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.

12 Lovesick Blues
Madeleine Peyroux Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm in love,
I'm in love,
I'm in love with a girl,
That's what's the matter with me
I'm in love,
I'm in love, with a beautiful girl,
But she don't give a darn about me
to make her love me I tried,

How I sighed and I cried
But she just refused
And ever since she's gone away,
I've got those lovesick blues

Got the feeling called the "blue hoo's,"
since my sweetie said "Good Bye"
Seems I don't know what to "Do Hoo"
All day long I sit and cry
That last long day we spent alone
I'm yearning for it yet
She thrilled me, filled me,
with a kind of lovin',
I never will forget, the way she called me sweet daddy"
Twas just a beautiful dream

I hate to think that it's all over I lost my heart it seems
I got so used to her somehow
But I'm no body's baby
Now, gee it's awful when you're lonesome
and get those lovesick blue-oo-oo-oo-oo's

Got the feeling called the "blue hoo's,"
since my sweetie said "Good Bye"
Seems I don't know what to "Do Hoo"
All day long I sit and cry
That last long day we spent alone
I'm yearning for it yet
She thrilled me, filled me,
with a kind of lovin',
I never will forget, the way she called me sweet daddy
Twas just a beautiful dream

I hate to think that it's all over I lost my heart it seems
i got so used to her somehow
But I'm no body's baby

Now, gee it's awful when you're lonesome
and get those lovesick blue-oo-oo-oo-oo's

Overall Meaning

The song "Lovesick Blues" by Madeleine Peyroux is about unrequited love - the love for someone who doesn't reciprocate the same feelings. The singer is hopelessly in love with a girl who doesn't care for him in the same way. He has tried to win her over, but she has refused him. Ever since she's been gone, he's been feeling the "lovesick blues." He can't stop thinking about her and is constantly yearning for her. He misses the "kind of lovin'" that she gave to him and is heartbroken that he has lost her. He is left feeling lonely and melancholic, crying throughout the day due to the overwhelming heartache he is experiencing.

The lyrics of "Lovesick Blues" paint a vivid picture of what it feels like to be in love with someone who doesn’t reciprocate your feelings. The singer is heartbroken that he has lost his chance at love, and the pain is evident throughout the song. The line "I'm yearning for it yet" encapsulates the longing and aching feeling that comes with unrequited love. The phrase "lovesick blues" perfectly describes the melancholic state that the singer has found himself in. The song conveys a sense of yearning, heartache, and sorrow that are emotionally rich and relatable.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm in love,
The singer is experiencing feelings of romantic love.

I'm in love,
The singer is still feeling the same intensity of romantic love.

I'm in love with a girl,
The singer's romantic love is directed towards a specific person.

That's what's the matter with me
The intensity of the artist's love for this person is causing them distress.

I'm in love,
The artist is still experiencing feelings of romantic love.

I'm in love, with a beautiful girl,
Their love is directed towards someone they find physically attractive.

But she don't give a darn about me
The singer's love is unrequited, as the object of their affection does not feel the same way.

to make her love me I tried,
The artist has made attempts to get the person they love to reciprocate their feelings.

How I sighed and I cried
The artist has experienced emotional distress and pain due to their love being unreturned.

But she just refused
Despite the artist's best attempts, the person they love chose not to love them back.

And ever since she's gone away,
The person the singer loved is no longer in their life.

I've got those lovesick blues
The artist is still feeling the emotional pain of their unrequited love.

Got the feeling called the "blue hoo's,"
The singer is experiencing a feeling of heartbreak that has been given a name.

since my sweetie said "Good Bye"
The singer's heartbreak began when the person they loved left them.

Seems I don't know what to "Do Hoo"
The singer feels helpless and doesn't know how to move on from their heartbreak.

All day long I sit and cry
The artist spends all their time feeling sad and crying.

That last long day we spent alone
The artist is reminiscing about the last day they spent with the person they loved.

I'm yearning for it yet
The memory of that day still brings the singer feelings of longing.

She thrilled me, filled me,
The person the singer loved made them feel alive and happy.

with a kind of lovin', I never will forget, the way she called me sweet daddy"
The artist remembers the love they felt from the person they loved, and how they were addressed.

Twas just a beautiful dream
The memories of their love feel like a dream that's too good to be true.

I hate to think that it's all over I lost my heart it seems
The artist is mourning the end of their relationship, and feels like they've lost a part of themselves.

i got so used to her somehow
The singer had become comfortable in the company of the person they loved.

But I'm no body's baby
The artist is no longer with the person they loved.

Now, gee it's awful when you're lonesome and get those lovesick blue-oo-oo-oo-oo's
The singer is still feeling the pain of their heartbreak, especially when feeling alone.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CLIFF FRIEND, IRVING MILLS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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