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.

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 a classic tale of unrequited love, expressed through the artist's plaintive and mournful vocals. The opening lines set the tone for the rest of the song, with the singer admitting that she is hopelessly in love with a girl who does not reciprocate her feelings. She is consumed by her love for this woman, but her efforts to win her over have been in vain.

The chorus, which is repeated throughout the song, underscores the singer's sense of heartbreak and despair. She is suffering from "lovesick blues," a condition that leaves her feeling melancholy, lonely, and downhearted. The second verse offers additional details about the nature of their relationship, suggesting that it was a fleeting affair that ended too soon. Despite this, the singer still holds on to the memory of the love that they shared, which she describes as a "beautiful dream."

Line by Line Meaning

I'm in love,
I have strong emotions for someone,

I'm in love with a girl,
I have strong emotions for a particular female person,

That's what's the matter with me
My strong emotions for this girl are causing me distress,

I'm in love,
I have strong emotions for someone,

I'm in love, with a beautiful girl,
I have strong emotions for a beautiful female person,

But she don't give a darn about me
The object of my affection is indifferent towards me,

to make her love me I tried,
I attempted to win her affection,

How I sighed and I cried
I was emotional and upset,

But she just refused
My attempts to win her over were unsuccessful,

And ever since she's gone away,
She has departed and is no longer near me,

I've got those lovesick blues
I am heartbroken and sad because of my unrequited love,

Got the feeling called the 'blue hoo's,'
I am experiencing a sense of sadness and despair,

since my sweetie said 'Good Bye'
My loved one has left me and said goodbye,

Seems I don't know what to 'Do Hoo'
I am unsure of how to move on and cope with this heartbreak,

All day long I sit and cry
I spend my days sobbing and feeling sorrowful,

That last long day we spent alone
I recall the last day we spent together by ourselves,

I'm yearning for it yet
I still deeply desire that day,

She thrilled me, filled me,
She excited me and made me feel fulfilled,

with a kind of lovin',
With a specific type of affection,

I never will forget, the way she called me sweet daddy'
I remember fondly the way she addressed me with affection,

Twas just a beautiful dream
It was a lovely but fleeting experience,

I hate to think that it's all over I lost my heart it seems
I am struggling to accept that our relationship is over and my heart is broken,

i got so used to her somehow
I grew comfortable with her presence in my life,

But I'm no body's baby
I am not in a relationship currently,

Now, gee it's awful when you're lonesome
Feeling lonely is a terrible feeling,

and get those lovesick blue-oo-oo-oo-oo's
Experiencing heartbreak and unrequited love is causing me great sadness and despair.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: Cliff Friend, Irving Mills

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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