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 Traitor
Martha Wainwright Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ah, the rose of high romance, it opened wide
A sun tanned woman yearned me through the summer
And the judges watched us from the other side
I told my mother, "Mother, I must leave you
Preserve my room but do not shed a tear
Should rumor of a shabby ending reach you
But the rose I sickened with a scarlet fever
And the swan I tempted with a sense of shame
She said at last I was her finest lover
And if she withered I would be to blame
The judges said, "You missed it by a fraction
Rise up and brace your troops for the attack"
Ah, the dreamers ride against the men of action
Oh, see the men of action falling back
But I lingered on her thighs, a fatal moment
I kissed her lips as though I thirsted still
My falsity had stung me like a hornet
The poison sank and it paralyzed my will
I could not move to warn all the younger soldiers
That they had been deserted from above
So on battlefields from here to Barcelona
I'm listed with the enemies of love
And long ago she said, "I must be leaving
Ah, but keep my body here to lie upon
You can move it up and down and when I'm sleeping
Run some wire through that rose and wind the swan"
So daily I renew my idle duty
I touch her here and there, I know my place
I kiss her open mouth and I praise her beauty
And people call me traitor to my face
The lyrics to Martha Wainwright's song "The Traitor" describe a story of forbidden love and the consequences that come with it. The first verse introduces the setting of the English river where a swan is floating and a rose blooms. The singer then reminisces about a sun-tanned woman that he had an affair with during the summer. However, the judges watch them from the other side, implying that their love is not accepted by society.
In the second verse, the singer confesses to his mother that he must leave and warns her that if rumors of a shabby ending reach her, it was partly his fault. The third verse describes the downfall of the relationship, as the rose becomes sick with fever, and the swan is tempted with shame. Despite this, the woman tells the singer that he was her best lover, and if she withers, he would be blamed.
The fourth verse describes the judges telling the singer that he missed his chance, and the dreamers, represented by the singer, fail against men of action. In the final verse, the singer is consumed by his longing for the woman, but his falsity is revealed when he kisses her lips and realizes he is betraying his own beliefs. He is unable to warn the younger soldiers, who are left deserted, and he is listed among the enemies of love. Despite this, he continues to touch the woman and praise her beauty, leading people to call him a traitor.
Overall, "The Traitor" is a story about the consequences of forbidden love and the struggle between love and societal norms. It highlights the pain of betrayal and the weight carried by those who disobey society's expectations.
Line by Line Meaning
Now the swan it floated on the English river
The swan floated calmly in the river
Ah, the rose of high romance, it opened wide
A beautiful and romantic rose bloomed wide open
A sun tanned woman yearned me through the summer
During summer, a woman with a tan desired me
And the judges watched us from the other side
Judges from a distance watched us
I told my mother, "Mother, I must leave you
I informed my mother that I needed to leave her
Preserve my room but do not shed a tear
Please keep my room empty and do not cry
Should rumor of a shabby ending reach you
If you hear rumors of a bad outcome
It was half my fault and half the atmosphere"
I bear half the blame, the other half is the environment
But the rose I sickened with a scarlet fever
I made the rose sick with a serious disease called scarlet fever
And the swan I tempted with a sense of shame
I enticed the swan with feelings of disgrace
She said at last I was her finest lover
Eventually, she admitted that I was her best lover
And if she withered I would be to blame
If she died, it would be my fault
The judges said, "You missed it by a fraction
The distant judges claimed that I failed by a small amount
Rise up and brace your troops for the attack"
Get ready for the enemy's attack
Ah, the dreamers ride against the men of action
The hopeful people oppose the more practical people
Oh, see the men of action falling back
The practical people are losing ground
