Born on the 2nd February 1985 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Gardot took up piano and played as a youngster on the nightclub scene of Philadelphia, influenced by jazz, folk, rock, and pop musics. At the age of nineteen she was a fashion student at the Community College of Philadelphia. While cycling in Philadelphia in November 2003 she was hit by a car whose driver had ignored a red traffic light. In the accident she suffered serious head and spinal injuries, and her pelvis was broken in two places. Because of these severe injuries she was confined to her hospital bed for a year. Her musical beginning was prompted by a tending physician who was concerned with her cognitive impairment as a result of head injury sustained in the accident. He believed that music would help her brain injury improve, as it has been known to show remarkable results in improving people's cognitive ability after such trauma.
Following her doctor's suggestion, Gardot made recordings bedside, while still unable to walk, and eventually released the works as an EP: Some Lessons: The Bedroom Sessions (2005). Gardot's desire to be well, combined with a bit of luck, brought her to the attention of a local radio DJ at the AAA station WXPN (known for launching the careers of artists such as Amos Lee and Norah Jones). Her cognitive powers slowly but surely became pronounced, leading to the independent recording and release of her debut CD, Worrisome Heart, which was reissued in 2007 by Verve records.
Gardot is hypersensitive to light and noise, so wears dark glasses; she also uses a cane to walk. Onstage she requires a special seating unit, and wears a Transcutaneous Electro-Nerve Stimulator, a TENS device, to assist in alleviating her neuralgic muscle pain. Though touring is difficult, she has been performing in major cities on the East Coast of the U.S. to support her recordings. In 2009, working with producer Larry Klein and arranger Vince Mendoza - both known for their work with Joni Mitchell - Gardot followed up her Verve debut with My One and Only Thrill.
In 2012, she released the album The Absence.
Down My Avenue
Melody Gardot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dans les rues
Dans les rues
Dans les rues
Dans les rues
Dans les rues
Dans Dans Dans les rues
Down my avenue all the people walking drag their feet
Down my avenue everyone you meet is full of gloom
And the shade of their face is one of unpending doom
Let me tell you know
You don't know what it's like unless you live here
You don't know what it's like unless you live here
All I wanna do is just to scream and shout into their ears
Hey people why do you think it's all right to go and hurt me
Down my avenue everyboy tells you how it is
Things like he ran to her house and she snuck on back into his
Down my avenue everybody 's got a story to tell
But the fact of the matter is nobody knows it too well
Let me tell you know
You don't know what it's like unless you live here
You don't know what it's like unless you live here
All I wanna do is just to scream and shout into their ears
Hey people why do you think it's all right to go and hurt me
Why, Why
Dans les rues
Dans les rues
Dans les rues
Dans les rues
Dans les rues
Dans les rues
Dans les rues
Dans les rues
Let me tell you know
You don't know what it's like unless you live here
You don't know what it's like unless you live here
All I wanna do is just to scream and shout into their ears
Hey people why do you think it's all right to go and
Why do you think it's all right
Why do you think it's all right
Why do you think it's all right
To go and hurt me
Uhmmmm
Melody Gardot's "Down My Avenue" starts with a repeated phrase in French: "Dans les rues" which means "In the streets". This is a powerful way to introduce the song as it sets the scene and the mood. The song is about a street that is dark, gloomy, and full of people with worried faces. The lyrics suggest that the people who live there are struggling with their lives and there is a lot of pain and hurt. The sun doesn't shine on the street and the people walking there drag their feet, feeling weighed down by their problems. The singer seems to be frustrated with the people around her, and all she wants to do is scream at them and ask why they hurt her.
The second verse talks about how everyone on the street has a story to tell, but nobody really knows the full story. There is a lot of gossip and hearsay, but nobody really knows how it feels to be in someone else's shoes. The singer feels like she is being hurt by the people around her, and she doesn't understand why they would do that to her.
The chorus repeats the phrase "You don't know what it's like unless you live here", emphasizing that it's hard to understand the struggles of the people living in this street unless you experience it yourself. The singer also asks why it's okay for people to hurt others, suggesting that there is a lot of pain and hurt in this community.
Overall, "Down My Avenue" is a powerful and emotional song that paints a vivid picture of a street full of pain and hurt. The repeated French phrase at the start of the song adds a unique touch and sets the mood for the rest of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Down my avenue the sun don't shine on the street
The street where I live always seems dark and gloomy.
Down my avenue all the people walking drag their feet
People around here always seem unhappy and lack any kind of motivation.
Down my avenue everyone you meet is full of gloom
Everyone around here always looks sad and hopeless.
And the shade of their face is one of unpending doom
Their unhappy expressions suggest that something terrible is about to happen.
Let me tell you know
I want to make sure you understand something important.
You don't know what it's like unless you live here
You cannot fully understand how miserable this place is unless you've experienced it firsthand.
All I wanna do is just to scream and shout into their ears
I feel so frustrated and angry that I just want to yell at everyone around me.
Hey people why do you think it's all right to go and hurt me
I don't understand why people here feel the need to mistreat me or make me feel bad.
Down my avenue everyboy tells you how it is
People around here feel the need to share their opinions and stories with everyone else.
Things like he ran to her house and she snuck on back into his
People share juicy gossip and stories that may or may not be true.
Down my avenue everybody 's got a story to tell
Everyone around here has something they want to share, whether it's true or not.
But the fact of the matter is nobody knows it too well
Despite everyone sharing their stories, nobody really knows what's going on in each other's lives.
Why, Why
A rhetorical question expressing frustration and confusion about people's behavior.
To go and hurt me
To treat me poorly or cause me harm in some way.
Uhmmmm
A non-verbal expression that could suggest uncertainty, confusion, or contemplation.
Contributed by Gavin E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
lovejoydiver87
Amazing. I came across her music while I was on the plane. I immediately checked her out when I got home. I love finding good artists this way, spontaneous - as though the music was just waiting for that right moment to be heard. And I find her story really inspiring. Cheers!
Slavko Cosic
Wow...Class like always<3...Light & Love...
Trentin Holtzclaw
@1JustWatching123 yea i just discovered her today too and its absolutely wonderful her voice caresses my soul and says it will all be okay
Pati Sanchez
lovely
Renaud-Jules Deschenes
Québec le 18 juin 2015
Formi-formi...FORMIDABLE...
Renaud
George Prosser
some lessons l.p. thnx for posting..
Jessica Makiadi
HEEY She speaks FRENCH <3
roman slepcik
Gooood Melody bardot ...... ;) d'_'b coooOOOLLL everywhere & every day