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 Threw It All Away
Madeleine Peyroux Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And he said he'd always stay
But I was cruel, I treated him like a fool
And I threw it all away
I once had mountains in the palm of my hand
Rivers that ran through every day
But I must have been mad, never knew what I had
Love is all it is, it makes the world go round
Love and only love, it can't be denied
No matter what you think about it
You won't be able to do without it
Take a tip from one who's tried
So if you find someone who gives you all his love
Take it to your heart, don't let it stray
One thing is certain, you'll surely be hurting
If you throw it all away
If you throw it all away
Love is all it is, it makes the world go round
Love and only love can't be denied
And no matter what you think about it
You won't be able to do without it
Take a tip from one who's tried
So if you find someone to give you all of his love
Take it to your heart, don't let it stray
One thing is certain, you'll surely be hurting
If you throw it all away
If you throw it all away, yeah
"I Threw It All Away" is a song that speaks to one of the most common human experiences: regret. The lyrics describe a relationship that has ended due to the singer's pride and foolishness. She once had everything she could want, but she didn't appreciate it until it was gone. The song is a reflection on the importance of love and the consequences of losing it.
The first verse sets the stage for the song, introducing us to the singer's past relationship. She held him in her arms and he promised to stay, but she treated him poorly and ultimately pushed him away. The second verse reflects on the singer's previous life, filled with abundance and beauty. She had everything she could want, but didn't appreciate it at the time. These verses show that the singer has learned from her mistakes and is now sharing her hard-won wisdom.
The chorus of "I Threw It All Away" emphasizes the importance of love, describing it as the force that makes the world go round. The singer urges her listeners to take love seriously and not to take it for granted. The final verse returns to the theme of lost love, warning listeners that throwing it away will lead to inevitable pain and regret.
Overall, "I Threw It All Away" is a poignant reflection on the importance of love and the consequences of losing it. The singer's experience is a powerful reminder to take love seriously and to appreciate it while it lasts.
Line by Line Meaning
I once held him in my arms
I used to have him by my side, close to me.
And he said he'd always stay
He promised to never leave me.
But I was cruel, I treated him like a fool
I was mean to him, disrespected him and didn't recognize his value.
And I threw it all away
I lost him because of my actions.
I once had mountains in the palm of my hand
I used to have control over great things.
Rivers that ran through every day
My life used to flow smoothly without any obstacles.
But I must have been mad, never knew what I had
I didn't realize how lucky I was to have what I had.
'Til I threw it all away
I lost it all because I didn't appreciate it enough.
Love is all it is, it makes the world go round
Love is the most important thing, it gives life meaning and purpose.
Love and only love, it can't be denied
The power of love cannot be ignored or avoided.
No matter what you think about it
Regardless of your opinions or beliefs.
You won't be able to do without it
You cannot live a fulfilling life without love.
Take a tip from one who's tried
I speak from experience and wish to share what I've learned.
So if you find someone who gives you all his love
If you meet someone who loves you completely.
Take it to your heart, don't let it stray
Embrace it and keep it close to you, don't take it for granted.
One thing is certain, you'll surely be hurting
If you lose that love, it will cause you pain and sorrow.
If you throw it all away
If you don't treat that love with respect and appreciation, you'll lose it.
Love is all it is, it makes the world go round
Repeating the importance of love in our lives.
Love and only love can't be denied
Repeating the undeniable power of love.
And no matter what you think about it
Repeating that our opinions on love don't change its importance.
You won't be able to do without it
Repeating that love is crucial to a fulfilling life.
Take a tip from one who's tried
Repeating the desire to share what was learned from past mistakes.
So if you find someone to give you all of his love
Repeating the importance of finding true love.
Take it to your heart, don't let it stray
Repeating the importance of appreciating and respecting love.
One thing is certain, you'll surely be hurting
Repeating the pain and sorrow that comes with losing love.
If you throw it all away
Repeating the warning against taking love for granted and losing it.
If you throw it all away, yeah
Repeating the consequence of losing love due to our own actions.
Contributed by Chloe Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jason Carpp
Awesome song!