Pink Martini has twelve instrumentalists (and sometimes travels with string sections), and performs its multilingual repertoire on concert stages and with symphony orchestras throughout Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Northern Africa, Australia and New Zealand and North America. Pink Martini made its European debut at the Cannes Film Festival in 1997 and its orchestral debut with the Oregon Symphony in 1998 under the direction of Norman Leyden. Since then, the band has gone on to play with over 30 orchestras around the world, including multiple engagements with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, the Boston Pops, the National Symphony at the Kennedy Center and the BBC Concert Orchestra in London. Other appearances include the grand opening of the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s new Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall, with return sold-out engagements for New Year’s Eve 2003, 2004 & 2008; two sold-out concerts at Carnegie Hall; the opening party of the remodeled Museum of Modern Art in NYC; the Governor’s Ball at the 80th Annual Academy Awards in 2008; and the opening of the 2008 Sydney Festival in Australia.
Lauderdale met China Forbes, Pink Martini’s lead vocalist, at Harvard. He was studying history and literature while she was studying English literature and painting. Late at night, they would break into the lower common room in their college dormitory and sing arias by Puccini and Verdi – and the occasional campy Barbra Streisand cover –thus sealing their creative collaboration. Three years after graduating, Lauderdale called Forbes who was living in New York City, where she’d been writing songs and playing guitar in her own folk-rock project, and asked her to join Pink Martini. They began to write songs together for the band. Their first song “Sympathique”– with the chorus “Je ne veux pas travailler” (”I don’t want to work”) – became an overnight sensation in France, and was even nominated for “Song of the Year” at France’s Victoires de la Musique Awards. Forbes, though fluent only in English, sings in 15 different languages.
Pink Martini’s debut album Sympathique was released independently in 1997 on the band’s own label Heinz Records (named after Lauderdale’s dog), and quickly became an international phenomenon, garnering the group nominations for “Song of the Year” and “Best New Artist” in France’s Victoires de la Musique Awards in 2000.
In October 2004, the group released its second album, Hang on Little Tomato.
In May 2007, it released its third album, Hey Eugene!.
A fourth studio album, Splendor in the Grass, followed on October 27, 2009.
Sympathique, Hang on Little Tomato and Hey Eugene! have all gone gold in France, Canada, Greece and Turkey; collectively, Pink Martini's records have sold more than two million copies worldwide.
On New Year's Eve 2005, Pink Martini performed live at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in Portland, Oregon. This performance was aired live on National Public Radio's Toast of the Nation, and in partnership with Oregon Public Broadcasting was recorded for a live DVD and later broadcast on US public broadcasting and French television.[citation needed] The DVD has been rereleased to retail as Discover the World: Live in Concert, featuring not only the full concert, but several vignettes and a short documentary of the band's history.
The band has collaborated and performed with Jimmy Scott, Carol Channing, Henri Salvador, Jane Powell, Chavela Vargas, Georges Moustaki, Michael Feinstein, DJ Dimitri from Paris, clarinetist and conductor Norman Leyden, Hiroshi Wada, DJ Johnny Dynell and several drag queens from New York City, among others. On June 1, 2007, the band appeared on the long-running BBC Two Later with Jools Holland TV music program. On June 14, 2007, Pink Martini performed on Late Show with David Letterman, performing "Hey Eugene".
Pink Martini played Walt Disney Concert Hall on New Year's Eve for the first two years it was open (2003/4 and 2004/5). They returned to play NYE there again in 2008/9.
In May 2009, the band recorded three concerts with the Oregon Symphony under the direction of Carlos Kalmar for the band’s fifth album … a symphonic record which is slated for a 2011 release.
