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.
Reckless Blues
Madeleine Peyroux Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But a child
When I wasn't nothing
But a child
All you men tried to drive me wild
Now I'm, now I'm growing old
Now, now I'm growing old
My mama says I'm reckless
My daddy says I'm wild
My mama says I'm reckless
My daddy says I'm wild
I ain't good looking but I'm somebody's angel child
Daddy, mama wants some loving
Daddy, mama need some hugging
Kind and pretty papa
Mama wants some lovin' I vow
Kind and pretty papa
Mama wants some lovin' right now
The song Reckless Blues by Madeleine Peyroux is a powerful and emotional blues piece that speaks to the experiences of a young girl who is growing up and becoming a woman. In the first verse, the singer remembers her childhood and how all the men around her were trying to drive her wild, even though she was just a child. However, as she has grown older, she has developed a confidence and strength that allows her to stand up to the men who try to control her.
The second verse speaks to the conflicting messages she has received from her parents. Her mother sees her as reckless, while her father sees her as wild. While she may not be conventionally beautiful, she knows that she is still someone's angel child and worth something. Finally, in the last verse, she pleads with her father to give her mother some love and affection, highlighting the emotional pain and struggles she and her family have faced.
Overall, Reckless Blues is a powerful commentary on the experiences of women and girls, particularly those who are marginalized and mistreated by society. It speaks to the strength and resilience of the human spirit, and the ability of individuals to overcome even the most difficult circumstances.
Line by Line Meaning
When I wasn't nothing
When I was just a child and had nothing
But a child
But a young and innocent child
All you men tried to drive me wild
All the men tried to attract me and make me go crazy
Now I'm, now I'm growing old
Now that I'm getting older
Now, now I'm growing old
Now, I know I'm growing old
But I've got what it takes to get all of you men told
But I now have the power to speak up against all the men who tried to control me
My mama says I'm reckless
My mother thinks I'm daring and impulsive
My daddy says I'm wild
My father thinks I'm unrestrained and undisciplined
My mama says I'm reckless
Again, my mother thinks I'm daring and impetuous
My daddy says I'm wild
Again, my father thinks I'm unrestrained and disorderly
I ain't good looking but I'm somebody's angel child
Although I may not be beautiful, I am still very precious to someone
Daddy, mama wants some loving
Father, mother wants to be loved
Daddy, mama need some hugging
Father, mother needs to be hugged
Kind and pretty papa
Affectionate and handsome father
Mama wants some lovin' I vow
Mother wants to be loved and promises to reciprocate
Kind and pretty papa
Again, referring to her caring and good-looking father
Mama wants some lovin' right now
Mother needs to be loved immediately
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lasserrejeanclaude
une voix le mélange de Bessie SMITH et LADY DAY avec cette douceur extraordinaire un régal!!!
@scopemankit
a star!
@mademoisellenoir4984
This is so Billie Holiday!!
@speereettoo
(y)
@royt7562
:-)
@Froggy19510
Same range, phrazing, and inflection as Billt Holiday. She could almost counterfit an album (until you do a side by side comparison). Great singer.
@lucianochavez7464
You are totally right! If you stumbled on this song unexpectedly, you'd think it was Billie Holiday herself. Now when you put there voices side by side, there's an easy differentiation between the two. Madeleine Peyroux is an incredible artist who does capture the essence of Miss Lady Day. She sounds like she belonged to another era!
@royt7562
Not too far off. She's familiar with Smith and Holiday: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeleine_Peyroux