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.
The Heart Of Saturday Night
Madeleine Peyroux Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Behind the wheel
With your arm around your sweet one
In your Oldsmobile
Barrelin' down the boulevard
You're looking for the heart of Saturday night
And you got paid on Friday
And you see the lights
You get all tinglin' cause you're cruising with a six
You're looking for the heart of Saturday night
Then you comb your hair
Shave your face
Trying to wipe out every trace
All the other days
In the week you know that this'll be the Saturday
You're reachin' your peak
Stopping on the red
You're going on the green
Tonight'll be like nothing
You've ever seen
You're barreling down the boulevard
Looking for the heart of Saturday night
Tell me is the crack of the poolballs, neon buzzin
Telephone's ringing; it's your second cousin
Is it the barmaid that's smiling from the corner of her eye
Magic of the melancholy tear in your eye
Makes it kind of quiver down in the core
You're dreaming of them Saturdays that came before
Now you're stumbling
You're stumbling onto the heart of Saturday night
Now you're stumbling
You're stumbling onto the heart of Saturday night
The Heart of Saturday Night by Madeleine Peyroux is a song that vividly captures the excitement and anticipation of a night out on the town with friends. The opening verse establishes the all-American setting of the song with the Oldsmobile, the boulevard, and the desire to find the heart of the excitement and action of Saturday night. The lyrics describe the feeling of being alive and free after getting paid on Friday and having some extra money in your pocket.
The second verse describes the preparation that goes into a big night out, from combing your hair and shaving your face to make sure you look your best, to trying to forget about the other days of the week and just focus on Saturday. As the night goes on, the song captures the sensory overload of the experience, from the sound of pool balls cracking to the neon lights buzzing and the phone ringing.
The melancholy that creeps in towards the end of the song is a reminder that the Saturday night experience is fleeting and temporary, and that it cannot last forever. As one stumbles onto the heart of Saturday night, there is a sense of both excitement and sadness, knowing that the night has to end eventually.
Line by Line Meaning
Well you gassed her up
You fueled up your car
Behind the wheel
You are driving the car
With your arm around your sweet one
Your sweetheart is sitting beside you
In your Oldsmobile
Your car is an Oldsmobile
Barrelin' down the boulevard
You are driving recklessly
You're looking for the heart of Saturday night
You are searching for the excitement of the weekend
And you got paid on Friday
You received your salary on Friday
And your pockets are jingling
Your pockets are full of money
And you see the lights
You notice the city lights
You get all tinglin' cause you're cruising with a six
You feel excited because you are driving a powerful car
Then you comb your hair
You groom yourself
Shave your face
You shave your beard
Trying to wipe out every trace
You want to erase any signs of the past week
All the other days
You want to forget about the weekdays
In the week you know that this'll be the Saturday
You look forward to the weekend
You're reachin' your peak
You feel like you are at the top of your game
Stopping on the red
You stop at the red traffic light
You're going on the green
You start driving when the light turns green
Tonight'll be like nothing
You feel like this night will be unique
You've ever seen
You have never experienced anything like this before
Tell me is the crack of the poolballs, neon buzzin
You notice the sounds of pool balls cracking and the neon lights flashing
Telephone's ringing; it's your second cousin
Your cousin is calling you
Is it the barmaid that's smiling from the corner of her eye
You notice the waitress smiling at you
Magic of the melancholy tear in your eye
You feel a sense of sadness mixed with excitement
Makes it kind of quiver down in the core
You feel a stirring deep inside
You're dreaming of them Saturdays that came before
You remember the weekends of your past
Now you're stumbling
You are stumbling
You're stumbling onto the heart of Saturday night
You are stumbling into the excitement of the weekend
Now you're stumbling
You are stumbling
You're stumbling onto the heart of Saturday night
You are stumbling into the excitement of the weekend
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Thomas Alan Waits
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
sclogse1
Title song is amazing. Catch her version of The Summer Wind. A sax solo of immense perfection.
Arkham Paradise
Criminally underrated song.
Glen Ward
a Tom Waits choon - just great