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...").
Chelsea Hotel No. 2
Rufus Wainwright Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You were talking so brave and so sweet
Giving me head on the unmade bed
While the limousines wait in the street
Those were the reasons and that was New York
We were running for the money and the flesh
And that was called love for the workers in song
Ah, but you got away, didn't you babe?
You just turned your back on the crowd
You got away, I never once heard you say
I need you, I don't need you
I need you, I don't need you
And all of that jiving around
I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel
You were famous, your heart was a legend
You told me again you preferred handsome men
But for me you would make an exception
And clenching your fist for the ones like us
Who are oppressed by the figures of beauty
You fixed yourself and said, "Well, never mind
We are ugly but we have the music"
And then you got away, yeah, didn't you babe
You just turned your back on the crowd
You got away, I never once heard you say
I need you, I don't need you
I need you, I don't need you
And all of that jiving around
I don't mean to suggest that I loved you the best
I can't keep track of each fallen robin
I remember you well at the Chelsea Hotel
That's all, I don't even think of you that often
Thank you
"Chelsea Hotel No. 2" is a song by Rufus Wainwright that tells the story of a sexual encounter he had at the Chelsea Hotel in New York City with a famous former lover. Wainwright remembers the passion and intensity of their relationship, intertwined with the glamor and chaos of the city. The song acknowledges the transience and transgression of love as well as the power dynamics that can exist within it.
The lyrics are evocative and bittersweet, capturing the fleeting nature of love and the relentless pursuit of success and pleasure. Wainwright portrays himself as a passive observer of his lover's charisma and beauty, contrasting his own feelings of inadequacy with her confidence and dominance. The song also reflects on the role of art and music in giving voice to those who are neglected or marginalized in society.
Overall, "Chelsea Hotel No. 2" is a deeply personal and poetic meditation on love and loss that captures the spirit of the iconic Chelsea Hotel and its inhabitants.
Line by Line Meaning
I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel
The memory of the person from the Chelsea Hotel is still vivid in the singer's mind
You were talking so brave and so sweet
The person was confident and charming in conversation
Giving me head on the unmade bed
The person performed a sexual act for the singer in the messy hotel room
While the limousines wait in the street
Outside, luxury vehicles were waiting for the person, highlighting the contrast between their lifestyle and the seedy hotel setting
Those were the reasons and that was New York
The fast-paced city lifestyle and desire for success and sex were the motivations behind their affair
We were running for the money and the flesh
Both parties were pursuing wealth and physical pleasure through their relationship
And that was called love for the workers in song
This type of relationship may be glorified in songs, but it is ultimately a shallow and unfulfilling love
Probably still is for those of them left
People still pursue this type of love despite its flaws
Ah, but you got away, didn't you babe?
The person left the singer behind and moved on from their brief affair
You just turned your back on the crowd
The person rejected the public persona and lifestyle that came with fame
I need you, I don't need you
The singer is conflicted about their desire for the person
And all of that jiving around
The back and forth of their relationship felt like a performance or dance
You were famous, your heart was a legend
The person was a celebrity with a reputation for being captivating and unique
You told me again you preferred handsome men
The person had a preference for attractive men but was making an exception for the singer
But for me you would make an exception
Despite their preference, the person was willing to be with the singer despite their appearance
And clenching your fist for the ones like us
The person empathized with those who didn't fit conventional beauty standards
Who are oppressed by the figures of beauty
The idea of beauty standards was oppressive for those who didn't fit them
You fixed yourself and said, "Well, never mind
The person brushed off societal beauty standards and embraced their uniqueness
We are ugly but we have the music"
Their connection and creativity were more important than appearance
I don't mean to suggest that I loved you the best
The singer doesn't want to imply that their relationship was the most significant in the person's life
I can't keep track of each fallen robin
The singer can't remember every person they've been with
That's all, I don't even think of you that often
Despite the person's significance in the past, the singer has moved on and doesn't dwell on them often
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Leonard Cohen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind