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.
You're Going To Make Me Lonesome When You Go
Madeleine Peyroux Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's never been this close before
Never been so easy or so slow
Been shooting in the dark too long
When something's not right it's wrong
You're gonna make me lonesome when you go
Dragon clouds so high above
It's always hit me from below.
This time around it's more correct
Right on target, so direct,
You're gonna make me lonesome when you go
Purple clover, Queen Anne lace,
Crimson hair across your face,
You could make me cry if you don't know.
Can't remember what I was thinkin' of
You might be spoilin' me too much, love,
You're gonna make me lonesome when you go
Flowers on the hillside, bloomin' crazy,
Crickets talkin' back and forth in rhyme,
Blue river runnin' slow and lazy,
I could stay with you forever
And never realize the time.
Situations have ended sad,
Relationships have all been bad.
Mine've been like Verlaine's and Rimbaud.
But there's no way I can compare
All those scenes to this affair,
You're gonna make me lonesome when you go
You're gonna make me wonder what I'm doing,
Staying far behind without you.
You're gonna make me wonder what I'm saying,
You're gonna make me give myself a good talking to.
I'll look for you in old Honolulu,
San Francisco and Ashtabula,
You're gonna have to leave me now, I know.
But I'll see you in the sky above,
In the tall grass, in the ones I love,
You're gonna make me lonesome when you go.
Madeleine Peyroux's rendition of Bob Dylan's You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go is a beautifully melancholic ode to the inevitability of separation. Peyroux croons about how love has never been as close to her as it is now, but how it is also making it harder for her to let go when the time comes. She speaks of how she's always been the victim of careless love and how this love is different this time - it's more direct and right on target, leading her to feel like he/she is spoiling her too much. Despite the beauty of the moments they share together amidst the flowering hillside and blue river running slow and lazy, Peyroux knows that this love, like previous ones, will end sadly.
The line "Mine've been like Verlaine's and Rimbaud" is referencing the notorious love affair between two French poets, Paul Verlaine and Arthur Rimbaud, which ended in Verlaine shooting Rimbaud in a fit of jealousy. Peyroux uses this to contrast how this love is nothing like those tumultuous affairs, yet she knows that the end will still make her feel incredibly lonely. She sings about how this love is going to make her wonder what she's doing and saying, and how it's going to make her give herself a good talking to because she can't help but feel so hurt when they leave.
Overall, You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go is a powerful, bittersweet song about the complexities of love and the pain of knowing that good things must come to an end.
Line by Line Meaning
I've seen love go by my door
I've experienced love before, but not like this
It's never been this close before
This love is more intense and more real
Never been so easy or so slow
This love is happening at its own pace, without any pressure or rush
Been shooting in the dark too long
I've had bad experiences in the past with love, and I don't have a clear sense of direction
When something's not right it's wrong
I know the difference between good and bad love from my past experiences
You're gonna make me lonesome when you go
Even though I'm happy now, I know I'll miss you when this ends
Dragon clouds so high above
The sky is beautiful right now
I've only known careless love,
I've never experienced a love as strong as this
It's always hit me from below.
Love has always hurt me in the past
This time around it's more correct
This love feels right and true
Right on target, so direct,
This love is clear and focused
You're gonna make me lonesome when you go
I know I'll miss you when this ends
Purple clover, Queen Anne lace,
The world is beautiful and full of love
Crimson hair across your face,
You are beautiful and make me feel happy
You could make me cry if you don't know.
You have the power to hurt me without even knowing it
Can't remember what I was thinkin' of
I'm so caught up in my emotions that I'm not thinking clearly
You might be spoilin' me too much, love,
You're treating me so well that I feel like I don't deserve it
You're gonna make me lonesome when you go
I know I'll miss you when this ends
Flowers on the hillside, bloomin' crazy,
The world is full of beauty and love
Crickets talkin' back and forth in rhyme,
Nature is peaceful and harmonious
Blue river runnin' slow and lazy,
The world is peaceful and calm
I could stay with you forever
I never want to lose you
And never realize the time.
Time with you feels like it's passing too quickly
Situations have ended sad,
I've had bad experiences with love in the past
Relationships have all been bad.
I haven't had any positive experiences with relationships in the past
Mine've been like Verlaine's and Rimbaud.
My past relationships have been dramatic and tumultuous
But there's no way I can compare
This love is different from all my past experiences
All those scenes to this affair,
This love is more intense, real, and genuine
You're gonna make me lonesome when you go
I know I'll miss you when this ends
You're gonna make me wonder what I'm doing,
I'll question my decisions and wonder if I made a mistake by letting you go
Staying far behind without you.
Being without you will feel like a lost opportunity or a missed connection
You're gonna make me wonder what I'm saying,
I'll question my words and actions in this relationship
You're gonna make me give myself a good talking to.
I'll reflect on my behavior and try to do better in future relationships
I'll look for you in old Honolulu,
I'll search for you in all the places we've been together
San Francisco and Ashtabula,
I'll try to find you in familiar locations that remind me of you
You're gonna have to leave me now, I know.
I'm aware that this relationship can't last forever and that you'll have to leave eventually
But I'll see you in the sky above,
I'll continue to think about you and remember you after you're gone
In the tall grass, in the ones I love,
I'll find reminders of you in places and people that are special to me
You're gonna make me lonesome when you go.
I know I'll miss you when this ends
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
J.P. Kempkes
I've been a Dylan fan since Freewheelin'. I've liked a lot of his stuff and LOVED so much. Occasionally a cover of his song surpasses even him - this is one of them.
Sundae Express
I'm a Dylan fan too but I think "occasionally" is an understatement!
Paulo Massarde
gorgeous song awesome voice :)
J.P. Kempkes
great lyrics, greater voice
Sundae Express
She didn't write the lyrics. Bob Dylan did.
Danielle Baskerville
This song makes my soul smile !
sculptorguy
makes mine cry.
Sundae Express
Just been reading through Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 80 best Dylan covers of all time and was shocked to see that this isn't on there!
Βασίλης Σπανός
Wonderful!
Joe Pile
Wonderful song, wonderfully done, by a really nice lady