNFriends
this woman owns ANY SONG SHE DOES> The whole time I had chills... still do, she is cold!
bobchemist
I was blown away when I first heard this. Bill Withers wrote a great song, but nobody has been able to put soul into it like Fiona. She gets the meaning of the song, and sends it down your spine like nobody else has. Great job Fiona!
VMAM
just awesome. i could not have dreamed up a more magical combination than fiona apple and bill withers.
mamadamsel
It's almost like this song was made for her to sing. It's totally in her style of her other albums. Especially the lyrical content: love and scorn. She rocks this.