Wainwright was born in Rhinebeck, New York, USA, to folk singers Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle (they divorced while he was a child). He began to play the piano at age six, and by age thirteen he was touring with his sister Martha Wainwright, mother Kate, and aunt Anna as the McGarrigle Sisters and Family.
His song I'm A-Runnin', which he performed in the movie Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveller (in which he also played a minor character), was nominated for the 1989 Genie Award for Best Original Song and earned him a nomination for the 1990 Juno Award for Most Promising Male Vocalist.
He lived in Montreal with his mother for most of his childhood and briefly attended McGill University, where he studied both classical and 'rock' piano. Some of his songs feature his mastery of French. Wainwright still maintains a residence in Canada.
He came out as gay while still a teen.
Wainwright became interested in opera throughout his adolescent years (for instance, his track Barcelona features lyrics of Giuseppe Verdi). He also became an enthusiast of such performers as Édith Piaf, Al Jolson and Judy Garland.
After having been a fixture on the Montreal club circuit, Wainwright cut a series of demo tapes, one of which found itself in the hands of DreamWorks executive Lenny Waronker. The label signed him and he released the self-titled Rufus Wainwright album in the spring of 1998. This album received much critical acclaim in Canada, and was recognized by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the best albums of the year. Wainwright's second album, Poses (2001), brought similar acclaim.
Wainwright's first main exposure to the American public came as an opener to singer Tori Amos in 2001 and 2002. He garnered praise for his performance and began touring as a main act shortly afterwards. He has frequently toured as the opener for Sting and co-headlined with Ben Folds and Guster in the summer of 2004. He still often performs with his sister Martha Wainwright (now herself an emerging artist) on backup vocals. Despite a growing cult following and critical acclaim, Wainwright has experienced only marginal commercial success in the United States.
In addition to being a pianist, Wainwright is a guitarist, often switching between the two instruments when performing live; however, his mastery of the guitar does not approach his talent with the piano within the Piano rock genre. While some of his most moving songs feature just Wainwright with his piano, many of his songs display complex layering and harmonies, occasionally comprising hundreds of individual parts. Wainwright is an avid opera fan, and the influences on his music are evident, as well as his love of Schubert 'Lieder'; his music has been described as "Popera" (Pop Opera) or "Baroque Pop." His lyrics are filled with allusions to opera, literature, pop culture, and, more recently, politics (in songs such as Gay Messiah and Waiting for a Dream). Wainwright is a recovering crystal meth addict and a rape survivor; he uses the press to bring awareness to these societal problems.
His talent has been widely recognized and praised by such artists as Elton John, Morrissey, John Mayer, and Sting, and he continues to influence artists like Keane, Alanis Morissette, Scissor Sisters, and Ben Folds.
Wainwright's Want Two, from which four songs were released as the EP Waiting for a Want, was released by DreamWorks/Geffen on November 16, 2004. It is a companion to the 2003 release Want One. His latest, a live iTunes Sessions EP entitled Alright Already, was released March 15, 2005. A DVD entitled All I Want, featuring a biographical documentary, music videos, and live performances, was released on both sides of the Atlantic in summer 2005. The same year was also notable for two major contributions as solo vocalist to a pair of important records: the Mercury Prize winning I am a Bird Now and At This Time.
The pair of Want albums was repackaged as Want for a late November 2005 release to coincide with the start of a British tour. The version of Want One is that which contains the two extra songs Es Mus Sein and Velvet Curtain Rag. The Want (Want One and Want Two combined) package in the UK has two new extra tracks: Chelsea Hotel No. 2 and In with the Ladies, which replace Coeur de Parisienne — Reprise d'Arletty and Quand Vous Mourez de Nos Amours from 2004's augmented edition.
Rufus' fifth studio album Release the Stars was released by Geffen on May 15, 2007. The album was executive produced by Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys and featured Richard Thompson, Teddy Thompson, Martha Wainwright, Kate McGarrigle, Neil Tennant, Joan Wasser, Julianna Raye, Larry Mullins - pka Toby Dammit and Sian Phillips.[14]. It reached number 2 in the UK and debuted at number 23 in the USA. The first single of the album, "Going To A Town" was released on April 3, 2007 on the iTunes music store.
Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall is his sixth album. It is a live recording of his June 2006 tribute concert to Judy Garland. Backed by a 36-piece orchestra under the conduction of Stephen Oremus, Wainwright recreated Garland's April 23, 1961 concert, often considered "the greatest night in show business history." After overcoming many personal problems, her comeback performance of 25+ American standards spawned the double album, "Judy at Carnegie Hall."
As well as Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveller, Wainwright has appeared in the films The Aviator and Heights. Rufus has music in the film Brokeback Mountain, for which he recorded The Maker Makes and King of the Road, as well as a minor cameo as a guitar player.
Wainwright released his sixth studio album All Days Are Nights: Songs For Lulu in March 2010. In stark contrast to the lush ornamentation of Release The Stars, the album is a simple voice and piano rendition of a song cycle that includes versions of three Shakespeare sonnets, and an excerpt from his 2009 opera Prima Donna.
The Lulu figure of the title is said by Wainwright to be "the dark, brooding, dangerous woman that lives within all of us", similar to the Dark Lady character in Shakespeare's sonnets. The first part of the title comes from the final couplet of William Shakespeare's "Sonnet 43" ("All days are nights to see till I see thee...").
Bitter Tears
Rufus Wainwright Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My bitter tears
Only thing I don't fear's you
Don't want you to see my tears
My bitter tears
Only thing I fear is my tears
Heavens how it's going to rain
Is this the same
Driving at the crack of dawn
Looking away trying to hide my bloodshot eyes
But in discussing with the morning
It's gonna be okay
But in discussing with the morning
It's gonna be just fine, dear
Taxi driver look at me
Oh can't you see
Turn around go back behind
Don't want you take me home
Where I'm alone
Racking up my tears and crying
Got to be another way
Somebody cursed me when I said
I'll never be there myself
Got to be another way
Somebody curse the light
And take me far away from myself
But in discussing with the morning
It's gonna be okay
But in discussing with the morning
It's gonna be just fine, dear
I'm just discussing with the morning
Just discussing with the morning
And it's gonna be okay
I'm just discussing with the morning
Still discussing with the morning
And it's gonna be just fine
I'm just discussing with the morning
Still discussing with the morning
And it's gonna be okay
Yeah it's gonna be just fine
In Rufus Wainwright's song "Bitter Tears," the lyrics describe a sense of overwhelming sadness and sadness that the singer is trying to hide from the world. The opening lines "Choking on my bitter tears, my bitter tears, the only thing I don't fear's you" sets the tone for the song, as the singer acknowledges that they fear their own tears, but not the person they are addressing in the song. Throughout the song, the singer expresses a desire to escape from their own emotions, saying "Got to be another way, somebody cursed me when I said I'll never be there myself, got to be another way, somebody curse the light and take me far away from myself." The singer begs a taxi driver to not take them home, where they will be alone with their emotions.
As the song progresses, the singer finds a sense of hope in the morning and realizes that "it's gonna be okay" and "it's gonna be just fine, dear." The repetition of the phrase "discussing with the morning" shows the singer trying to work through their emotions and find a way to cope with them.
Overall, "Bitter Tears" is a poignant and emotional song with powerful lyrics and a sense of raw emotional honesty. It deals with themes of sadness, fear, and the struggle to cope with one's own emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
Choking on my bitter tears
Struggling to hold back my overwhelming feelings of sadness
My bitter tears
The tears I cry are filled with bitterness and pain
Only thing I don't fear's you
I am not afraid of you, the only thing that doesn't scare me
Don't want you to see my tears
I do not want to show my vulnerability and sadness to you
My bitter tears
The tears I cry are filled with bitterness and pain
Only thing I fear is my tears
The only thing that scares me is my overwhelming sadness
Heavens how it's going to rain
It is going to pour down with rain from the sky
Is this the same
Is this the same as before, the same feeling of despair?
Heavens with the bright blue skies
The contrast of a clear blue sky with my sadness seems unfair and overwhelming
Driving at the crack of dawn
I am driving early in the morning, before the sunrise
Looking away trying to hide my bloodshot eyes
I am avoiding eye contact and trying to hide my tired and sore eyes
But in discussing with the morning
As I talk to myself, I find solace in the promise of a new day
It's gonna be okay
Everything will be alright in the end
Taxi driver look at me
I am looking at the taxi driver, seeking comfort and understanding
Oh can't you see
Can't you see the pain and sadness in my eyes?
