Malene is the daughter of two musicians, drummer and music teacher Karen Mortensen and trumpet player and composer Jens Winther. Malene grew up as an only child with her mother in Copenhagen, Denmark, at first in Christiania, later at Christianshavn. Yet in 1991 they moved to Elsinore, Karen Mortensen being headhunted to the post as chief music teacher at IPC, International People's College.
Karen Mortensen passed away 1993 after two years struggle against cancer. As a tough consequence of this, 11-year-old Malene moved back to the City of Copenhagen. Custody of Malene was given to Karen's friend from student's days at the Royal Danish Academy of Music, Birthe Skou, teacher of music theory and ear training. From years 11 to 16, Malene - the little girl with the big voice - sang out her grief in The Children's Choir of the Royal Danish Academy of Music. Through the years she was given many solo assignments.
At the tender age of 12 Malene was the vocalist in the kid's rock band, Rocking Rabbits, under the leadership of blues singer Chaeg. At the same time she took piano lessons at Hanne Mulvad's. Malene had never played classical music before; Hanne Mulvad had never teached children. But the experiment was a success. During those 6 months Malene learned to play about 30 little piano pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach, Erik Satie and Béla Bartók. When she was in 8th and 9th grades at her grammar school, Malene and two female schoolmates formed a gospel trio and regularly performed for private gatherings. Malene entered Sankt Annæ Gymnasium (SAG) - the Copenhagen high school for youngsters with musical talent - in 1998. She tackled the MGK curriculum, the standard three-year course of study combined with a three-year musical program, and graduated in just four years with a dual diploma.
In the spring of 1999 she won second prize in Berlinske Tidende newspaper's music competition. Later that year she gave a solo performance of the gospel song "Ever Smiling Liberty" with the SAG choir and following the event she was booked to sing the song at several spots in Denmark. Malene also appeared numerous times on Copenhagen stages as a soloist with the SAG Big Band. She sang with various jazz and pop groups in the first two years of high school. And occasionally she made a guest appearance in her father's band, Jens Winther Quintet.
In 2002, as a virtually unknown highschool student, Malene sang her way into Danish hearts when she won the Danish Eurovision song contest with Tell Me Who You Are. By that time, however, she had already drawn a lot of attention on the Danish Broadcasting Corp's song contest "Stjerne for en aften," (akin to the British "Pop Idol") when she was first runner-up with Sing It Back.
The springtime 2002 was a busy time for Malene. She was continuously exposed in the Danish media. She participated in The Eurovision Song Contest in Tallinn, her MGK and high-school exams had to be passed, and there were concerts and a CD project. Despite the hectic schedule Malene capped off her high-school career in June 2002 by earning a 'lucky' 13 - the rarely-awarded superlative of the school grading system - in her major area of study, singing.
In September 2002 jazz pianist and producer Niels Lan Doky heard Malene sing at their common old school, SAG, and immediately approached her. Things developed in a musical collaboration: in the fall 2002 Malene, Niels, Anna Lia Bright and Michael Sunding wrote together and individually 9 catchy pop songs and also developed Karen Mortensen's "Aftenkanon", now "Evensong".
In December Malene was signed by Universal Music, and she spent 2 weeks in Paris pre-recording her first album, Paradise, at Doky's Studio. The album was realised September 1st, 2003.
Although Malene has recorded with some of the greatest Danish jazz artists as Niels Lan Doky, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen and Alex Riel, neither the marketing nor the sales were remarkable. Subsequently, Universal Music did not wish to exercise the options in the contract and Malene was set free January 2004.
Immediately after this Malene and Kasper Villaume Trio contributed to the Danish jazz-gala success at Midem, in Cannes. Peter Littauer, general manager of record company Sundance, heard Malene sing at this event, and in the light of this experience he signed the both of them in August 2004.
Outside Sundance, but with their approval, Malene went to Kiminova Studio to record with Lund Quartet and RLQ Raasted an album containing fine modern original jazz-compositions by flutist Jens Erik Raasted and pianist Christian Lund plus the romantic Aarestrup i marts.
The recording of Malene's second solo album, Date With a Dream, took place in January and February 2005.
There was already plenty of musical material: songs from Malene's fruitful collaboration with Anna Lia Bright and Michael Sunding in 2002-04 and last, but not least, the new songs written by Malene and her new co-writer and friend from the conservatory, pianist Magnus Hjorth. The final outcome ended up with 50-50 of standard and original compositions, inclusive a ballade by Avishai Cohen with lyrics by Malene and another friend from the conservatory, Marianne Sogaard Andersen.
The album was released April 2005, distributed to 20 countries and with 30,000 sold albums Malene is reaching her international breakthrough.
Malene, her third solo album was released November 16, 2006. Malene wrote some personal songs as well as adding some cover songs like John Mayer irresistible City Love, Branford Marsalis jazz classic Another Day and the famous Desperado by Eagles.
It features musicians as Chris Potter, Mike Stern, Adam Rogers, Kasper Villaume, Jacob Christoffersen and Rasmus Khielberg.
In November 2007, Malene's Christmas album …To All Of You is released.
It contains some of the good old classic Christmas songs like Last Christmas, Warm December, Silent Night, Santa Claus Is Coming To Town and many others.
