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.
Ophelia
Madeleine Peyroux Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In my mind
I've been watching
For a long time
It′s the muddy Mississippi
And a yellow dandelion
From the Hudson River
To Missouri
I can feel the rhythm call me
From a thousand miles away
Let me go
Down to the river
Let me wander
Where the world is never mind
Let my heart know
That horizon
Like a mama's face
To a little child
I was born of the water
And washed onto shore
Been a waif to the seasons
Don't want to burden them no more
I′ll keep moving for a life time
Be as quiet as the earth
When I listen to the water
I want to know what I′m worth
Let me go
Down to the river
Let me wander
Where the world is never mind
Let my heart know
That horizon
Like a mama's face
To a little child
I′m a season
I'm a country
I′m a loser and a queen
I'm forever
I′m nobody
In the wandering stream
Madeleine Peyroux's song "Ophelia" is a beautiful ode to the Mississippi River and the emotional connection one can have with nature. The song's opening lines introduce the vivid imagery of a long, winding road that mirrors the twists and turns of the river itself. Throughout the verse, the singer longs to escape to the river to find solace in its peaceful rhythm and natural beauty. The line "I can feel the rhythm call me from a thousand miles away" suggests a deep and almost primal connection to the river, indicating that there is something spiritual and otherworldly about this meditative state.
As the song progresses, the singer describes their own identity in relationship to the river. The lines "I was born of the water / And washed onto shore" suggest a sense of belonging to the river, perhaps hinting at a belief in reincarnation or a deep connection to the cycles of nature. The singer also describes themselves as a "waif to the seasons," implying that they are at the mercy of external forces and have little control over their own life or fate. However, the final lines of the song affirm the singer's sense of self: "I'm a season, I'm a country / I'm a loser and a queen / I'm forever, I'm nobody / In the wandering stream." This paradoxical image suggests that while the singer may feel lost or insignificant in the grand scheme of things, they are also inherently powerful and multifaceted, just like the river itself.
Overall, "Ophelia" is a poignant and evocative song that captures the beauty and mystery of nature, as well as the emotional complexity of the human experience.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a road
There's a mental path that I've been pondering for a while
In my mind
It's a thought process, not a real physical road
I've been watching
I've been contemplating this mental trip
For a long time
It's been a while since the notion first took root
It's the muddy Mississippi
The idea involves traveling along the Mississippi River
And a yellow dandelion
Also trekking through the Hudson River, and reaching Missouri amidst a background of meadows full of dandelions
From the Hudson River
Starting the journey by the Hudson River
To Missouri
The goal of the journey is Missouri
In the mosses and red clay
The journey will take me through velvety green moss and red clay plains
I can feel the rhythm call me
My ears and heart hear the river's rhythm calling me to embark on this journey
From a thousand miles away
It has taken some distance to be able to perceive this call
Let me go
Give me the opportunity
Down to the river
To journey along the riverside
Let me wander
To meander without a particular destination
Where the world is nevermind
Where everyday worries and concerns do not matter
Let my heart know
Allow me to experience
That horizon
The endless expanse of possibilities
Like a mama's face
Like having a mother's support and care
To a little child
Such support and care that makes one feel safe and loved
I was born of the water
I came into this world from water
And washed onto shore
Washed up onto the land
Been a waif to the seasons
Survived through each season as best I could
Don't want to burden them no more
No longer want to endure the struggles of the seasons
I'll keep moving for a lifetime
I will continue traveling for the rest of my days
Be as quiet as the earth
Will move silently with the world, one with the earth
When I listen to the water
When I hear the water's song
I want to know what I'm worth
I want to know the value I bring to this world
I'm a season
I am an integral part of the natural cycles of seasons
I'm a country
I am an embodiment of the different geographies and cultures of the world
I'm a loser and a queen
I have known both defeat and victory in life
I'm forever
I am eternal, unaffected by the passage of time
I'm nobody
I am insignificant, but also free from the demands of fame
In the wandering stream
Living through a lifetime of travels and experiences
Writer(s): Peyroux Madeleine, Batteau David
Contributed by Hannah K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Kurt
on The Summer Wind
Unbelievable Saxophon solo!