Turn around go back behind
I want the taxi driver to turn back and take me away from my misery
Don't want you take me home
I do not want to be alone at home with my sadness
Where I'm alone
I am alone with my thoughts and feelings
Racking up my tears and crying
I am feeling overwhelmed and crying uncontrollably
Got to be another way
There must be another solution to my current state of sadness
Somebody cursed me when I said
I feel like somebody put a curse on me when I declared something hopeful
I'll never be there myself
I will never be able to reach the same level of happiness or success as others
Somebody curse the light
I wish for the light of hope to disappear and my pain to end
And take me far away from myself
To escape my sadness, I wish to be completely detached from myself
I'm just discussing with the morning
As I talk to myself, I find solace in the promise of a new day
Still discussing with the morning
I continue to talk to myself, seeking comfort and understanding
Yeah it's gonna be just fine
I believe that everything will be alright eventually
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Rufus Wainwright
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Maxime
Choking on my bitter tears
My bitter tears
Only thing I don’t fear's you
Don’t want you to see my tears
My bitter tears
Only thing I fear is my tears
Heavens how it’s going to rain
Is this the same
Heavens with the bright blue skies
Driving at the crack of dawn
Looking away trying to hide my bloodshot eyes
But in discussing with the morning
It’s gonna be okay
But in discussing with the morning
It’s gonna be just fine, dear
Taxi driver look at me
Oh can’t you see
Turn around go back behind
Don’t want you take me home
Where I’m alone
Racking up my tears and crying
Got to be another way
Somebody cursed me when I said
“I’ll never be there myself”
Got to be another way
Somebody curse the light
And take me far away from myself
But in discussing with the morning
It’s gonna be okay
But in discussing with the morning
It’s gonna be just fine, dear
I’m just discussing with the morning
Just discussing with the morning
And it’s gonna be okay.
I’m just discussing with the morning
Still discussing with the morning
And it’s gonna be just fine
I’m just discussing with the morning
Still discussing with the morning
And it’s gonna be okay
Yeah it’s gonna be just fine
Mary Ward
Rufus is always highly addictive!!
Nuala O'Connor
Beautiful - love the locations, the dancers, the smoky feel, the dawn and love Rufus, too, of course.
claudette mousseau
I'm from Buenos Aires, and love Rufus Wainwright's songs and voice. I discovered him thanks to Judy Garland and "Zing! Went the strings of my heart", and I'm listening to his other works. Very glad this video was made at our beautiful city
Maxime
Choking on my bitter tears
My bitter tears
Only thing I don’t fear's you
Don’t want you to see my tears
My bitter tears
Only thing I fear is my tears
Heavens how it’s going to rain
Is this the same
Heavens with the bright blue skies
Driving at the crack of dawn
Looking away trying to hide my bloodshot eyes
But in discussing with the morning
It’s gonna be okay
But in discussing with the morning
It’s gonna be just fine, dear
Taxi driver look at me
Oh can’t you see
Turn around go back behind
Don’t want you take me home
Where I’m alone
Racking up my tears and crying
Got to be another way
Somebody cursed me when I said
“I’ll never be there myself”
Got to be another way
Somebody curse the light
And take me far away from myself
But in discussing with the morning
It’s gonna be okay
But in discussing with the morning
It’s gonna be just fine, dear
I’m just discussing with the morning
Just discussing with the morning
And it’s gonna be okay.
I’m just discussing with the morning
Still discussing with the morning
And it’s gonna be just fine
I’m just discussing with the morning
Still discussing with the morning
And it’s gonna be okay
Yeah it’s gonna be just fine
Ana Maria Ruocco
Rufus, maravilloso. Bailarines increibles. Y preciosas imagenes de mi Argentina. Belleza total!!
Ivan Espinoza
Muy bellas imágenes. Gracias a ese video ahora tengo más ganas de conocer Buenos Aires 🤗
Emilce AC
Permitime decir que los bailarines son para la gloria y tu voz es la frutilla del postre,magnifico Rufus.EMI ARBO. 👑💎.
Sophia Anastasia Martine Richardson
great dancing, great voice and great atmosphere. a very catchy song. i love all of his songs first song i heard from him was swing both ways with robbie williams and "i never turned to any other man"
Marjorie Korson
I have never seen a more stunning, unusual and brilliant Act..I always enjoy the pleasures you share with me, Rufus, Thank you and the magnificent dancers, WOW!
Thea Riley
Woo! finally some new things from rufus! one of my favourites from that album. i sing it sometimes to get me through tough times.