Pink Martini songs appear in such films as In the Cut, Nurse Betty, Josie and the Pussycats, Tortilla Soup, Shanghai Kiss, Mary and Max, and Mr. & Mrs. Smith and have been used on television shows such as Dead Like Me, The Sopranos and The West Wing, among others.[citation needed] Their song "Una notte a Napoli" is an integral part of the Italian movie Mine Vaganti (2010), by the Italian-Turkish director Ferzan Özpetek. The song "No Hay Problema" is included as background/setup music for Microsoft's Windows Server 2003 and was also used as the background/setup music for an early build of Windows Longhorn, now known as Windows Vista.[citation needed]
In February 2011, the group's lead singer, China Forbes, recorded a video greeting to the European Space Agency's Italian astronaut, Paolo Nespoli, and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Kaleri, on board the International Space Station. The astronauts were preparing to oversee the docking of ESA's Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) cargo vessel, Johannes Kepler, which took place at 17:08 CET on 24 February. The greeting was set to the sound track of Dosvedanya Mio Bombino - one of Pink Martini's signature songs - and was mixed with footage of the actual docking.
In November 2011, they played at the Balboa Theater with the Bonita Vista High School band, Club Blue.
And Then You're Gone
Pink Martini Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And understand the tears that I have cried
We light the candles and pour the wine
And laugh as if you'll never leave my side
You take me in your arms and tell me
That I'll always be the only one
And then you're gone
Presenting peonies knowing just what to say
We dance until the break of dawn
I turn my back and then you're gone
Swirling in a sea of stars
Twirling to the strum of guitars
No one tangos quite the way you do
But now my dancing days with you are through
You think I miss you each time you disappear
Maybe I used to but it's becoming clear
I know your tricks I 've heard your songs
You swear your love and then you're gone
Remember last time it was a perfect day
You took me sailing and then you sailed away
Now here you are outside my door
You want back in just like before
Well save your breath don't make me yawn
You've had your chance now just be gone
The song And Then You're Gone by Pink Martini is a bittersweet ballad about a tumultuous relationship that has come to an end. The lyrics chronicle the ups and downs of a relationship plagued by insecurities and inconsistencies. In the first verse, the singer addresses Lorenzo, her lover, and expresses her vulnerability as they light candles and pour wine. She is comforted by the intimacy they share and the promises that he makes. However, shortly thereafter, Lorenzo leaves, and the singer is left alone once again.
The second verse is a vivid description of a typical day with Lorenzo: he presents her with peonies, they dance until the break of dawn, and twirl to the strum of guitars under the stars. The singer is enamored with Lorenzo's charm and dancing skills, but the joy is short-lived as he inevitably leaves once again. The chorus highlights the singer's frustration with Lorenzo's repeated acts of disappearing and reappearing - a cycle that she is beginning to see through and is growing tired of.
The third verse is a moment of clarity for the singer. She recounts a perfect day spent sailing with Lorenzo, only to have him sail away once again. However, as he attempts to come back into her life, the singer asserts that she is no longer interested in his tricks and insincere declarations of love. The final words of the song are a clear dismissal of Lorenzo: "you've had your chance now just be gone."
Overall, the lyrics of And Then You're Gone convey a sense of resignation and finality. The singer has been let down too many times by Lorenzo, and she is finally ready to move on from the relationship. The song is a poignant reminder that relationships - no matter how passionate they may seem - can be fleeting and illusory.
Line by Line Meaning
My dear Lorenzo you take my hand
Addressing her lover, she expresses gratitude towards him for holding her hand and being there for her.
And understand the tears that I have cried
She acknowledges the fact that her lover empathizes with her emotional state and has always been her confidant in tough times.
We light the candles and pour the wine
The couple sets a romantic ambiance for themselves with candles and wine, gearing up for a perfect evening.
And laugh as if you'll never leave my side
In the company of each other, they laugh like nothing else could make them happy. She wants their happiness and togetherness to last forever.
You take me in your arms and tell me
He holds her tightly and expresses his unconditional love towards her which fills her with immense joy.
That I'll always be the only one
He reassures her that she is the only one he loves and cares for, making her feel special and loved.
And then you're gone
However, their happiness is short-lived as he leaves just when everything seems perfect, leaving her feeling abandoned and alone.
You come to see me on a Saturday
Reminiscing about their past, she recalls a day when he came to see her on a Saturday- a day off from work.
Presenting peonies knowing just what to say
He surprises her with peonies, well-aware of her preference and also charms her with sweet words and flattering statements.
We dance until the break of dawn
They dance all night long, unable to keep themselves away from each other's company and wanting to spend every possible moment together.
