Madeleine Peyroux is a jazz singer who was born in 1974 in Athens, Georgia,… Read Full Bio ↴Madeleine Peyroux is a jazz singer who was born in 1974 in Athens, Georgia, USA, and raised in New York City and Paris, France. She is noted for her vocal style, which is highly reminiscent of Billie Holiday. Madeleine also has qualities similar to Ella Fitzgerald. Though Peyroux may remind some listeners of Holiday, there are differences, and she has her own sense of phrasing and interpretation.

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.

Walkin' After Midnight
Madeleine Peyroux Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I go out walkin'
After midnight
Out in the moonlight
Just like we used to do
I'm always walkin'
After midnight
Searching for you

I walk for miles
Along the highway
Well that's just my way
Of saying I love you
I'm always walkin'
After midnight
Searching for you

I stop to see a weeping willow
Cryin' on his pillow
Maybe he's cryin' for me
And as the skies turn gloomy
Night winds whisper to me
I'm lonesome as I can be

I go out walkin'
After midnight
Out in the moonlight
Just hopin' you may be
Somewhere a-walkin'
After midnight
Searching for me

I stop to see a weeping willow
Cryin' on his pillow
Maybe he's cryin' for me
And as the skies turn gloomy
Night winds whisper to me
I'm lonesome as I can be

I go out walkin'
After midnight
Out in the moonlight
Just hopin' you may be
Somewhere a-walkin'
After midnight
Searching for me

I stop to see a weeping willow
Cryin' on his pillow
Maybe he's cryin' for me
And as the skies turn gloomy
Night winds whisper to me
I'm lonesome as I can be

I go out walkin'
After midnight
Out in the moonlight
Just hopin' you may be
Somewhere a-walkin'
After midnight
Searching for me

Somewhere a-walkin'
After midnight
Searching for me

Somewhere a-walkin'

After midnight
Searching for me

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Walkin' After Midnight" describe a person who goes out for a walk late at night, hoping to find their lost love. The singer walks aimlessly, along highways, and under the moonlight, reminiscing the times they used to walk together. The use of a weeping willow and stormy skies in the lyrics suggests the singer's feelings of loneliness and sadness. The repetition of the chorus adds to the singer's desperation to find their lover, hoping they might be walking at the same time. The song speaks about the universal theme of lost love and the lengths one can go to find it.

The lyrics of this song give a glimpse into the life of its songwriter, Alan Block, who wrote them while he was serving time in jail for breaking and entering. Although the song was made famous by Patsy Cline, Madeleine Peyroux's version has a more subdued, introspective feel to it. The music, combined with the lyrics, creates a sense of longing and desperation, making it clear that the singer has been searching for their loved one for a long time.

Line by Line Meaning

I go out walkin'
I leave home and take a walk

After midnight
Late at night, after 12 AM

Out in the moonlight
Outside in the light of the moon

Just like we used to do
This is a tradition or habit

I'm always walkin'
I frequently take walks

Searching for you
I'm looking for you, hoping to find you

I walk for miles
I walk long distances

Along the highway
Next to the road used by cars and trucks

Well that's just my way
This is the method I choose

Of saying I love you
This is my expression of affection and devotion

I stop to see a weeping willow
I pause to look at a special tree