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.
Love In The Afternoon
Marianne Faithfull Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Daytime is done.
The lights along the river come up
One by one.
Let's make love again
We got time.
I am yours
You are mine.
I have to go.
Don't want my husband
Or my friends to know.
Zip up my dress
I can't find my shoes.
Don't fall in love with me
Too much to lose.
The kids are home by now
Have to think fast.
I really think this afternoon
Must be the last.
Don't say anything,
Don't turn on the light.
Thanks for loving me,
Call you tonight.
In Marianne Faithfull's song Love in the Afternoon, the singer seems to be a woman who is having an affair with someone. The song begins with her acknowledging that the daytime is over, and the darkness is setting in. This image seems to represent the end of something - the end of their time together, perhaps. Despite this, she urges her lover to make love again, as they still have time. This sense of urgency is indicative of the affair being secret, and the two not being able to spend as much time together as they would like.
As the song progresses, it becomes clearer that the woman is married and that her lover is not her husband. She is concerned about returning home and being found out, so she rushes to zip up her dress and find her shoes. As she leaves, she asks her lover not to fall in love with her as she has too much to lose. She is already breaking one promise by cheating on her husband, and falling in love with someone else would only complicate things further.
The last part of the song sees the woman leaving her lover's house and heading back to her life as a wife and mother. She is worried that her children might be home already, and she has to act quickly to avoid suspicion. The song ends with her thanking her lover for the time they spent together and promising to call him later. Overall, the song paints a vivid picture of the guilt and secrecy that comes with having an affair.
Line by Line Meaning
It's getting dark outside
The daytime has ended, and the sun is going down
The lights along the river come up
Streetlights along the river turn on one by one
Let's make love again
Let's have sex with each other one more time
We got time
We have sufficient time to do what we want to do
I am yours
I completely belong to you in this moment
You are mine
You are completely mine in this moment
I have to go
I must leave now
Don't want my husband
I prefer that my spouse doesn't discover my affair
Or my friends to know
I prefer that no one, especially my friends, finds out about our secret affair
Zip up my dress
Please help me close my outfit
I can't find my shoes
I can't locate my shoes
Don't fall in love with me
Please don't develop feelings for me that go beyond a physical affair
Too much to lose
If we have an emotional connection, it will jeopardize our current arrangement and potentially lead to the loss of everything
The kids are home by now
Our children are most probably back from school or wherever they might have been by now
Have to think fast
We need to act quickly and make a swift exit
I really think this afternoon must be the last
I believe that we should end this affair today and never see each other again
Don't say anything
Please don't speak, let's leave everything unspoken, without explanation
Don't turn on the light
Please don't brighten the room, keep it dark
Thanks for loving me
I appreciate that you shared this time with me
Call you tonight
I will call you later tonight
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANGELO BADALAMENTI, MARIANNE FAITHFULL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind