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.
The Pleasure Song
Marianne Faithfull Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So much more
So much more love to give
I got so much more
So much love
So much more love left to give
Draws me like I never saw
I have never seen you
Look like this before
I got so many lives
So many more
So many more lives to live
I got so much love
So much love
So much more love left to give
So much pleasure
Draws me like I never saw
I have never seen you
Look like this before
Are you with me or without me?
Are you with me here or am I alone?
I got somewhere
Somewhere to be
Somewhere to be with you
There is somewhere
Somewhere to be
Somewhere for me and you
So much pleasure
Draws me like I never saw
I have never seen you
Look like this before
Are you with me or without me?
Are you with me now or am I alone?
Can you see me? I can see you
Please be with me here so I'm not alone
So much more to know
Didn't want to go
So much more to know
Didn't want to go
So much more to go
Didn't want to go
So much more to know
Didn't want to go
So much more to know
So much more to go
So much more to know
Marianne Faithfull’s “The Pleasure Song” is a nostalgic and romantic ballad about having so much love and pleasure left to give. The opening lines of the song, “I got so much love / So much more / So much more love to give” emphasize the singer’s capacity for love and imply that she is looking for someone to share it with. The repetition of “So much more” suggests that the singer has been holding back, waiting for the right person to come along and share her abundance of love with.
The song’s chorus, “So much pleasure / Draws me like I never saw / I have never seen you / Look like this before” captures the overwhelming feeling of attraction and desire that the singer is experiencing. She is drawn to the object of her affection like never before and is seeing them in a completely new and exciting way. This verse is repeated later in the song, reinforcing the idea that this new love is something special and unforgettable.
In the bridge of the song, the singer asks, “Are you with me or without me? / Are you with me here or am I alone?” This piece of the song is a poignant reminder that love is not always easy; it requires commitment and trust. The singer is questioning whether her love interest is truly invested in the relationship or if she is going through this experience alone. However, she is determined to move forward and is certain that there is a future for them both: “There is somewhere / Somewhere to be / Somewhere for me and you.”
Overall, “The Pleasure Song” is a beautiful and emotional tribute to the joys and complexities of love. It portrays the singer as someone who has a lot of love to give and is looking for someone to share it with, while also acknowledging the challenges that come along with love.
Line by Line Meaning
I got so much love
I have a lot of love to give.
So much more
Even more than what I thought I had.
So much more love left to give
My capacity for love is unlimited.
So much pleasure
The feeling of joy and satisfaction is overwhelming.
Draws me like I never saw
It attracts me like nothing ever has before.
I have never seen you
You look different than before.
Look like this before
You are an unfamiliar sight to me.
I got so many lives
I have many experiences yet to have.
So many more lives to live
There are many more opportunities for me to explore in life.
Are you with me or without me?
Do you stand by my side or leave me to face challenges alone?
Are you with me here or am I alone?
Will you be present with me or leave me in solitude?
I got somewhere
I have a place to be.
Somewhere to be with you
A special place where we can be together.
There is somewhere
A location exists.
Somewhere for me and you
A destination for both of us to share.
Can you see me?
Do you acknowledge my presence?
I can see you
I notice your actions and mood.
Please be with me here so I'm not alone
I want you to stay close to me so I don't feel lonely.
So much more to know
There is an endless amount of knowledge and wisdom to be gained.
Didn't want to go
I'm not ready to leave since there is so much more to explore.
So much more to go
There are more experiences to have in the future.
So much more to know
I still have so much to learn.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: ETIENNE DAHO, EDITH FAMBUENA, JEAN LOUIS PIEROT, MARIANNE FAITHFULL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind