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 Summer Wind
Madeleine Peyroux Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Came blowing in
From across the sea
It lingered there
So warm and fair
To walk with me
All summer long
We sang a song
Two sweethearts
And the summer wind
Like painted kites
Those days and nights
Went flyin' by
The world was new
Beneath a blue
Umbrella sky
Then softer than
A piper man
One day it called to you
And I lost you
To the summer wind
The autumn wind
And the winter wind
Have come and gone
And still the days
Those lonely days
Go on and on
And guess who sighs her lullabies
Through nights that never end
My fickle friend
The summer wind
The summer wind
The lyrics to Madeleine Peyroux’s song Summer Wind are a nostalgic reflection on a lost love. The song speaks of the beautiful memories of two lovers spending their summer together, walking on golden sand, singing songs, and enjoying each other's company against the backdrop of the summer wind that blows in from across the sea. The summer wind is a metaphor for the carefree and fleeting season of summer that brings with it warmth and happiness, but also a sense of transience.
The lyrics go on to depict the passing of time as the summer comes to an end and a new season begins. The world is no longer fresh and new, and the blue skies and warm nights have passed. The singer is left to recall the sweet memories of her time with her lost love, reminiscing about the past and all the things they did together. The lyrics capture a sense of heartbreak and longing for something that is no longer there, as the singer sighs her lullabies through endless nights, unable to let go of the memories of her fickle friend, the summer wind.
Overall, the lyrics of Madeleine Peyroux’s song Summer Wind speak to the universal experience of lost love and the bittersweet recollection of past memories. The song's imagery of summer, the sea, and the passing seasons creates a dream-like atmosphere that perfectly captures the fleeting nature of love and time.
Line by Line Meaning
The summer wind
The season of summer
Came blowing in
Summer arrived with the wind
From across the sea
The wind came from a distant place
It lingered there
The warm wind hung around for a while
So warm and fair
The wind was gentle and balmy
To walk with me
The singer enjoyed going on walks in the summer breeze
All summer long
Throughout the entirety of the summer season
We sang a song
The singer and her partner sang together during their times outside
And strolled on golden sand
They walked on the beach, which was lit by the soft light of the sun in the evenings
Two sweethearts
The singer and her partner were in love
And the summer wind
The warm breeze of summer
Like painted kites
The memories of those moments felt vibrant and colorful
Those days and nights
Days and nights that were filled with memories
Went flyin' by
Time passed quickly during the season of summer
The world was new
Everything seemed fresh and invigorating
Beneath a blue
Below a sky that was blue
Umbrella sky
A sky that appears to be like an umbrella
Then softer than
Less forceful than
A piper man
The wind, sounding like a man playing a flute
One day it called to you
The singer’s partner was drawn away by its influence
And I lost you
The partner left the singer’s side
To the summer wind
The warm breeze of summer had taken the singer's partner away
The autumn wind
The season that comes after summer
And the winter wind
The cold wind of winter months
Have come and gone
The seasons have passed without the singer's partner's presence
And still the days
Despite time passing, days still feel empty
Those lonely days
Days spent without the singer's partner
Go on and on
Time continues to move forward
And guess who sighs her lullabies
The singer passes her nights alone
Through nights that never end
Nights continue to feel long and endless
My fickle friend
The singer regards the summer wind as unpredictable and unreliable
The summer wind
The breeze of the summer season
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Hans Bradtke, Henry Mayer, Johnny Mercer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kurt
Unbelievable Saxophon solo!
The Hired Guy
Her voice just grows on you...reminds me of a spring evening in my native New Orleans with the air thick with the scent of night blooming jasmine, a tall cool glass, smooth jazz in the background and a comfortable silence between me and her. A man can dream, can't he? :-) Thanks for the post tangled!
Nikoleta Skountrianou
A man can also write poetry!!!!!
The Hired Guy
@Nikoleta Skountrianou How kind of you to say so. Much appreciated.
Jeff Latten
NOLA can do that to you.
Anjou
She's a sublime singer. Telling these stories with heartbreaking, joyful, togetherness. Blessings to you lady.
Maria Inês Dias Martins de Carvalgo
Muito linda essa música.Amo❤
Marie Peckham
Loving this version of The Summer Wind.....so gentle and bluesy and relaxed. Like a warm Summer wind!
Antonio Carlos Novelli
Que delícia é ouvir Madeleine Peyroux, uma autêntica cantora de jazz, com a bossa das divas do jazz.
Conn Smyth
One of the greatest sax solos I've ever heard....