Half The Perfect World
Peyroux Madeleine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'd cook for him, I'd pour his tea
I was in my thirties then
Had made some money, lived with men
We'd lay us down to give and get
Beneath the white mosquito net
And since no counting had begun
The candles burned
The moon went down
The polished hill
The milky town
Transparent, weightless, luminous
Uncovering the two of us
On that fundamental ground
Where love's unwilled, unleashed, unbound
And half the perfect world is found
The candles burned
The moon went down
The polished hill
The milky town
Transparent, weightless, luminous
Uncovering the two of us
On that fundamental ground
Where love's unwilled, unleashed, unbound
And half the perfect world is found
Half The Perfect World is a song performed by Peyroux Madeleine that tells the story of a woman who is reflecting on a past love affair. She remembers specific moments of her life with her lover which happened when she was in her thirties and had already made some money, but still lived with men. The man would visit her every night, and she would cook for him and make him tea. They would then lay down under a white mosquito net and make love without any counting time. She describes the experience as living a thousand years in one.
The lyrics go on to describe the environment where they spent their time together. The candles burned, the moon went down, and the polished hill and milky town were uncovered as they lay, weightless, luminous, and transparent. The experience was on a fundamental ground where love was unwilled, unleashed, and unbound. It was half the perfect world they had found.
Overall, the song appears to be a nostalgic reflection on a past love affair that was magical and perfect in every way. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the environment and the emotions felt by the woman during that time. It emphasizes the intensity of the moment and how they both lived in the present.
Line by Line Meaning
Every night he'd come to me
He would visit me regularly, often at night.
I'd cook for him, I'd pour his tea
I would prepare food and beverage for him.
I was in my thirties then
I was thirty-something years old at that time.
Had made some money, lived with men
I had earned some income and had lived with some male partners.
We'd lay us down to give and get
We would end our day by exchanging intimacy.
Beneath the white mosquito net
We would be lying under a white mosquito net.
And since no counting had begun
We didn't keep track of time because it wasn't important.
We lived a thousand years in one
We experienced so much within a short amount of time, it felt like a millennium.
The candles burned
The candles were lit.
The moon went down
The night progressed and the moon disappeared.
The polished hill
The hill was smooth and shiny.
The milky town
The town looked foggy and pale.
Transparent, weightless, luminous
Everything looked see-through, light, and radiant.
Uncovering the two of us
The light revealed us, exposed our love.
On that fundamental ground
In the deepest level of our connection, that was never tampered by society.
Where love's unwilled, unleashed, unbound
Where our love wasn't controlled by rules or logic, but free and natural.
And half the perfect world is found
In that moment, we only needed half of what the perfect world offered because we were content with each other.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANJANI THOMAS, LEONARD COHEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Anjou
The musicians with her on these beautiful tracks were quietly world-famous. You can hear that.
KatalistProductions-Kozzy-Sasha
Man I love her so much, just amazing music, what a voice!!!!!!!!
springbok37
with so much crap going on these days it sure is pure pleasure to listen to such wonderful a voice and GREAT MUSIC.
Clara Noli
I have this cd, so so beautiful!
Nadya6
this is really good, she is great!
Anjou
Tonite im about to session sing this great song. Humble and downright damn beautiful. 😎
Salva B Fuster
Great voice!
Charles459
I think her phrasing is very much like Billie Holiday. Very Nice.
G C
Madeleine + Billie + Bossa Nova = LOVE
Ohcarb Hamilton
A Pesar De Tener Un Par De Años,Yo No Conocia Esta Cancion, Y Me Da Una Muestra Mas De Que A Pesar De El Tan Dificil Fin De Semana Que Tuve, No Todo Esta Perdido ,Y Esta Cancion Con Madeleine Me Hace Creer Que Aun Habra Mucho Por Descubrir Que Valga La Pena, Vaya Manera Hermosa De Aderesar Los Dias De Mi Vida Mil Gracias!