Agony & Ecstasy, her fifth solo album, is released in September 2009. All the songs are written by Malene herself, and some songs are co written with the musicians in her band. The genre of the music is a fusion between pop, rock and jazz.
The musicians on the album are Calle Mörner on guitar, Petter Eldh on bass, Magnus Hjorth on piano and Snorre Kirk on drums, young extremely talented boys from Sweden and Norway.
Official website: http://www.malenemortensen.dk
Desperado
Malene Mortensen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You've been out ridin' fences
For so long now
Ohh you're a hard one
I know that you've got your reasons
These things that are pleasin' you
Can hurt you somehow
She'll beat you if she's able
You know the queen of hearts is always your best bet
Now it seems to me, some fine things
Have been laid upon your table
But you only want the ones
That you can't get
Desperado
Ohhhh you ain't getting no younger
Your pain and your hunger
They're driving you home
And freedom, ohh freedom
Well that's just some people talking
Your prison is walking through this world all alone
Don't your feet get cold in the winter time?
The sky won't snow and the sun won't shine
It's hard to tell the night time from the day
And you're losing all your highs and lows
Ain't it funny how the feeling goes
Away...
Desperado
Why don't you come to your senses?
Come down from your fences, open the gate
It may be rainin', but there's a rainbow above you
You better let somebody love you
(Let somebody love you)
You better let somebody love you... ohhh.
Before it's too.oooo. late
The song "Desperado" by Malene Mortensen is a cover of the classic song by the Eagles. The lyrics speak to a person who is stubbornly holding onto their independence, despite the fact that it is causing them pain and loneliness. The singer addresses this person, calling them a "desperado," and urges them to come to their senses and let someone love them before it's too late.
The first verse sets the scene, with the singer acknowledging that the "desperado" has been riding fences for a long time and is a hard person. They know that the person has their reasons for behaving this way, but they caution that the things that they think will bring them pleasure can actually hurt them. The second verse calls out the "desperado's" tendency to only want things they can't have, and urges them to come down from their fences and let someone in.
The chorus repeats the phrase "Desperado, why don't you come to your senses?" which serves as a plea to the person to realize that their solitary lifestyle is not sustainable. The final lines of the song offer the "desperado" hope, with the singer pointing out that there is a rainbow above them even in the rain, and urging them to let someone love them before it's too late.
Line by Line Meaning
Desperado, why don't you come to your senses
Why are you so lost and directionless, unable to understand what's happening around you?
You've been out ridin' fences
You've been wandering around aimlessly, without any objective or direction
For so long now
This has been happening for quite some time, and you have failed to take action
Ohh you're a hard one
Your stubbornness is holding you back, preventing you from truly living
I know that you've got your reasons
You're not lost for no reason, there are factors that have led to your current situation
These things that are pleasin' you
You're attracted to things that bring you temporary satisfaction
Can hurt you somehow
In the long run, these things can cause harm and damage
Don't you draw the queen of diamonds boy
Don't be tempted by something that you know will ultimately result in defeat or failure
She'll beat you if she's able
This temptation will overpower and dominate you if you let it
You know the queen of hearts is always your best bet
The opportunity for love and connection is always better than a temporary victory
Now it seems to me, some fine things
You have tasted some of the good things that life has to offer
Have been laid upon your table
You have been given the opportunity to experience some success and joy
But you only want the ones
However, you're only interested in the things that are not attainable
That you can't get
You don't appreciate the things that are within your reach
Desperado
You're in a state of despair and desperation
Ohhhh you ain't getting no younger
Time is passing you by, and you're not getting any younger
Your pain and your hunger
Your pain and longing is consuming you
They're driving you home
These feelings are pushing you to seek a sense of belonging and purpose
And freedom, ohh freedom
The idea of freedom is just talk to you, as you feel trapped and alone
Well that's just some people talking
It's just an ideal that seems far-fetched and unattainable to you
Your prison is walking through this world all alone
You feel trapped and isolated, unable to connect with others and form meaningful relationships
Don't your feet get cold in the winter time?
Don't you feel the impact of your loneliness and isolation?
The sky won't snow and the sun won't shine
You feel as though you're in a perpetual state of darkness and despair
It's hard to tell the night time from the day
You feel lost and disoriented, unable to distinguish between hope and hopelessness
And you're losing all your highs and lows
You're losing your grip on your emotions, becoming numb to both highs and lows
Ain't it funny how the feeling goes
It's ironic how you can feel so deeply but also be so empty inside
Desperado
You're still in a state of desperation
Why don't you come to your senses?
Why don't you snap out of it and take action to change your life?
Come down from your fences, open the gate
Stop being so guarded and closed off, and embrace the opportunities around you
It may be rainin', but there's a rainbow above you
Life may be tough right now, but there's always hope and beauty to be found
You better let somebody love you (let somebody love you)
You need to open yourself up to love and connection, otherwise you will continue to suffer
Before it's too.oooo. late
You need to take action before it's too late to change the course of your life
Writer(s): Glenn Lewis Frey
Contributed by Skyler A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Umut TAHTAKILIÇ
Amazing!
Vademar of Xeroes
Why is it so hard to find a damn album on youtube
Dundie Winner
+Eddard Clegane of The Dreadfort
Copyright laws, for starters :P
Barbara Campagna
Bellissima...
劉孟叡
good!!