But I lingered on her thighs, a fatal moment
I stayed with her for too long, a disastrous decision
I kissed her lips as though I thirsted still
I kissed her passionately as if I still craved her
My falsity had stung me like a hornet
My deceit harmed me as much as a hornet sting
The poison sank and it paralyzed my will
The venom invaded me, and I lost my motivation
I could not move to warn all the younger soldiers
I was unable to alert the inexperienced soldiers
That they had been deserted from above
They were abandoned from higher up
So on battlefields from here to Barcelona
On every battlefield from here to Barcelona
I'm listed with the enemies of love
I am now an opponent of love
And long ago she said, "I must be leaving
She had said a long time ago that she had to go
Ah, but keep my body here to lie upon
But please let my body stay here for comfort
You can move it up and down and when I'm sleeping
You can shift it as I rest
Run some wire through that rose and wind the swan"
Put a wire through the rose and attach it to the swan
So daily I renew my idle duty
Every day, I perform my meaningless obligation
I touch her here and there, I know my place
I touch her randomly, knowing my unimportant role
I kiss her open mouth and I praise her beauty
I kiss her without love and compliment her looks
And people call me traitor to my face
Others insult me by calling me a traitor directly
Lyrics © Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LEONARD COHEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@pepotecoll7315
Ahora el cisne flotó en el río inglés
Ah, la rosa de High Romance se abrió de par en par
Una mujer bronceada me anhelaba durante el verano
Y los jueces nos observaron desde el otro lado
Le dije a mi madre «Madre, debo dejarte
Conserva mi habitación pero no derrames una lágrima
En caso de que el rumor de un final en mal estado te alcance
Era la mitad de mi culpa y la mitad de la atmósfera »
Pero la Rosa me enfermó de escarlatina
Y el Cisne lo tenté con un sentimiento de vergüenza
Ella dijo por fin que yo era su mejor amante
Y si ella se marchitara, yo sería la culpable
Los jueces dijeron que te lo perdiste por una fracción
Levántate y prepara a tus tropas para el ataque
Ah, los soñadores cabalgan contra los hombres de acción
Oh, ve a los hombres de acción retrocediendo
Pero me demoré en sus muslos un momento fatal
Besé sus labios como si todavía tuviera sed
Mi falsedad me había picado como un avispón
El veneno se hundió y paralizó mi voluntad
No podía moverme para advertir a todos los soldados más jóvenes
Que habían sido abandonados desde arriba
Entonces en los campos de batalla de aquí a Barcelona
Estoy en la lista con los enemigos del amor
Y hace mucho tiempo dijo: «Debo partir,
Ah, pero mantengan mi cuerpo aquí para descansar sobre
Puedes moverlo hacia arriba y hacia abajo y cuando estoy durmiendo
Pasa un cable por Rose y enrolla el Swan »
Así que todos los días renuevo mi deber inactivo
La toco aquí y allá - Conozco mi lugar
Le beso la boca abierta y alabo su belleza
Y la gente me llama traidor a mi cara
@luciclaireshedoe2230
Love love love her voice and take on life... 💃💐
@katesmith3034
It’s only when you listen to this performance of Martha’s that you truly appreciate what a complete artist she truly is. She writes and sings amazing music, but her interpretation and characterisation in this performance was stunning. It’s as if the song possessed her, I was transported to that place her performance had created. Pure genius 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
@mandynam7581
Martha Wainwright is a beast.
@FirstorDirt
The Best interpratation of a song you will ever hear.She develops every corner of this thing
@frankmalinaro9700
~~ yep, she owns this song. Gets better every time I hear it.
@ledaswan5990
It’s unbelievable.
@littleghostfilms3012
This is the song through which I discovered Martha's stunning voice and human presence. It's honestly one of the most mesmerizing performances I've ever seen. She gives 200% of herself over to the drama of this L.C. masterpiece of lyrical poetry. BEAUTIFUL!!
@moondancer4660
Damn, Leonard Cohen had a way with words! Ballad of the Absent Mare on his '79 album called Recent songs of Leonard Cohen. That is such a beautiful song also.
@charlesgray2567
You are quite right; she leaves it all on the field.
@tobiebradshaw4134
This is the definitive version of this song, in my opinion. Beautiful and poignant.