Born in Hampstead, London, Faithfull began her career in 1964 after attending a Rolling Stones party, where she was discovered by Andrew Loog Oldham. Her debut album Marianne Faithfull (released simultaneously with her album Come My Way on April 15, 1965) was a commercial success followed by a number of albums on Decca Records. From 1966 to 1970, she had a highly publicised romantic relationship with Mick Jagger. Her popularity was further enhanced by her film roles, such as those in I'll Never Forget What's'isname (1967), The Girl on a Motorcycle (1968), and Hamlet (1969). However, her popularity was overshadowed by personal problems in the 1970s. During that time she was anorexic, homeless and a heroin addict.
Noted for her distinctive voice, Faithfull's previously melodic and higher-registered vocals (which were prevalent throughout her career in the 1960s) were affected by severe laryngitis, coupled with persistent drug abuse during the 1970s, permanently altering her voice, leaving it raspy, cracked and lower in pitch. This new sound was praised as "whisky soaked" by some critics and seen as having helped to capture the raw emotions expressed in Faithfull's music.
After a long commercial absence, Faithfull made a comeback with the 1979 release of her critically acclaimed album Broken English. The album was a commercial success and marked a resurgence of her musical career. Broken English earned Faithfull a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance and is often regarded as her "definitive recording". She followed this with a series of albums, including Dangerous Acquaintances (1981), A Child's Adventure (1983) and Strange Weather (1987). Faithfull also wrote three books about her life: Faithfull: An Autobiography (1994), Memories, Dreams & Reflections (2007) and Marianne Faithfull: A Life on Record (2014).
Faithfull is listed on VH1's "100 Greatest Women of Rock and Roll" list. She received the World Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2009 Women's World Awards and was made a Commandeur of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the government of France.
A Waste Of Time
Marianne Faithfull Lyrics
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Another sort of step along the way
A waste of time
A waste but an interest in delay
Was it all of a waste
Or was it fun
People fly far away
Almost not too clear a lesson not to play
Exercice perhaps in sensual decay
Hard to love and to see how the land lay
How to love, what to say
Gliding across thin ice
With nothing left to say
Gliding across thin ice
With nothing left to say
Gliding across thin ice
With nothing, nothing left to say
A waste of time
At least some company along the way
Great visions
Perhaps too fast too bright but anyway
And I'll be what you be
You wanna say
You think you wanna say
Gliding across thin ice
With nothing left to say
Gliding across thin ice
With nothing left to say
Gliding across thin ice
With nothing, nothing left to say
How to love and to see how the land lay
How to laugh, what to say
Gliding across thin ice
With nothing left to say
Gliding across thin ice
With nothing left to say
Gliding across thin ice
With nothing, nothing left to say
The lyrics of Marianne Faithfull's "A Waste of Time" express a sense of futility and ambiguity that one experiences when reflecting on past experiences. The song starts off by admitting that the experience was a waste of time. However, it may have been interesting in terms of delaying the inevitable - a step along the way towards something else.
The song reflects on whether or not the experience was actually a waste of time, or was it just good fun? It appears that it was a mixture of both. The people you meet and experiences you have can be enjoyable, but the ultimate outcome may be a waste of time. The line "people fly far away" seems to suggest that people move on from experiences and leave them behind.
"A waste of time" may also be a lesson not to play, which means that one should avoid repeating the same mistakes. Nevertheless, it remains difficult to love and see how the land lays in the face of ambiguity. The singer may be dealing with the aftermath of a relationship or life circumstance that was confusing and difficult to navigate.
The repeated lines in the chorus, "gliding across thin ice, with nothing left to say" may reinforce the idea of floating through life without much direction or meaning. Overall, "A Waste of Time" is a reflection on past experiences, the ambiguity and futility that they may bring, and the struggle to make sense of them.
Line by Line Meaning
Another waste of time
Another experience that seems like a waste of time
Another sort of step along the way
Another step in the journey towards something
A waste of time
A pointless experience
A waste but an interest in delay
A pointless experience, but enjoyable in a way to put things off for a bit
Was it all of a waste
Was the experience completely pointless?
Or was it fun
Or was it enjoyable regardless of its lack of purpose?
People fly far away
People move on from things quickly
Almost not too clear a lesson not to play
The lesson to be learned is not very clear
Exercise perhaps in sensual decay
Maybe the experience was just a way to indulge in decadence
Hard to love and to see how the land lay
Difficult to understand how to love and navigate the situation
How to love, what to say
How to express love and communicate about it is unclear
Gliding across thin ice
Navigating a dangerous situation with ease
With nothing left to say
No words to express the situation
At least some company along the way
At least there was someone else to share the experience with
Great visions
Ambitious plans for the future
Perhaps too fast too bright but anyway
Maybe these plans were overly ambitious and unrealistic
And I'll be what you be
I'll follow you and do what you do
You wanna say
Whatever you want to say
You think you wanna say
Whatever you think you want to say
How to laugh, what to say
It's unclear how to express happiness and communicate about it
With nothing, nothing left to say
No words left to express the situation
Contributed by Kaitlyn E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.