Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright (born 22 July 1973) is a Canadian-American sing… Read Full Bio ↴Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright (born 22 July 1973) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter.

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...").

In My Arms
Rufus Wainwright Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You gave me all your love in one day
You gave it all and almost faded away
Well I'm gonna take this sad unread issue
In my arms tonight

Looking at hospitals Victorian
Feeling as helpless as the Elephant Man
Wish you were here to chain you up without shame

In my arms tonight

So if you should feel
A bit out of place
This vision not unlike a shooting star
I have embraced
Cause

You gave me all your love in one day
You gave it all and almost faded away
Well I'm gonna take this sad unread issue
In my arms tonight

Looking at hospitals Victorian
Feeling as helpless as the Elephant Man
Wish you were here to chain you up without shame
In my arms tonight

Cause I ain't a soft and saccharine wannabe
Still I pray to God this song will end happily
So I offer you a place to rest
And forget yourself
In my arms tonight

Cause I ain't a soft and saccharine wannabe
Still I pray to God this song will end happily
So I offer you a place to rest
And forget yourself
In my arms
Yourself in my arms
Yourself in my arms
Yourself in my arms
A place to rest

And forget yourself
In my arms tonight

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Rufus Wainwright's song In My Arms convey the sentiment of loving and accepting someone who is mentally or emotionally unwell. The opening lines, "You gave me all your love in one day, You gave it all and almost faded away," speak to the idea of someone pouring all their love into one person or one moment, to the point of exhaustion or emotional breakdown. The chorus, "Well I'm gonna take this sad unread issue, In my arms tonight," suggests that the singer is willing to embrace and care for this person in their time of need.

The reference to "hospitals Victorian" and feeling "as helpless as the Elephant Man" paint a vivid picture of the loneliness and despair that can come with mental or emotional struggles. The Elephant Man reference particularly highlights the theme of societal rejection and isolation. However, the singer wishes to love and accept this person without shame, even if society would reject them.

The bridge section suggests that this song is meant to comfort and offer hope to anyone who has ever felt like an outsider or out of place. The singer offers a safe haven for the person they are addressing to "rest and forget yourself" in their arms. The final chorus reinforces the idea of accepting and loving someone, even if it's not easy or comfortable.

Overall, In My Arms is a tender and empathetic song that speaks to the power of love and acceptance. It suggests that even in our darkest moments, there can be someone to hold us and care for us.

Line by Line Meaning

You gave me all your love in one day
You showed me an overwhelming amount of love in a short period of time

You gave it all and almost faded away
You gave me everything you had, and it took a toll on you

Well I'm gonna take this sad unread issue
I am going to take on your struggles and pain, even though they are difficult to bear

In my arms tonight
I will provide you with comfort and safety for the night

Looking at hospitals Victorian
I am observing this old, bleak hospital and feeling sorrowful

Feeling as helpless as the Elephant Man
I feel completely powerless like Joseph Merrick, who was known as the Elephant Man

Wish you were here to chain you up without shame
I wish I could be with you to provide you with the support and care you need, without feeling embarrassed

Cause
Because of all that you have given me

So if you should feel
If you ever feel

A bit out of place
Lost and disconnected from the world

This vision not unlike a shooting star
The image that comes to mind when thinking about your struggles is like a shooting star- brief and intense

I have embraced
I accept and support you despite your hardships

Cause
Because of all that you have given me

Cause I ain't a soft and saccharine wannabe
I am not a fake, overly-sweet person

Still I pray to God this song will end happily
I hope and pray that a positive outcome comes from this situation

So I offer you a place to rest
I am providing you with a safe and peaceful place to forget your problems for a while

And forget yourself
To let go of your worries and concerns

In my arms tonight
I will provide you with comfort and safety for the night

Yourself in my arms
I am providing a space for you to be yourself, without judgment