Daughter of Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle, and the sister of Rufus Wainwright, she has frequently appeared on recordings by her family members, the McGarrigle Sisters and Family and has released several independent EPs. Wainwright released an independent cassette, Ground Floor, in 1997. The following year, her song "Year of the Dragon" appeared on The McGarrigle Hour, an album released by Kate & Anna McGarrigle. Shortly after this recording, Martha began singing backup vocals for her brother, and released the six-song EP Martha Wainwright in 1999.
Her full length self-titled first album was released in 2005, followed in 2008 by I Know You're Married but I've Got Feelings Too, and in 2009 by Sans fusils, ni souliers, à Paris: Martha Wainwright's Piaf Record. The Prosperpina Songfacts reports that her 4th album, Come Home To Mama, was recorded at Sean Lennon's studio in New York City. Speaking about the album, Wainwright said: "This record is a culmination of my life experiences so far. Everything changed for me a couple of years ago and this record is a representation of that and a return to the reason I started writing songs."
Some People
Martha Wainwright Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Others make the changes in the night
Some only read the rainbows
Others only read the clouds in the sky
I don’t want to be the one to tell you that
I don’t love the way I used to
And set you free by the morning light
I’ll pack my bags of sorrow
And leave ‘em by the door tonight
I don’t mind the rain on my head
If only I believed in God, I’d ask
Him to help me find my way
But I am faced with a world that does not have the words to say
So I will be the one to tell you
That I don’t love the way I used to
Glimmers of hope and time
Will make it alright
So let’s try and make it last
This one more night
I don’t mind the rain on my head
Oh no
"‘Some People’ by Martha Wainwright is a heart-wrenching and powerful song about the complexities of love and relationships. The song speaks about the differences in how people handle change and emotions. Some people find it difficult to make changes in their life and only see the positives in things, while others find it easier to make changes at night and only focus on the negatives. Martha talks about how she no longer loves the way she used to and contemplates leaving in order to set her partner free. She packs her bags of ‘sorrow’ and prepares to leave by the morning. The song is filled with raw emotions and highlights the difficulty of letting go of someone you love.
Martha’s voice is hauntingly beautiful and complements the lyrics well. The chorus provides a glimmer of hope that everything will be okay if we stay together for one more night. The song is driven by a piano, and there’s a somber tone to the music that reflects the mood. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a person struggling with their emotions and trying to navigate a difficult situation. Martha uses metaphors such as ‘rainbows’ and ‘clouds’ to describe how people interpret emotions differently. The use of metaphors adds depth to the lyrics and gives the song a poetic quality."
Line by Line Meaning
Some make the changes in the daylight
Not everyone is comfortable with making changes in the dark, some choose to do it in daylight when the sun is shining bright.
Others make the changes in the night
While some may choose to make changes in the daylight, others find solace in the quietude of night when the world is asleep.
Some only read the rainbows
Not everyone sees the bleakness in life, some choose to focus only on the positives and live their life shining like a rainbow.
Others only read the clouds in the sky
Some people only see the gloom in life, they look at the dark clouds taking over the sky.
I don’t want to be the one to tell you that
I don't like to hurt others, but sometimes it's necessary to say the truth.
I don’t love the way I used to
I don't feel the same way about you as I once did.
Maybe I should leave tomorrow
Perhaps the best thing I can do for both of us is to leave tomorrow.
And set you free by the morning light
Leaving by morning light will signify the start of a new day, a fresh start for both of us.
I’ll pack my bags of sorrow
I'm carrying emotional baggage and it's time for me to move on from it.
And leave ‘em by the door tonight
I'll leave all my sadness at the door tonight and walk away.
I don’t mind the rain on my head
The rain represents a catharsis for me, sometimes it helps to wash away the negativity.
If only I believed in God, I’d ask
Though I don't believe in god, sometimes I wish I did, so I could ask for guidance.
Him to help me find my way
I'm feeling lost and could use some assistance to find my way back on track.
But I am faced with a world that does not have the words to say
There are times when words fail to convey the magnitude of our emotions.
So I will be the one to tell you
It's time for me to take a stand and speak up, even if it means hurting someone.
That I don’t love the way I used to
My feelings for you have changed, I don't love you the way I once did.
Glimmers of hope and time
There are always glimmers of hope that keep us moving forward, despite the challenging times.
Will make it alright
Given time and the right approach, everything will be alright.
So let’s try and make it last
Let's work together to keep our relationship going, let's not give up on each other just yet.
This one more night
Let's spend one more night together and see if we can make things work.
Oh no
I'm not afraid of facing difficult situations, even if it means getting drenched in the pouring rain.
Contributed by Penelope B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.