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...").
King Of The Road
Rufus Wainwright Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No phone, no pool, no pets, I ain't got no cigarettes
Ah, but two hours of pushin broom buys an eight by twelve four-bit room
I'm a man of means by no means, king of the road
Third boxcar, midnight train, destination... Bangor, Maine
Old worn out suit and shoes, I don't pay no union dues
I smoke old stogies I have found, short, but not too big around
I'm a man of means by no means, king of the road
All of their children, and all of their names
And every handout in every town,
And every lock that ain't locked when no one's around
I sing, trailers for sale or rent, rooms to let, fifty cents
No phone, no pool, no pets, I ain't got no cigarettes
Ah, but, two hours of pushin broom buys an eight by twelve four-bit room
I'm a man of means by no means, king of the road, king of the road
Rufus Wainwright's song "King of the Road" was originally written and recorded by Roger Miller in 1964 as a tribute to those who traveled through the country on freight trains, often living hand-to-mouth. The lyrics paint a picture of a man who lives life on his own terms, with no possessions other than the clothes on his back, a few old stogies, and his trusty broom, which he uses to earn his living doing odd jobs. The singer is self-sufficient and resourceful, knowing the ins and outs of every town he passes through and never asking for a handout.
The chorus connects us to the other drifters on this journey, as the singer sings, "Trailers for sale or rent, rooms to let, fifty cents. No phone, no pool, no pets, I ain't got no cigarettes. Ah, but two hours of pushin' broom buys an eight by twelve four-bit room. I'm a man of means by no means, king of the road." This chorus has often been interpreted as a romanticized depiction of a transient lifestyle, but beneath the surface lies a poignant commentary on the harsh realities of poverty and homelessness.
"King of the Road" has been covered by a number of different artists over the years, from Dean Martin to REM to Randy Travis, and has been used in films such as "The Parent Trap" and "Brokeback Mountain." Its enduring popularity is a testament to its catchy melody and universal message of human resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
Trailers for sale or rent, rooms to let, fifty cents
Advertising the availability of trailers and rooms for rent at an affordable price
No phone, no pool, no pets, I ain't got no cigarettes
Listing the lack of amenities and personal possessions the singer has
Ah, but two hours of pushin broom buys an eight by twelve four-bit room
Implying that the singer is willing to work hard to afford a small room
I'm a man of means by no means, king of the road
Despite his lack of wealth, the singer feels empowered and free on the open road
Third boxcar, midnight train, destination... Bangor, Maine
Describing the singer's mode of transportation and his intended destination
Old worn out suit and shoes, I don't pay no union dues
Revealing the singer's shabby appearance and non-unionized status
I smoke old stogies I have found, short, but not too big around
Admitting that the singer smokes low-quality, discarded cigars
I know every engineer on every train,
All of their children, and all of their names
Claiming to be well-acquainted with the people who work on the railway
And every handout in every town,
And every lock that ain't locked when no one's around
Boasting that he knows about all the freebies and unsecured items in every town he's visited
I sing, trailers for sale or rent, rooms to let, fifty cents
No phone, no pool, no pets, I ain't got no cigarettes
Repeating the opening lines of the song as a refrain, emphasizing the singer's current lifestyle
Ah, but, two hours of pushin broom buys an eight by twelve four-bit room
I'm a man of means by no means, king of the road, king of the road
Reiterating the idea that the singer is willing to work for what he has, and asserting his sense of pride and independence
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Roger Miller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Tybeena
This cover makes me ridiculously happy
@catalinabusla1151
Amazing💕🌟
@jasoncarpp7742
This is the best version I've ever heard of "King of the Road."
@TheTulinhobatidao
Rufus <3
@YourPkMnBattles
EL HOMBRE PAC
@reveddro319
I don't pay no union dues..