The song is about Wainwright's relationship with Liza Minnelli, who was reportedly upset by his 2006 tribute concerts to her mother, Judy Garland. He told The Sun: "She didn't like that Judy show. She felt it was an affront to her mother's memory."
I'm a big fan of hers and I understand how she can be difficult in terms of what I have put forth surrounding her mother," he added. "Anything to do with her mother, I respect that it's her territory and she can feel however she wants to feel about it."
"Back in the end I will say she's dead wrong," Wainwright continued. "I think she could have scratched a little deeper and been a little less reactionary. My intentions have always been clear and I'm an important artist who she should be hanging out with her more, if she knows what's good for her."
Me And Liza
Rufus Wainwright Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Famous till the day that we day
Momma made it so I could try
Me and Liza, Liza and I
Daddy writing unanswered love letters
Why?
Come on Liza, give me a try
Blowing on the embers of fame
Burning down the house of your name
Everything can go up in flames
As long as you have something to frame
Energizer, baby's on fire
No one's gonna hatchet you down
Terminator, thief of desire
No one's getting out of this town
Poking at the embers of fame
Burning down the house of your name
Everything can go up in flames
As long as you have something to frame
Me and Liza, Liza and I
Happy that we're now such good friends
Looking forward, forward to seeing a
Love like our, we cannot pretend
Chocking on the embers of fame
Burning down the house of your name
Everything can go up in flames
As long as you have something to frame
Me and Liza, Liza and I
Me and Liza, Liza and I
Me and Liza, Liza and I
Me and Liza, Liza and I
The opening lines of "Me and Liza" are simple and straightforward: "Me and Liza, Liza and I / Famous till the day that we die / Momma made it so I could try / Me and Liza, Liza and I." Rufus Wainwright begins the song by introducing us to himself and Liza, who it becomes clear is a close partner in Wainwright's pursuit of fame. They are the "it" couple, famous until the end of their lives, with Wainwright's mother having paved the way for him to seize fame.
The second verse shifts tones and introduces a new character: "Daddy writing unanswered love letters / Why? / Come on Liza, give me a try." This sets up a hint of conflict, with Wainwright's father seeking some kind of love from Liza, potentially threatening the relationship between the two songwriters.
The central motif of "Me and Liza" is that of fame as a destructive force. Wainwright sings about "blowing on the embers of fame" and "burning down the house of your name," as well as "everything [that] can go up in flames." Liza and Wainwright are energized and burning up, but also at risk of being consumed entirely by their celebrity. At the heart of the song seems to be a desire to find something that can last beyond all the destruction, an element that can be "framed" and preserved.
Line by Line Meaning
Me and Liza, Liza and I
Rufus is talking about himself and Liza Minnelli, saying their names together twice to emphasize their relationship.
Famous till the day that we die
Rufus and Liza became famous and will be remembered as such even after they die.
Momma made it so I could try
Rufus's mother helped him to pursue a career in music and entertainment.
Daddy writing unanswered love letters
Rufus's father is trying to rekindle a love from the past but is not receiving any response.
Why? Come on Liza, give me a try
Rufus is asking Liza why she won't pursue a relationship with him and is asking her to give him a chance.
Blowing on the embers of fame
Rufus is trying to keep his fame alive by nurturing the little bit of it that is left.
Burning down the house of your name
Rufus is saying that Liza's fame is being destroyed and there's nothing she can do to stop it.
Everything can go up in flames
Rufus is reminding us that everything can be lost suddenly, even fame.
As long as you have something to frame
Rufus is telling us that it's important to hold onto something tangible, something to remind us of our success even when it fades away.
Energizer, baby's on fire
Rufus is saying that he has a lot of energy and passion for what he does.
No one's gonna hatchet you down
Rufus is saying that nobody is going to bring him down, no matter what.
Terminator, thief of desire
Rufus is equating himself to a machine and a thief of desire when it comes to getting what he wants.
No one's getting out of this town
Rufus is implying that he is the king of his domain and nobody can escape his influence.
Poking at the embers of fame
Rufus is continuing to work on his fading fame, trying to keep it alive.
Chocking on the embers of fame
Rufus is struggling to keep his fame alive and is feeling suffocated by it.
Happy that we're now such good friends
Rufus is content with his relationship with Liza, even though it never turned romantic.
Looking forward, forward to seeing a
Rufus is excited about something good that he anticipates happening in the future.
Love like our, we cannot pretend
Rufus is saying that the love between him and Liza, even if it's not romantic, is real and cannot be faked.
Me and Liza, Liza and I
Repeating himself, Rufus is emphasizing his closeness with Liza Minnelli one final time.
Contributed by Nathan N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
PabloMohr
Me and Liza Liza and I
Famous 'till the day that we die
Mamma made it so I've to try
Me and Liza Liza and I
Daddy writing unanswered love letters why
Come on Liza give me a try
Blowing on the embers of fame
Burning down the house of your name
Everything can go up in flames
As long as you have something to frame
Energizer baby's on fire
No one's gonna hatchet you down
Terminator thief of desire
No one's gettin' out of this town
Fucking up the embers of fame
Burning down the house of your name
Everything can go up in flames
As long as you have something to frame
Me and Liza Liza and I
Happy that we're now such good friends
Looking forward forward to seeing you
Love like as we can not be ten
Chocking on the embers of fame
Burning down the house of your name
Everything can go up in flames
As long as you have something to frame
Me and Liza Liza and I
Me and Liza Liza and I
Me and Liza Liza and I
Me and Liza Liza and I
Andie
I love you so much, Mr. Wainwright.
Who knew your new 2021/2020 songs would get me through the pandemic?
Vicki Evjen
A day without Rufus is a gray day. Thank you Rufus Wainwright for reviving my love of music. I picked up my guitar again.
Jeffery Straker
Sweet! the production on this is amazing. he's hitting the high notes like no one's business - excellent to hear. this is geeky, but I love that he uses the VI chord so unexpectedly
Joel Schermerhorn
He is being evil!!
RobinG
Rufus could sing the phonebook entries and I would purchase it! Sooo flippin good!
Rogal91
Świetna piosenka, od początku gdy ją usłyszałem przeszły po moim ciele ciarki co jest rzadkim przypadkiem. Trzymam kciuki za karierę wokalisty!!
isbilberry
po prostu słucham ją bez przerwy!!!!
RobinG
Lots of high notes there..spot on Rufus! :)
D R
I love you both so much more! Far more than I love myself. Be the freedom I want for.
Jacob Edwards
Really love this Rufus one, always felt different to other songs. Bit more rockier. Brilliant lyrics. "terminator- thief of desire, no one's getting out of this town"