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...").
Do It Again
Rufus Wainwright Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I really shouldn't have let you kiss me
And although it was wrong, I never was strong
Though as long as you've begun it, and you know you shouldn't have done it
Oh, do it again
I may cry, "no, no, no, no, no"
But do it again
You know if you do, you won't regret it
Come and get it
Oh, no one is near
I may cry, "oh, oh, oh, oh, oh"
But no one can hear
Mama may scold me 'cause she told me it was naughty
But then, please, do it again
Just do it again, and again and again and again and again
Turn out the light, and hold me close in your arms all through the night
I know tomorrow morning you will say goodbye and amen
But until then, please do it again
The lyrics to Rufus Wainwright's song "Do It Again" describe a situation where two lovers are engaging in a forbidden romance. The singer acknowledges that what they're doing is wrong and that they shouldn't have started it in the first place. However, they're clearly enjoying the illicitness of it all and are hoping that their partner will continue to kiss them even though they're aware of the risks.
The singer's conflicting emotions regarding the situation are apparent in the lyrics. On one hand, they know that they should stop and try to resist the urge to continue. On the other hand, they reiterate their desire to experience the feeling of being held and kissed once again, even though they know that it's only temporary.
Overall, the lyrics to "Do It Again" speak to the complexity of human desire, particularly when it comes to love and relationships. The singer wants to hold on to the moment that they're experiencing, despite the fact that it's fleeting and ultimately doomed to end.
Line by Line Meaning
You really shouldn't have done it, you hadn't any right
It was wrong for you to do what you did, you did not have the authority to take that action
I really shouldn't have let you kiss me
I regret allowing you to kiss me
And although it was wrong, I never was strong
Although I knew it was wrong, I didn't have the strength to stop it from happening
Though as long as you've begun it, and you know you shouldn't have done it
Since you've already started it and you're aware that it's inappropriate
Oh, do it again
Please repeat the inappropriate action
I may cry, "no, no, no, no, no"
I might plead with you to stop, but I secretly desire for you to continue
But do it again
I want you to repeat the inappropriate action
My lips just ache to have you take the kiss that's waiting for you
I desire for you to kiss me passionately
You know if you do, you won't regret it
You will be pleased with the outcome of the action
Come and get it
I am giving you permission to proceed
Oh, no one is near
There is no one around to witness our immoral behavior
I may cry, "oh, oh, oh, oh, oh"
I may moan and groan with ecstacy
But no one can hear
No one is close enough to detect the sound of our pleasure
Mama may scold me 'cause she told me it was naughty
I know my mother will criticize my behavior because she warned me that it was inappropriate
But then, please, do it again
Despite the potential consequence, I want you to do it again
Just do it again, and again and again and again and again
I want you to repeat the inappropriate action over and over again
Turn out the light, and hold me close in your arms all through the night
Turn off the light and embrace me throughout the evening until morning
I know tomorrow morning you will say goodbye and amen
I am aware that you will leave in the morning
But until then, please do it again
But for now, I want you to continue the inappropriate action
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Ruby Raff, George Gershwin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind