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.
No Child of Mine
Marianne Faithfull Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But there are things that you must learn
That every man must stand alone
And family you must disown
Go home, find your own way
Go on, find your own way
Go home, find your own wayGo on, find your own way
Don't cry my child, you must know
That every man I've ever loved
Has been a child and fatherless
Trust in yourself, it's all that you can trust
Go home, find your own way
Go on, find your own way
Go home, find your own way
Go on, find your own way
Go home, find your own way
Go on, find your own way
Go try, find your own way
Go on, find your own way
I have no time for hate or love
Hey child, you're so full of woe
I have no time for hate or lying
Hey child, you're no child of mine
I have no time for hate or love
Hey child, you're so full of woe
I have no time for hate or lying
Hey child, you're no child of mine
Hey child, you're no child of mine
Hey child, you're no child of mine
The lyrics to Marianne Faithfull's song "No Child of Mine" are a message of tough love and tough lessons from a parent to a child. The parent acknowledges the growth of the child but asserts that there are some things the child must learn on their own. The line, "that every man must stand alone," suggests that the parent is trying to prepare the child for the harsh realities of life and the need to be self-sufficient. The line "family you must disown" may be interpreted as the parent suggesting that the child must let go of unhealthy or toxic family relationships in order to move forward.
The chorus "Go home, find your own way, go on, find your own way," repeats throughout the song, resonating the message that the parent is trying to convey. The parent tells the child not to cry but rather to trust in themselves because it is all they have to trust in. The lines "I have no time for hate or love, hey child, you're so full of woe," suggest that the parent is tired of drama and wants the child to move past it to find their own path. In the end, the parent declares "Hey child, you're no child of mine," as an ultimate statement of their belief in the child's independence.
Line by Line Meaning
You are my child and how you've grown
You were once my child, but now you have grown up
But there are things that you must learn
However, there are important things that you still need to learn
That every man must stand alone
One of these things is that every person must learn to be independent
And family you must disown
Sometimes you have to let go of your family ties
Go home, find your own way
Find your own path, starting from where you came from
Go on, find your own way
Keep searching until you find where you belong
Don't cry my child, you must know
Even though it may be hard, you must understand
That every man I've ever loved
The people that I have loved in the past
Has been a child and fatherless
Were once children without a father
Trust in yourself, it's all that you can trust
Believe in yourself, because that is the only thing that you can truly depend on
I have no time for hate or love
I am not interested in either hate or love
Hey child, you're so full of woe
You seem to be full of sadness
I have no time for hate or lying
I also have no patience for falsehoods or dishonesty
Hey child, you're no child of mine
Ultimately, I cannot claim you as my child anymore
Hey child, you're no child of mine
Because you have grown into your own person and have to live your own life
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: POLLY JEAN HARVEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind