He began experimenting with sound and four-track recording at the age of 11, eventually building an arsenal of instruments that included junk-shop organs and a home-built theremin. At the age of 14 he joined the pop-art collective Minty, a venture that caught the eyes and ears of Fat Cat Records, which went on to supply the youth with a computer and mixing tools for aid in his newfound audio experimentation. He left home at the age of 16 and formed Maison Crimineaux with his friend Fanny, which eventually found its way to France where the noisy duo played a show attended by electronic maestro Kristian Robinson (aka Capitol K), who went on to release Wolf's lauded 2003 debut. With Lycanthropy reaching number 39 in the NME's top LPs of the year, as well as receiving critical acclaim throughout Europe and America, Wolf decided to study composition at the Trinity College Music Conservatoire.
The results of that endeavor can be heard on his 2005 release Wind in the Wires, a dark collection of moody British folk and chamber pop with a chilly laptop sheen.
Wolf released his third album, and the first on a major label, The Magic Position, in February 2007. A concept album on the theme of love, the majority of it was written after the end of a long term intimate relationship. It featured collaborations with Marianne Faithfull and Edward Larrikin of Larrikin Love.
His fourth album, The Bachelor, was originally supposed to be part of a double album called Battle (the other disc was to be called The Conqueror). It was released on 1 June 2009. Guest musicians included Atari Teenage Riot's Alec Empire, actress Tilda Swinton, folk musician Eliza Carthy and avant-garde electronic pioneer Matthew Herbert.
Wolf's fifth album, Lupercalia, was released on 20 June 2011 by Hideout, a subsidiary of Mercury Records. Songfacts explains that the album title refers to the fertility and love festival which the ancient Romans celebrated between February 13-15 (the predecessor to Valentine's Day).
His latest release is a double album entitled Sundark and Riverlight, celebrating Wolf's 10 years as a recording artist. The album features acoustic re-recordings of songs from throughout his career, as well as previously unheard tracks.
Paris
Patrick Wolf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Began to give. the bath was spilling over, my
Self pity spilling with it, so I, I fled the country
To start it all again and found myself in Paris in
The cemetery rain.
Dear Anne came to me and took me by the arm
Showed me old disasters embedded in the palm
With a a granite neck, a singer who can never sing
Again, but you, my love:
You must come, come to joy, turn your head to the sun
Its down to you, you can shine, you can shake all the
Sorrow from your palm, its down to you if you dare
To come to joy.
What was it I ran from, what burnt away inside?
Four hundred schoolboys and a lawyer at my side
Always running with these legs going nowhere
A ghost in the system, and angel on the stairs
But oh! this time
I shall turn, turn my head to the sun
They are marching out of me, one by one
Walking free. oh! they're going out of
Oh! I can feel it moving, this time I'm really moving.
Are you ready to come, come to joy well its really down to
You if you dare to enjoy, its down to you, hold the key
In your hands, it's all in the palm of your hands.
The lyrics of “Paris” by Patrick Wolf speak of a troubled individual facing a burnout and looking for a way out. The song begins with the singer feeling defeated and escaping to Paris, where he finds himself in a cemetery during the rain. There he meets Dear Anne, who shows him the old disasters imprinted on the palm and warns him about a lady with a granite neck, who is a singer who can never sing again. Eventually, in the chorus, she encourages him to come to joy, to turn his head to the sun and shake all the sorrow from his palm.
The second verse describes what the singer is running from, which is 400 schoolboys and a lawyer. He feels like a ghost in the system and an angel on the stairs, with legs that are always running but going nowhere. However, this time, he feels like he is moving and is ready to turn his head to the sun and let go of all his troubles.
The song “Paris” showcases themes of escapism, self-discovery, and finding the light in dark times. The city of Paris is used as a symbol of hope and potential for a new beginning, while the cemetery represents the past that needs to be mourned and left behind. The singer struggles with inner demons and uncertainties but ultimately finds the strength to move on towards a brighter future.
Line by Line Meaning
It was seven in the morning when the spark
Began to give. the bath was spilling over, my
Self pity spilling with it, so I, I fled the country
To start it all again and found myself in Paris in
The cemetery rain.
At the break of dawn, I realized that my bathwater was overflowing and my despair was spilling over too. I decided to escape my problems and start anew. I ended up in Paris, where I found myself surrounded by the melancholic rain in a cemetery.
Dear Anne came to me and took me by the arm
Showed me old disasters embedded in the palm
Warned me of a lady with the sun behind her head.
With a a granite neck, a singer who can never sing
Again, but you, my love:
Anne came to me and showed me scars of past mistakes on her palm. She warned me of a woman with an imposing presence, a head adorned with the sun, a singer who lost her voice forever. But you, my love, are different.
You must come, come to joy, turn your head to the sun
Its down to you, you can shine, you can shake all the
Sorrow from your palm, its down to you if you dare
To come to joy.
Anne believes that I need to embrace joy and allow sunlight to heal my wounds. It's up to me to let go of sorrow and depression and find happiness if I choose to take the risk.
What was it I ran from, what burnt away inside?
Four hundred schoolboys and a lawyer at my side
Always running with these legs going nowhere
A ghost in the system, and angel on the stairs
But oh! this time
I am questioning what made me feel so lost and desperate. I had four hundred schoolboys and a lawyer with me, yet I still felt like I was running in circles. I was part of the system but also felt like a ghost. However, this time things will be different.
I shall turn, turn my head to the sun
They are marching out of me, one by one
Walking free. oh! they're going out of
Oh! I can feel it moving, this time I'm really moving.
I will look towards the light and let go of my inner demons one by one. They are leaving me, and I finally feel free. It's a new beginning for me, and I'm finally moving forward.
Are you ready to come, come to joy well its really down to
You if you dare to enjoy, its down to you, hold the key
In your hands, it's all in the palm of your hands.
Are you ready to seek happiness? It's up to you to take the chance and dare to be joyful. You are in control of your fate; everything is in your hands.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: PATRICK WOLF
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind