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.

I'll Look Around
Madeleine Peyroux Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'll look around
Until I've found someone
Who laughs like you

I know somewhere
Spring must fill the air
With sweetness just as rare
As the flower

That you gave me to wear

I look around
And when I've found someone
Who laughs like you
I'll know this love
I'm dreaming of
Won't be the old love
I always knew

I know somewhere
Love must fill the air
With sweetness just as rare
As the flower
That you gave me to wear

I look around
And when I've found someone
Who laughs like you
I'll know this love
I'm dreaming of

Won't be the old love
I always knew

Overall Meaning

The song "I'll Look Around" is a ballad performed by Madeleine Peyroux. The song talks about a lost love and the singer's hope of finding love again. Through their search, they come across people who remind them of their partner, but none of them quite match up. One of the things they seek is someone who laughs like their previous love interest. The singer continues their search, believing that somewhere, there must be a love just as unique and special as the other, and they will find it. The song ends on this hopeful note, with the singer believing that they will find someone who loves them as uniquely as the previous relationship, but not exactly the same.

The song's gentle melody and soft vocals match the tender mood of the lyrics. The lyrics are simple, but they carry a deeper meaning that resonates with listeners. One interpretation of the song is that it is not just about finding love again but also about finding oneself worth in the search. The singer is looking for a person who reminds them of their lost love, but this journey also brings about self-reflection and discovery.

Overall, "I'll Look Around" is a beautiful song, touching upon the themes of hope, love, and self-discovery. The song's melody, coupled with its lyrics, makes it a hit.

Line by Line Meaning

I'll look around
I will search for someone

Until I've found someone
Until I find someone who meets my standards

Who laughs like you
Who has a laugh similar to yours

I know somewhere
I have a feeling

Spring must fill the air
The season of spring will bring a certain atmosphere

With sweetness just as rare
The sweetness in the atmosphere will be just as scarce

As the flower
Like that flower

That you gave me to wear
That you gave me to adorn myself with

And when I've found someone
Once I find someone

I'll know this love
I will recognize this feeling of love

I'm dreaming of
The love that I desire and dream of