Madeleine Peyroux is a jazz singer who was born in 1974 in Athens, Georgia,… Read Full Bio ↴Madeleine Peyroux is a jazz singer who was born in 1974 in Athens, Georgia, USA, and raised in New York City and Paris, France. She is noted for her vocal style, which is highly reminiscent of Billie Holiday. Madeleine also has qualities similar to Ella Fitzgerald. Though Peyroux may remind some listeners of Holiday, there are differences, and she has her own sense of phrasing and interpretation.

Peyroux started singing at the age of fifteen, when she discovered street musicians in the Latin Quarter in Paris. She joined a group called the Riverboat Shufflers, first passing round the hat, and then singing. At sixteen she joined the The Lost Wandering Blues and Jazz Band, spending two years touring Europe performing songs by the likes of Fats Waller, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and others, which provided the basis for her first album, Dreamland.

Dreamland was released in 1996, and gained widespread attention. Time called it "the most exciting, involving vocal performance by a new singer this year". Dreamland, is a brilliant recording, as Peyroux's distinctive voice is not hindered by overly intricate arrangements. Most of the accompaniment on the record is light and sparse, the way it should be for a singer with such a unique voice. Peyroux soon found herself opening for Sarah McLachlan and Cesária Évora, and made appearances at jazz festivals and on the Lilith Fair tour.

In May 2002 she joined multi-instrumentalist William Galison, and together they appeared at such venues as the Bottom Line, Joe's Pub, and the Tin Angel. In 2003 the duo released a seven-song EP entitled Got You on My Mind, which they sold at shows and online. Got You on My Mind was re-released by William Galison in August 2004; the original EP was expanded by the addition of four tracks by Gallison.

Peyroux released her own sophomore effort, Careless Love, in September 2004. The album received generally positive reviews.

Her new album, Half the Perfect World, was released on September 12, 2006. She collaborated with several artists, including Jesse Harris, Walter Becker, Larry Klein (who also produced the album), and K.d. lang, with whom Peyroux duets on a cover of the Joni Mitchell song, "River".

On July 12, 2007, she was awarded Best International Jazz Artist at the BBC Jazz Awards.

Fun Out Of Life
Madeleine Peyroux Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When we want to love, we love
When we want to kiss, we kiss
With a little petting, we're getting
Some fun out of life

When we want to work, we work
When we wanna play, we play
In a happy setting, we're getting

Some fun out of life

[Chorus]
Maybe we do the right things
Maybe we do the wrong
Spending each day
Wending our way along

But when we want to sing, we sing
When we want to dance, we dance
You can do your betting, we're getting
Some fun out of life

[Chorus]

But when we want to sing, we sing
When we wanna dance, we dance

You can do your betting, we're getting
Some fun out of life

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Fun Out of Life" by Madeleine Peyroux express a carefree attitude towards life, where she highlights the importance of doing what makes you happy instead of conforming to societal norms. For instance, she suggests that when they want to love, they simply love, when they want to kiss, they kiss, and with a little petting, they get some fun out of life. This emphasizes that life is short, and people should focus on doing things that bring them happiness and joy.

She goes ahead to mention that when they want to work, they work, and when they want to play, they play, all in a happy setting. This suggests that they take control of their lives and do things on their own terms, in a way that makes them happy. The chorus mentions that they might be doing the right things or the wrong things, but the most important thing is that they are spending each day, wending their way along, which emphasizes the importance of taking things one day at a time.

In conclusion, "Fun Out of Life" by Madeleine Peyroux is a song that reminds us to live our lives to the fullest, doing what makes us happy, and not conforming to societal norms. The song is all about taking control of your life and enjoying every moment that comes along.

Line by Line Meaning

When we want to love, we love
We express our love whenever we feel like it

When we want to kiss, we kiss
We show affection through kissing as desired

With a little petting, we're getting Some fun out of life
We derive pleasure and enjoyment through physical intimacy

When we want to work, we work
We are motivated to work when we choose to

When we wanna play, we play
We engage in leisure activities when we feel like it

In a happy setting, we're getting Some fun out of life
We feel joy and happiness when we're in a pleasant environment

Maybe we do the right things
Our actions may be morally correct

Maybe we do the wrong
We may sometimes make mistakes or act incorrectly

Spending each day Wending our way along
We navigate through life day by day

When we want to sing, we sing
We express our joy through singing

When we want to dance, we dance
We celebrate life through dancing