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...").
My Funny Valentine
Rufus Wainwright Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Thou knowest not my dim-witted friend, the picture thou hast made
Thy vacant brow and thy tousled hair conceal thy good intent
Thou noble upright truthful sincere, and slightly dopey gent
You're my funny valentine, sweet, comic valentine
You make me smile with my heart
Your looks are laughable, unphotographable,
Is your figure less than Greek?
Is your mouth a little weak?
When you open it to speak, are you smart?
So, don't change a hair for me, not if you care for me
Stay, little valentine, stay
Each day is Valentine's Day
So, don't change a hair for me, not if you care for me
Stay, little valentine, stay
Each day is Valentine's Day, each day is Valentine's Day
The lyrics to Rufus Wainwright's rendition of My Funny Valentine evokes mixed emotions of amused observation and genuine admiration for the subject of the song. The opening lines present two contrasting perspectives of the same person - on the one hand, the singer is awed by the virtuous display of the "fine feathered friend", while on the other hand, the singer is amused by the "dim-witted" appearance of this friend. The following lines seek to reassure the friend that his true character shines through despite his tousled hair and vacant brow, with the singer addressing him as a "noble upright truthful sincere, and slightly dopey gent." The song goes on to praise the friend's endearing qualities that might not be conventionally attractive, but make him a favorite work of art for the singer.
The chorus of the song is a declaration of love towards the "funny valentine". The singer appreciates the valentine's ability to make him "smile with my heart" regardless of his laughable looks and unphotographable features. The final stanza of the chorus poses three rhetorical queries, inviting the valentine to know that his slightly flawed figure and weak mouth do not matter to the singer, who wants him to "stay, little valentine, stay" because "Each day is Valentine's Day."
Line by Line Meaning
Behold the way our fine feathered friend, his virtue doth parade
Look at the way this bird proudly displays its virtues.
Thou knowest not my dim-witted friend, the picture thou hast made
My friend, you don't realize how silly you look right now.
Thy vacant brow and thy tousled hair conceal thy good intent
Your unkempt appearance hides your true sincerity.
Thou noble upright truthful sincere, and slightly dopey gent
Despite your dorkiness, you are a noble and genuine guy.
You're my funny valentine, sweet, comic valentine
You may not be conventionally attractive, but you're the love of my life.
You make me smile with my heart
Your presence brings me true happiness and joy.
Your looks are laughable, unphotographable,
You are not conventionally attractive and cannot be captured in a photo.
Yet, you're my favorite work of art
Despite your unconventional appearance, I see you as a beautiful masterpiece.
Is your figure less than Greek?
Are you not perfectly chiseled like a Greek statue?
Is your mouth a little weak?
Do you not always say the right things?
When you open it to speak, are you smart?
Is your intelligence not immediately apparent when you speak?
So, don't change a hair for me, not if you care for me
I love you just the way you are.
Stay, little valentine, stay
Please don't leave me, my beloved.
Each day is Valentine's Day
Every day with you is special to me.
So, don't change a hair for me, not if you care for me
I love you just the way you are.
Stay, little valentine, stay
Please don't leave me, my beloved.
Each day is Valentine's Day, each day is Valentine's Day
Every day with you is just as special as Valentine's Day.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@reneerayburnarney6315
My favorite cover of My Funny Valentine 💝
@micheleatlilacsrust5785
Such a beautiful rendition. Letterman's shows always had outstanding musical performances like this. Just another reason why I still miss his show.
@claumouz
How I'd love a Rufus' album of standards... !
@lew306
I suppose Rufus Does Judy might do the trick for the time being 🙂
@miladydoe
Yes, his lovely mom is on piano, may she rest in peace. I remember this was on Valentine's Day, 2003, because I met him at a cd signing in September of that same year.
@portcreditdave
Outstanding
@mmmplee
whoa i haven't seen Rufus with a beard and mustache before
@yohei72
@derekbd Those don't strike me as mutually exclusive. It's certainly been covered many times over the years by many artists, some of whose versions (e.g., Chet Baker's) are classics. I'm pretty sure that's the definition of a standard.
@spongebobnik
@mmmplee Looks really wolfie. Glad he hasn't tried to grow a scraggly looking beard again.
@mmmplee
I think he looks better clean shaven.