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...").
La complainte de la butte
Rufus Wainwright Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
La lune trop rousse de gloire eclabousse ton jupon plein d'trous
La lune trop pale caresse l'opale de tes yeux blases
Princesse de la rue soit la bienvenue dans mon coeur brise
The stairways up to la butte
Can make the wreched sigh
While windmill wings of the moulin
(Les escaliers de la butte sont durs aux misereux
Les ailes du moulin protegent les amoureux)
Petite mandigotte je sens ta menotte qui cherche ma main
Je sens ta poitrine et ta taille fine
J'oublie mon chagrin
Je sens sur tes levres une odeur de fievre de gosse mal nourri
Et sous ta caresse je sens une ivresse qui m'aneantit
The stairways up to la butte
Can make the wreched sigh
While windmill wings of the moulin
shelter you and I
(Les escaliers de la butte sont durs aux misereux
Les ailes du moulin protegent les amoureux)
Et voila qu'elle trotte la lune qui flotte, la princesse aussi
La da da da da da da da da da
Mes reves epanouis
Les escaliers de la butte sont durs aux misereux
Les ailes du moulin protegent les amoureux
English Translation:
The moon, all too fair, in your russet-red hair sets a sparkling crown
The moon, all too red with glory, is spread on your poor, tattered gown
The moon, all too white, caresses the light in your world-weary eyes
Princess of the street, do allow me to greet you, my broken heart cries
The steps of Montmartre, all uphill, are hardest on the poor
The sails of the mill, like wings, shelter all paramours
I feel, beggar-girl, your fetters, they curl as they seek out my wrists
I feel your young breasts, your thin little waist
I lose my regrets
I taste on your mouth the feverish breath of a half-starving waif
And with your caress I sense drunkenness erasing my life
The steps of Montmartre, all uphill, are hardest on the poor
The sails of the mill, like wings, shelter all paramours
And see how she skips, the moon how she drifts,
The princess in tow
Da da da da da da da da da da
My reveries grow
The steps of Montmartre, all uphill, are hardest on the poor
The sails of the mill, like wings, shelter all paramours
The lyrics to Rufus Wainwright's La Complainte De La Butte highlight the romantic side of Montmartre, a bohemian quarter of Paris known for its winding streets and artistic flair. The moon is a recurring motif throughout the song, symbolising the beauty and mystery of the neighbourhood. The three stanzas describe the moon in different colours - too fair, too red and too white - and how it illuminates the singer's love interest. The first stanza describes her red hair crowned by the moon, the second her tattered gown, and the third her world-weary eyes. The singer refers to her as a princess of the street, welcoming her into his broken heart.
The chorus talks of the escalators up to la butte, which are hardest on the poor but the sails of the mill-like wings shelter all lovers. This is a call to celebrate love and romance but also highlights the difficult lives of the poor in the neighbourhood. In the final stanza, the moon and the princess trot and float, lifting the singer's spirits and giving him hope. He talks of his epanouis (reveries or daydreams) as he imagines a more idyllic life with his love interest. All in all, the song gives a romantic portrayal of Montmartre but also highlights the harsh realities of life in the neighbourhood.
Line by Line Meaning
La lune trop bleme pose un diademe sur tes cheveux roux
The moon, all too fair, in your russet-red hair sets a sparkling crown
La lune trop rousse de gloire eclabousse ton jupon plein d'trous
The moon, all too red with glory, is spread on your poor, tattered gown
La lune trop pale caresse l'opale de tes yeux blases
The moon, all too white, caresses the light in your world-weary eyes
Princesse de la rue soit la bienvenue dans mon coeur brise
Princess of the street, do allow me to greet you, my broken heart cries
Les escaliers de la butte sont durs aux misereux
The steps of Montmartre, all uphill, are hardest on the poor
Les ailes du moulin protegent les amoureux
The sails of the mill, like wings, shelter all paramours
Petite mandigotte je sens ta menotte qui cherche ma main
I feel, beggar-girl, your fetters, they curl as they seek out my wrists
Je sens ta poitrine et ta taille fine J'oublie mon chagrin
I feel your young breasts, your thin little waist, I lose my regrets
Je sens sur tes levres une odeur de fievre de gosse mal nourri
I taste on your mouth the feverish breath of a half-starving waif
Et sous ta caresse je sens une ivresse qui m'aneantit
And with your caress I sense drunkenness erasing my life
Et voila qu'elle trotte la lune qui flotte, la princesse aussi
And see how she skips, the moon how she drifts, The princess in tow
Mes reves epanouis
Da da da da da da da da da da, My reveries grow
Contributed by Sophia C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jessiecitrus3348
En haut de la rue St-Vincent
Un poète et une inconnue
S'aimèrent l'espace d'un instant
Mais il ne l'a jamais revue
Cette chanson il composa
Espérant que son inconnue
Un matin d'printemps l'entendra
Quelque part au coin d'une rue
La lune trop blême
Pose un diadème
Sur tes cheveux roux
La lune trop rousse
De gloire éclabousse
Ton jupon plein d'trous
La lune trop pâle
Caresse l'opale
De tes yeux blasés
Princesse de la rue
Soit la bienvenue
Dans mon cœur blessé
Les escaliers de la butte sont durs aux miséreux
Les ailes des moulins protègent les amoureux
Petite mendigote
Je sens ta menotte
Qui cherche ma main
Je sens ta poitrine
Et ta taille fine
J'oublie mon chagrin
Je sens sur tes lèvres
Une odeur de fièvre
De gosse mal nourri
Et sous ta caresse
Je sens une ivresse
Qui m'anéantit
Les escaliers de la butte sont durs aux miséreux
Les ailes des moulins protègent les amoureux
Mais voilà qu'il flotte
La lune se trotte
La princesse aussi
Sous le ciel sans lune
Je pleure à la brune
Mon rêve évanoui
@pamelaneisworth-devers5379
The only thing better than Rufus singing, is Rufus singing in French ❤
@vamosmoya
Votre commentaire est magnifique!
@misskim2058
Oui! C’est vrai!
@lesliecaplan4899
Oui c'est vrai!!
@michelbedu9989
Horrible !
@annie11349
@Michel Bedu comment horrible?
@romaneremy5777
Cette chanson me fout vraiment des frissons. Merci beaucoup de l'avoir mise en ligne
@jean-guytarin1112
Une chanson qui "prends les tripes". On l'entend, on vit Montmartre. Bravo à tous, l'auteur, le compositeur et les interprètes. C'est brau.
@loupdeville3317
Chanson écrite par le fils du grand peintre Auguste Renoir, Jean Renoir
@catalinabusla1151
Magnificent performance! Amazing Rufus