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.
Tango Till They're Sore
Madeleine Peyroux Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And all the hounds they start to roar
The boys all go to hell
And then the Cubans hit the floor
They climb along the pipeline
They tango till they′re sore
They take apart their nightmares
Oh, let me fall out of the window with confetti in my hair
Deal out jacks or better on a blanket by the stair
I′ll tell you all my secrets, but I'll lie about my past
So send me off to bed forevermore
Make sure they play my theme song
I guess daisies will have to do
Just get me to New Orleans
And paint the shadows on the pews
Cut the skin on that pig
Kick the drum and let me down
Put my clarinet beneath your bed
Till I get back in town
Let me fall out of the window with confetti in my hair
I deal out jacks or better on a blanket by the stairs
I'll tell you all my secrets, but I′ll lie about my past
So send me off to bed forevermore
Yes, she′ll be all in calico
Or the color of a doll
I wave your flag on Cadillac Bay
Hang a skillet on the wall
Cut me a switch
Oh, hold your breath till the sun goes down
Write my name on a hood
Send me off to another town
Let me fall out of the window with confetti in my hair
I deal out jacks or better on a blanket by the stair
I'll tell you all my secrets but I′ll lie about my past
So send me off to bed forevermore
Send me off to bed forevermore
The lyrics to Madeleine Peyroux's song "Tango Till They're Sore" are filled with vivid imagery and metaphors. The song tells a story of chaotic and wild nights, where people gather together to dance, indulge in their desires, and escape from reality.
The tarantella mentioned in the first line refers to an Italian folk dance known for its energetic and frenzied pace. The hounds roaring and the boys going to hell symbolize the unleashed passions and primal instincts of the participants. The mention of Cubans hitting the floor implies the presence of Latin American influences, particularly in the music and dancing.
As the scene unfolds, we see the participants climbing along a pipeline, possibly indicating an illicit or secret gathering place. They tango until they're sore, suggesting a relentless pursuit of pleasure and escape from their everyday lives. Taking apart their nightmares and leaving them by the door suggests a temporary respite from their troubles.
The chorus brings a desire for freedom and revelry. Falling out of the window with confetti in one's hair evokes a sense of joy and abandon. Dealing out "jacks or better" refers to a type of poker game, emphasizing the unpredictability and risk-taking involved. The secrets alluded to hint at a willingness to share personal experiences, but also a reluctance to reveal the truth about one's background.
The verse about New Orleans paints a picture of a vibrant and cultural city. The request to paint shadows on the pews speaks to the desire for a rich and soulful experience. Cutting the skin on the pig and kicking the drum suggest a rebellious and primal energy, while placing the clarinet beneath the bed metaphorically implies preserving one's passion until their return to town.
The final verse introduces a female character who will be represented by the colors of calico or a doll. The waving of the flag on Cadillac Bay and hanging a skillet on the wall hint at a celebration of American culture and domesticity. Cutting a switch and writing the singer's name on a hood symbolize leaving behind one life and moving on to another, while holding one's breath till the sun goes down signifies anticipation and readiness for change.
Overall, "Tango Till They're Sore" captures the spirit of getting lost in the moment, seeking pleasure and escape from the mundane, and embracing the wild and chaotic aspects of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Well you play that tarantella
As you perform that lively Italian folk dance
And all the hounds they start to roar
And the dogs begin to howl
The boys all go to hell
The young men end up in trouble
And then the Cubans hit the floor
And then the people from Cuba start dancing enthusiastically
They climb along the pipeline
They travel along the pipeline
They tango till they’re sore
They dance the tango until they are exhausted
They take apart their nightmares
They dismantle their fears and worries
And they leave 'em by the door
And they leave them behind
Oh, let me fall out of the window with confetti in my hair
Oh, allow me to jump out of the window with confetti adorning my hair
Deal out jacks or better on a blanket by the stair
Distribute playing cards of the highest rank on a blanket near the staircase
I'll tell you all my secrets, but I'll lie about my past
I will reveal all my deepest truths, but I will be dishonest about my history
So send me off to bed forevermore
Therefore, let me be put to rest eternally
Make sure they play my theme song
Ensure that they perform my signature tune
I guess daisies will have to do
Perhaps daisies will suffice
Just get me to New Orleans
Just take me to the city of New Orleans
And paint the shadows on the pews
And bring life to the darkness within the church benches
Cut the skin on that pig
Slice the flesh on that pig
Kick the drum and let me down
Strike the drum and disappoint me
Put my clarinet beneath your bed
Place my clarinet under your bed
Till I get back in town
Until I return to the city
Yes, she'll be all in calico
Indeed, she will be dressed entirely in calico fabric
Or the color of a doll
Or the shade resembling that of a doll
I wave your flag on Cadillac Bay
I proudly display your flag on the bay named Cadillac
Hang a skillet on the wall
Suspend a frying pan on the wall
Cut me a switch
Prepare a slender tree branch for me
Oh, hold your breath till the sun goes down
Oh, retain your breath until the sunset
Write my name on a hood
Inscribe my name on a vehicle's bonnet
Send me off to another town
Dispatch me to a different city
Send me off to bed forevermore
Bid me farewell as I retire to bed indefinitely
Writer(s): Thomas Alan Waits
Contributed by Joshua N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Citra Ayu Virginia Pama
good music❤
wilma norman
❤❤❤❤