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.
boulevard of broken dreams
Marianne Faithfull Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The boulevard of broken dreams
Where gigolo and gigolette
Can take a kiss without regret
So they forget their broken dreams
You laugh tonight and cry tomorrow
When you behold your shattered schemes
Wake up to find their eyes are wet
With tears that tell of broken dreams
Here is where you'll always find me
Always walking up and down
But I left my soul behind me
In an old cathedral town
The joy that you find here, you borrow
You cannot keep it long, it seems
But gigolo and gigolette
Still sing a song and dance along
The boulevard of broken dreams
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da
The joy that you find here, you borrow
You cannot keep it long, it seems
But gigolo and gigolette
Still sing a song and dance along
The boulevard of broken dreams
In Marianne Faithfull’s song “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” the singer portrays a sense of melancholy as she walks along the “street of sorrow,” which is referred to as the Boulevard of Broken Dreams. She describes the individuals she encounters there as gigolos and gigolettes who can take kisses without regret, probably referring to the idea of prostitution, where people forget their broken dreams. The singer goes on to describe how the people she meets on this boulevard think they are living life full of joy and laughter, but they will eventually cry when they see their shattered dreams.
The chorus of the song talks about how you cannot keep the joy you find here for long. In fact, you have to keep borrowing it, and it will seem to slip away eventually. The singer leaves her soul behind in the old cathedral town and is found always walking up and down the Boulevard of Broken Dreams. Nonetheless, gigolo and gigolette still sing a song and dance along this boulevard, capturing the essence of living life in spite of all odds.
This song tells the story of people who have lost their way in life, and how they find themselves walking along the Boulevard of Broken Dreams. The song highlights the fleeting nature of happiness and how people are often let down by their hopes and dreams. Overall, this song is a poignant reminder of how life can sometimes be full of disappointments, but people should still make the most of it.
Line by Line Meaning
I walk along the street of sorrow
I am wandering through a place of sadness and despair
The boulevard of broken dreams
This street represents the shattered hopes and aspirations of many people
Where gigolo and gigolette
This place is filled with people who sell their bodies for money
Can take a kiss without regret
They can engage in physical acts without feeling guilty or remorseful
So they forget their broken dreams
Their current reality is so bleak that they try to escape from it by indulging in their desires
You laugh tonight and cry tomorrow
The fleeting happiness you experience here is quickly replaced by sadness and despair
When you behold your shattered schemes
You become aware of the fact that your dreams have been broken and cannot be fulfilled
And gigolo and gigolette
The people who work in this industry
Wake up to find their eyes are wet
They realize that their situation is not what they wanted or expected it to be
With tears that tell of broken dreams
They cry because their hopes and aspirations have been crushed
Here is where you'll always find me
This is the place where I spend most of my time
Always walking up and down
I am constantly moving, but not going anywhere
But I left my soul behind me
I have lost my sense of purpose and meaning in life
In an old cathedral town
I used to have faith, but now I am lost
The joy that you find here, you borrow
The happiness you feel here is only temporary and does not belong to you
You cannot keep it long, it seems
This happiness fades quickly and is soon replaced by sorrow
Still sing a song and dance along
Despite their harsh reality, these people continue to try and find joy in their lives
The boulevard of broken dreams
This street is a symbol of the shattered hopes and dreams of many people who come here
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Al Dubin, Harry Warren
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Richard Bianchino
Marianne Faithfull has come a long way from the 60's hit single of "As Tears Go By". Since then she has seen many tears go by. With a husky voice, full of soul and life experiences, her songs come across as vocal vignettes. If teens can have angst, so can senior citizens. And Marianne Faithfull portrays her angst proudly.
June Asiimwe
Well put. She's one of those artists who got better with age. Her gravelly voice makes her music that much more compelling in the way she approaches the the darker aspects of life.
X X
she's one of the greatest singers of our time !
Maria Isabel Ponte Fernandes
Um encanto!!!!Uma voz Única!!!!
Marilisa Crespo
Que beleZa!!!!
357CLOUDY Black Feather
She got the virus but she made it!
Love her attitude and voice.
Rick Artdefoix
A nice cover in the ballad kind, of this classic of the American jazz répertoire. Mariane Faithful, one of the sixties beauty icons, a real legend, proved to be a clever and quite good composer and has so managed to become a sort of cult, praised musician. One is forced to take her into account, for she can be amazingly good. Like Mariane too, in "The Hawk" and some other songs. Love that wasted sort of voice and her deep feelings. She manages to transmit wisdom, anger or sadness as well. Find she can be a very talented and expressive singer. Also a good songwriter, we own her quite good songs. Will read her autobiography, find is an interesting person, a real survivor. And I like survivors. Her rendition of the famous "Sister Morphine" still the best one, for me. "Blue Millionaire" and "Why you do it to me" are a kind of different sort of jazz blues, very original compositions with a powerful rythm and an angry tone. Definitely like her.
Roman Latkovic
Damn... what a great voice...
L'estrange Susan
By far the best version
X X
SHE'S THE ULTIMATE SOUL SINGER !