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...").
Grey Garden
Rufus Wainwright Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tadzio, Tadzio
Arm wrestle your mother
Simply over
Tadzio, over you
But beware my heart can be a pin
Trying to get my mansions green
After I've Grey Gardens seen
In between tonight and my tomorrows
Tadzio where have you been
In between tonight I know it's Tadzio
Tadzio don't you fight
Honey can you hear me
In between been dragging a dragonfly
Trying to get my mansions green
After I've Grey Gardens seen
Honey won't you hold me tight
Get me thorough Grey Gardens tonight
Tadzio, Tadzio
Tadzio, Tadzio
Trying to get my mansions green
After I've Grey Gardens seen
Honey won't you hold me tight
Get me through Grey Gardens tonight
Tadzio, Tadzio
Tadzio, Tadzio
Tadzio, Tadzio
The lyrics of Rufus Wainwright's song "Grey Gardens" were inspired by the documentary of the same name, which tells the story of the eccentric Beale family, who were related to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and their decaying mansion in East Hampton, New York. The song is written from the perspective of one of the Beale sisters, who longs for the attention of a young man named Tadzio, who is likely imaginary.
The lyrics are obscure and poetic, but they hint at the decay and isolation of the Beale sisters. "Honey I'm a roller concrete clover" suggests a sense of entrapment, while "Arm wrestle your mother, simply over Tadzio, over you" hints at the strained family relationships. The line "But beware my heart can be a pin, a sharp silver dragonfly" suggests a dangerous and fragile emotional state.
The chorus, with its repeated refrain of "Trying to get my mansions green after I've Grey Gardens seen," suggests a desire to recapture the glory of the past, but also a sense of resignation to the decay and ruin that surrounds the Beale sisters.
Overall, "Grey Gardens" is a haunting and evocative song that captures the sadness, loneliness, and decay of the Beale sisters and their once-great mansion.
Line by Line Meaning
Honey I'm a roller concrete clover
I am a tough, resilient person who can withstand any challenge.
Tadzio, Tadzio
The singer is calling out to someone named Tadzio for comfort or reassurance.
Arm wrestle your mother
A playful challenge for someone to compete with their own mother in a test of physical strength.
Simply over
The challenge was easily won, and there are no hard feelings about the outcome.
Tadzio, over you
The artist is prioritizing Tadzio's companionship over all other relationships or challenges.
But beware my heart can be a pin
The singer's emotions are delicate and can be easily hurt or pierced by the wrong words or actions.
A sharp silver dragonfly
A metaphor for someone who is sneaky or sharp-tongued.
Trying to get my mansions green
The artist is trying to improve their personal wealth or status.
After I've Grey Gardens seen
Grey Gardens is a reference to a famous estate that has fallen into disrepair, suggesting that the artist has seen hard times.
In between tonight and my tomorrows
The artist is uncertain about their future.
Tadzio where have you been
The singer wants to know where Tadzio has been, indicating a sense of longing or need.
In between tonight I know it's Tadzio
Regardless of what happens in the future, the artist knows they can depend on Tadzio's companionship tonight.
Tadzio don't you fight
The singer is urging Tadzio to stay by their side and comfort them.
Honey can you hear me
The singer is pleading for someone to listen to them.
In between been dragging a dragonfly
The singer has been dealing with a tricky individual.
Honey won't you hold me tight
The artist wants physical comfort and affection.
Get me thorough Grey Gardens tonight
The artist wants to make it through a difficult situation with the help of someone they care about.
Tadzio, Tadzio
Repeating the name Tadzio reinforces the singer's dependence on their companionship.
Trying to get my mansions green
The singer is still striving for personal wealth or status.
After I've Grey Gardens seen
Even after experiencing hardship, the artist is still pursuing their ideals of success.
Honey won't you hold me tight
Repeating this line reinforces the artist's desire for physical comfort and affection.
Get me through Grey Gardens tonight
The artist needs help getting through a difficult situation, possibly one that reminds them of Grey Gardens.
Tadzio, Tadzio
Repeating the name Tadzio again reinforces the singer's dependence on their companionship.
Tadzio, Tadzio
Repeating the name Tadzio once more as a final plea for companionship and support.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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