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...").
I'm Leaving For Paris
Rufus Wainwright Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No, I don't think that I'll see you.
I'm leaving for Paris.
No, I don't think that I need to.
So I'm leaving for Paris
Won't you try to take care of yourself?
Won't you try to take care of yourself?
I pray you won't follow
through the crooked streets behind me.
I pray you won't follow
like so many who have known me.
So I'm leaving for Paris.
Don't you try to find out were I am,
Just you try to take care of yourself.
And when I get there
I will lose the ring you gave me.
And when I get there
How happy I will then be.
So I'm leaving for Paris
Won't you try to take care of yourself?
Just try to take care of yourself.
'Cause I'm leaving, yes, I'm leaving...
'Cause I'm leaving, yes, I'm leaving
for Paris.
Goodbye
The song "I'm Leaving for Paris" by Rufus Wainwright is steeped in melancholy and hints at a lover's departure from a significant other. The lyrics suggest that the singer has decided to leave for Paris and will not be seeing their significant other before they go. Despite the apparent sadness, there is a palpable sense of relief in the song along with the bitterness behind the intent. Moving to Paris, the singer seems to be wanting to forget the past, leaving behind a part of it by ditching the ring that the significant other gave them.
In the song, the singer also advises their significant other to be independent and take care of themselves while they're away, rather than following them to Paris, as many others have already done in the past. This could indicate the burden and emotion that come with the history of a relationship, and the effort required to make that relationship work. The overall tone of the song reflects the singer's mixed feelings of both sadness and relief as they embark on their journey to Paris.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm leaving for Paris.
The singer is announcing their departure to Paris.
No, I don't think that I'll see you.
The singer is not expecting to see the person they are addressing before leaving for Paris.
No, I don't think that I need to.
The singer believes they can leave without seeing the person they're addressing.
Won't you try to take care of yourself?
The artist is requesting the person they are addressing to take care of themselves in their absence.
I pray you won't follow
The artist hopes the person they're addressing doesn't follow them to Paris.
through the crooked streets behind me.
The singer refers to the winding, uneven streets of Paris, which they hope the person won't pursue them through.
like so many who have known me.
The singer has many acquaintances who are familiar with them in Paris, but hope this person won't join that list.
Don't you try to find out were I am,
The artist is warning the person they're addressing not to try to locate them in Paris.
Just you try to take care of yourself.
Once again, the artist is requesting the person look after themselves in their absence.
And when I get there
The artist makes reference to their arrival in Paris.
I will lose the ring you gave me.
The singer intends to lose a ring that was given to them by the person they addressed on their arrival in Paris.
How happy I will then be.
The artist believes that after disposing of the ring they will be happier in Paris.
'Cause I'm leaving, yes, I'm leaving...
The singer is reaffirming their intention to leave for Paris.
for Paris.
The singer's destination is confirmed once again.
Goodbye
The singer is bidding farewell to the person they are addressing.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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