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."
The Maker
Martha Wainwright Lyrics
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Did someone here fa[d]e it, someone here fake it
Did someone here take it, someone here make it
Someone here steal it, someone here lease it
Under the table where we used to take it
The briar, the bracken, the ebb flow
The "Cold Shoulder" trilogy
I've been seen crossing
So I'm dreaming, let's start at the endings
Of love & sex, it's a strange one, often a staged one
Oh, maybe we can get it on the run
The story is a new one, it's based on a re-run
You wouldn't have known it if I hadn't brought it up
Oh, maybe we should just let it go
Oh no
I've been seen crossing
Somebody else's mind
Nothing is sacred and I cannot shake it
This feeling of loss when the daytime is crossed
By the sight of night, the sharp moonlight
Dyes the sky
And I'm wondering now if you got my last call
Or was the music too loud when you let out the hounds
Oh, maybe you should come and see my show
I hope not
I've been seen crossing
Somebody else's mind
I love you so
(Boiling some water to kill myself)
I love you so
(Boiling some water to kill myself)
Let it be known
(Boiling some water to kill myself)
Let it be known
(Boiling some water to kill myself)
(repeat)
You went across my heart
You've been crossing my mind
Nothing is sacred and I cannot shake it
This feeling of loss when the daytime is crossed by
This feeling of loss when the daytime is crossed by
This feeling of loss when the daytime is crossed...
"The Maker" by Martha Wainwright is a song about the complexities of love, sex and loss. The lyrics begin with a list of people, the singer's brother, sister, lover and maker, and questions whether they were responsible for a situation in which something was taken, made or stolen. The lyrics continue to describe the confusion the singer feels when thinking about someone who is on their mind, who they have been intensely thinking about, and who may have been thinking of them as well. They go on to say that the feeling of loss is palpable in their life, especially during the day when nightfall reminds them of the person who is on their mind.
The repetition of the phrase "I've been seen crossing somebody else's mind" illuminates the singer's fixation on the person they can't stop thinking of. The use of imagery such as "the briar, the bracken, the ebb flow" invokes the idea of something that is tangled and knotty, and the "Sharp moonlight dy[ing] the sky" hints at something ominous or unresolved. Ultimately, the lyrics show that the singer is torn between wanting to reach out to the person they are thinking of and wanting to move on from something that is causing them pain.
Line by Line Meaning
My brother, my sister, my lover, my maker
Addressing various important figures in her life
Did someone here fade it, someone here fake it
Questioning whether someone has deceived her
Did someone here take it, someone here make it
Asking whether someone has taken credit for or created something without permission
Someone here steal it, someone here lease it
Suspecting someone of taking something without permission or profiting from her work
Under the table where we used to take it
Reminiscing about secret moments shared with someone
The briar, the bracken, the ebb flow
Referring to nature and its cyclical patterns
The "Cold Shoulder" trilogy
Referring to a series of songs or performances
I've been seen crossing
Somebody else's mind
Feeling guilty or self-conscious about intruding into someone's thoughts
So I'm dreaming, let's start at the endings
Of love & sex, it's a strange one, often a staged one
Oh, maybe we can get it on the run
Musing about the strange and often performative nature of love and sex
The story is a new one, it's based on a re-run
You wouldn't have known it if I hadn't brought it up
Oh, maybe we should just let it go
Oh no
Acknowledging the repetition of themes in her stories and wondering if it's worth bringing up again
Nothing is sacred and I cannot shake it
This feeling of loss when the daytime is crossed
By the sight of night, the sharp moonlight
Dyes the sky
Feeling a sense of loss and despair even in everyday moments
And I'm wondering now if you got my last call
Or was the music too loud when you let out the hounds
Oh, maybe you should come and see my show
I hope not
Wondering if someone received her message and fearing their reaction to her performance
I love you so
(Boiling some water to kill myself)
Let it be known
(Boiling some water to kill myself)
(repeat)
Expressing intense feelings of love and despair, possibly considering self-harm
You went across my heart
You've been crossing my mind
Nothing is sacred and I cannot shake it
This feeling of loss when the daytime is crossed by
This feeling of loss when the daytime is crossed by
This feeling of loss when the daytime is crossed...
Continuing to dwell on a sense of heartbreak and loss
Contributed by Mackenzie A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.