I turn my back and then you're gone
However, once again, he leaves her without any warning, causing her heart to break into pieces.
Swirling in a sea of stars
Alone and heartbroken, she finds herself lost in a dream-like state, with nothing but stars and darkness around her.
Twirling to the strum of guitars
She remembers happier times when they danced together to the sound of guitars, but now, she has no one to dance with.
No one tangos quite the way you do
She still remembers how he used to tango with her and make her feel alive. No one can replace him in her heart.
But now my dancing days with you are through
She realizes that her dancing days with him are over, and he is merely a memory of the past that she will always cherish.
You think I miss you each time you disappear
He assumes that she misses him every time he disappears from her life, but she has learned how to live without him now.
Maybe I used to, but it's becoming clear
She admits that she may have missed him initially but has now realized that it's time to move on from him.
I know your tricks I 've heard your songs
She has become familiar with his ways, and his sweet talks no longer work on her as she sees them for what they are- mere tricks.
You swear your love and then you're gone
She realizes that his declarations of love are only temporary, and once he's gone, they mean nothing to him.
Remember last time it was a perfect day
She talks about a beautiful day in the past when everything seemed perfect between them.
You took me sailing and then you sailed away
On that day, he had taken her for a sail but left her alone once again, leaving her feeling abandoned and hurt.
Now here you are outside my door
He shows up at her door again, hoping to reconcile with her and pick up where they left off.
You want back in just like before
He wants to re-enter her life on the same terms as before, not realizing that things have changed now, and she can't go back to how things were.
Well save your breath don't make me yawn
She's not interested in his empty promises anymore and has moved on. She doesn't want him to waste his breath trying to win her back.
You've had your chance now just be gone
She realizes he's not worth her time anymore and asks him to leave, once and for all, ending their tumultuous relationship.
Contributed by Adeline P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Monica Bellucci
My dear Lorenzo you take my hand
And understand the tears that I have cried
We like the candles and pour the wine
and laugh as if you'll never leave my side
you take me in your arms and tell me
that I'll always be the only one
and then you're gone
you come to see me on a Saturday
presenting heenies knowing just what to say
we dance until the break of dawn
I turn my back and then you're gone
Swirling in a sea of stars
Swirling to the strum of guitars
No one tangos why the way you do
But now my dancing days woth you are through
You think I miss you each time you disappear
Maybe I used to but it's becoming clear
I know your tricks I 've heard your songs
You swear your love and then you're gone
Remember last time it was a perfect day
You tooke me sailing and then you sailed away
Now here you are outside my door
you want back in just like before
Well save your breath don't make me yawn
You've had your chance now just be gone
retepyam5858
The humour and acting of Bette Midler, The looks of a young Anne Margaret, The slinkyness of Jessica Rabbit and a voice all of her own just bloody brilliant hope you come to the UK to tour sometime. Fabulous!
Gar Nelson
Thank you for more Storm. The world needs more Storm. :-)
Luiz Antonio Medeiros
Uma artista infinitivamente MARAVILHOSA!!!!!!
Yitzchak Hornik
"Chapeau" to Storm Large, Thomas Lauderdale and the whole Pink Martini band and songwriters - just a great song .// Just now I noticed that there was a previous rendition of the song And then you're gone in 2013 by storm large.
The current performance is simply a delight to the eyes
And to the ears.
Special thanks to the photographer.
I hear the song over and over again.
Christian Mcmullen
Amazing just so fun, every song Storm sings is just an immersion. Amazing!!
Mark Statnikov
Storm Large is amazingly talented in everything she does!
James Rabkin
This is a masterpiece! Absolute masterpiece! Storm Large is a total hoot!
José Miguel Ingelmo
Me encanta esta mujer por la maravillosa voz que tiene y por lo sexy que es en el escenario.¡guauu!
Eddy Some Guy
You live every word of the song, that's what people loves the most about you.
Ofcourse a phenomenal voice as well
We want more Storm Large and more Pink Martini🥰🥰🥰
Eddy Some Guy
@Burkhard P. Bierschenck Indeed she is🙂