Raised in Syracuse, New York, she found success in the 70s as a model, working in New York and Paris (where she shared an apartment with Jerry Hall and Jessica Lange), before rising to public prominence as a singer and personality.
Jones secured a record deal with Island Records, which resulted in a string of club hits. The three disco albums she recorded - Portfolio (1977), Fame (1978), and Muse (1979) - generated dance singles such as Sorry That's The Trouble, I Need A Man, and a classic cover of La Vie En Rose. During this period, she also became a muse to Andy Warhol, appearing in his portraits and accompanying him to Studio 54 on many occasions.
As the 70s drew to a close, Jones adapted the emerging New Wave music to suit a different style, a significant departure from her previous output that resulted in some of her strongest work. Still with Island, and now working with producers Alex Sadkin and Chris Blackwell at Compass Point Studios, and with the considerable talents of Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare (Sly & Robbie) behind her, she released the acclaimed Warm Leatherette (1980) and Nightclubbing (1981). These included re-imaginings of songs by Sting, Iggy Pop, The Pretenders, Roxy Music, Flash And The Pan, The Normal, and Tom Petty, as well as originals like the innuendo-filled Pull Up To The Bumper and the haunting I've Seen That Face Before (Libertango). Parallel to her musical shift was an equally dramatic visual departure; Jones - working heavily with style artist Jean-Paul Goude - adopted a severe, androgynous look that enhanced her already striking presence, the iconic cover of Nightclubbing exemplifying this new identity. Her collaboration with Sadkin and Blackwell continued with the dub reggae-influenced album Living My Life, which featured Nipple To The Bottle, The Apple Stretching, and the Jones-penned and much-sampled My Jamaican Guy.
Later in the 80s, she worked with Trevor Horn for the conceptual musical collage Slave to the Rhythm (1985), and with Nile Rodgers for Inside Story (1986) - her first album away from the Island label. Inside Story produced her last US Hot 100 hit to date, I'm Not Perfect (But I'm Perfect For You), while Bulletproof Heart in 1989 produced the #1 US club hit Love on Top of Love - Killer Kiss, produced by C+C Music Factory's David Cole and Robert Clivilles. Though a chart regular in the UK Grace Jones never achieved mainstream musical success in the US, but most of her singles became huge hits in the dance underground.
Jones' strong visual presence was extended to her stage work. Her performances were unique spectacles as she adopted various personas and wore outlandish costumes throughout, particularly during her years with Goude. Her most memorable performances include the Paradise Garage in 1985, wherein she collaborated with legendary visual artist Keith Haring for her costume and the extraordinary One Man Show filmed in Drury Lane Theatre London and in New York and released on video in 1982 (it is yet to be re-released).
In 2008 she returned with the album "Hurricane".
Libertango
Grace Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Seen him hanging 'round my door
Like a hawk stealing for the prey
Like the night waiting for the day
Strange, he shadows me back home
Footsteps echo on the stones
Rainy nights, on Hausmann Boulevard
Tu cherches quoi, rencontrer la mort?
Tu te prends pour qui?
Toi aussi, tu détestes la vie?
Dance in bars and restaurants
Home with anyone who wants
Strange he's standing there alone
Staring eyes chill me to the bone
Dans sa chambre, Joel et sa valise
Un regard sur ses fringues
Sur les murs, des photos
Sans regret, sans mélo
La porte est claquée
Joel est barré
The song I've Seen That Face Before by Grace Jones portrays a feeling of being haunted by the past. The lyrics talk about the singer seeing this mysterious man's face before, and how he follows and shadows her wherever she goes. The man seems to be like a hawk waiting to pounce on his prey, and she feels his penetrating gaze that chills her to the bone. The imagery of walking on Hausmann Boulevard's rainy nights with Parisian music and echoes from footsteps on stones bring a sense of melancholy and loss.
The lyrics in French, "Tu cherches quoi, rencontrer la mort? Tu te prends pour qui? Toi aussi, tu détestes la vie?" roughly translates to "What are you looking for, to meet your death? Who do you think you are? Do you hate life too?" These lines seem to ask the man why he is following her and what his intentions are. Grace Jones's powerful voice and the song's moody melody create an eerie feeling of danger and uncertainty.
Overall, the song I've Seen That Face Before depicts a feeling of being haunted by the past, and the feeling that the past is catching up with us no matter how much we try to run from it.
Line by Line Meaning
Strange, I've seen that face before
I feel a sense of familiarity when I see this person's face
Seen him hanging 'round my door
I have noticed him loitering around my house
Like a hawk stealing for the prey
He is watching and waiting for something or someone to capture
Like the night waiting for the day
He is waiting for something to occur, like the night waiting for the day to break
Strange, he shadows me back home
He follows me to my house without my knowledge
Footsteps echo on the stones
I hear his footsteps on the pavement
Rainy nights, on Hausmann Boulevard
It is raining heavily on the street where I am walking
Parisian music drifting from the bars
The sound of Parisian music is wafting out from various bars
Tu cherches quoi, rencontrer la mort?
What are you searching for, death?
Tu te prends pour qui?
Who do you think you are?
Toi aussi, tu détestes la vie?
Do you also hate life?
Dance in bars and restaurants
I enjoy dancing in both bars and restaurants
Home with anyone who wants
I freely go home with anyone who is interested
Strange he's standing there alone
It's odd to see him standing by himself
Staring eyes chill me to the bone
His intense gaze makes me feel uneasy
Dans sa chambre, Joel et sa valise
In his room, Joel is packing his suitcase
Un regard sur ses fringues
He takes a quick look at his clothing
Sur les murs, des photos
The walls are covered in pictures
Sans regret, sans mélo
Without regret or melodrama
La porte est claquée
The door slams shut
Joel est barré
Joel is gone
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Astor Pantaleon Piazzolla, Natalie Delon, Barry Reynolds, David Wilkey
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@dalian1993
Shes a bit Jamaican,a bit French, a bit American . Totally unique.
Loved her all these years.
And the thing i love most? Shes steadfastly refused to jump on the Corporate Pop Conveyor Belt.
Love you Grace.❤
@GenesisGunn
She is a jamaican who puts on a voice..like Tina Turner was an American woman who put on a bad European voice.
Grace is dope as F though
@dalian1993
@GenesisGunn Grace has always been a bit different,and influential to so many others.
Her 'One Man Show' recorded almost 45 years ago was groundbreaking at the time. And still sounds great now.
Rather glad I don't understand what 'dope as F' means. And I'm also rather pleased that don't recall Tina Turner trying to talk European !!
@GenesisGunn
@@dalian1993 for Tina I suggest you listen to her in later years. Eddie Griffin references it in his stand up also so it isn't anything new. For Grace, I spent ten years in Janaica, grew up in and around the community so I know exactly what I am talking about. Hell I am british and have been to America more than once. In jamaica that voice and even her features are not a rarity. The voice is not her natural way of speaking. Dope as F is highly complimentary slang. Her abilities and contributions are undeniable whether loved or loathed.
@helencan
МУЗЫКА - КАЙФ!!!❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
@user-nl7oc5bf8z
Ямайская еврейка. Шоубизнес для евреев.
@marianoblas3608
Two legends: Astor Piazolla and Grace Jones. Life is good
@perezzab
Я всегда в дрожь бросало от её голоса. Настоящая волшебница! А уж это исполнение - просто сказка.
@Peloponnesia666
She is unreal. Absolutely gorgeous human being with immense talent. Thank you for blessing us with your art.
@alanawilson6104
This is probably one of the most beautiful and unique models of the 20th century she's such an inspiration