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.
prologue
Marianne Faithfull Lyrics
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Where the moon on the Mississippi is a-shining ever,
Like you always hear in the songs of Dixie.
We look forward to our home-coming?
And the sooner the better.
Anna II
Anna I
It's a month already since we started
For the great big cities where you go to make money.
In seven years our fortune will be made
And then we can go back.
Anna II
In six years would be much nicer.
Anna I
Our mom and dad and both our brothers wait in old Louisiana
And we'll send them all our money as we make it,
For all the money's got to go to build a little house
Down by the Mississippi in Louisiana.
Right, Anna ?
Anna II
Yes, Anna.
Anna I
She's the one with the looks, I'm realistic,
She's just a little mad, my head is on straight.
But we're really one divided being
Even though you see two of us
And both of us are Anna,
Together we've but a single past, a single future,
One heart and one savings account,
And we only do what's best for one another.
Right, Anna?
Anna II
Yes, Anna.
"Prologue" by Marianne Faithfull is a captivating song that tells the story of two sisters who left Louisiana to pursue their dreams of making money in the big cities. The song starts by painting a vivid picture of Louisiana and the allure of going back home. The sisters have been away for a month, and they are eager to return home as soon as they make enough money. However, they have an ambitious plan to stay in the big cities for seven years to make their fortune before they can go back.
The two sisters have contrasting personalities, but they share a strong bond. Anna I is realistic, while Anna II is a little mad, but they are one divided being, and together they have a single past and future. They only do what's best for each other, and their plan to send all their money back home to help build a little house by the Mississippi in Louisiana shows their loyalty and love for their family.
Overall, the song is a powerful reminder of the importance of family and the sacrifices we make to pursue our dreams. The two sisters are willing to work hard and make sacrifices for each other and their family, and the song celebrates their resilience and determination.
Line by Line Meaning
So my sister and I left Louisiana
We both left Louisiana together
Where the moon on the Mississippi is a-shining ever,
We left the place where the moon always shines on the Mississippi river
Like you always hear in the songs of Dixie.
It's the same kind of moon you hear in Dixie songs.
We look forward to our home-coming?
We are excited and longing for our homecoming
And the sooner the better.
We want it to happen as soon as possible
It's a month already since we started
We started a month ago
For the great big cities where you go to make money.
We went to big cities to make money
In seven years our fortune will be made
We will have made our fortune in seven years
And then we can go back.
We will return home then
In six years would be much nicer.
It would be better if we could go back in six years instead
Our mom and dad and both our brothers wait in old Louisiana
Our parents and brothers are waiting for our return in old Louisiana
And we'll send them all our money as we make it,
We will send them all the money we make
For all the money's got to go to build a little house
All the money we make will go towards building a little house
Down by the Mississippi in Louisiana.
By the Mississippi river in Louisiana
Right, Anna ?
Isn't that right, Anna?
She's the one with the looks, I'm realistic,
Anna II is the pretty one and Anna I is practical
She's just a little mad, my head is on straight.
Anna II is a bit crazy and Anna I is level-headed
But we're really one divided being
We are actually one being, despite being divided into two sisters
Even though you see two of us And both of us are Anna,
Although there are two of us, we are both named Anna
Together we've but a single past, a single future,
We have a shared past and future
One heart and one savings account,
We share one heart and our savings account
And we only do what's best for one another.
We always do what's best for each other
Right, Anna?
Isn't that right, Anna?
Yes, Anna.
Yes, that's right, Anna.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANGELO BADALAMENTI, DANTE ALIGHIERI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind