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...").
Rainbow Crossing
Rufus Wainwright Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm gonna give you some time
With a heart that's made filled with alcohol
Water can be wine
Hope the rocks are not too slippery
When through the center I slay
Won't you stand in straight as an evergreen
Oh brace yourself
It's a world we'll spin about
Since I'm the right side of this legend
Those who have the sense to fear in me
Know I'm the dark prince and you are the peasant
Oh but wait for me on the rainbow crossing
Cause I need to there for to meet the maker
Finally I will see your person
But my greatest fear are your shining features
So much time has been spent inventing
Crime that I've grown to love
Your fiery nature
Beware
On the rainbow crossing
You can check your spears, your bows and arrows
Meet me there above the river flowing
And we'll enter in the greatest heroes
Though they say Valhalla ain't what it used to be
Still I reckon that it can't be all that bad
It can't be any worse than a world without a friend
The lyrics of Rufus Wainwright's song Rainbow Crossing incorporate themes of conflict, power, and mortality. The opening line, "Well since you are my archenemy, I'm gonna give you some time," sets the stage for a showdown between two opposing forces. The singer seems to be taunting their enemy, who may be struggling with addiction ("With a heart that's made filled with alcohol, water can be wine"). The image of water turning into wine also alludes to the biblical miracle performed by Jesus, suggesting that the singer sees themselves as a kind of savior or miracle-worker.
The second verse incorporates more imagery of battle and struggle, as the singer references slippery rocks and collapsing landscapes. They seem to be positioning themselves as the hero of the story, the "right side of this legend," while casting their enemy in a more subordinate role ("you are the peasant"). However, the final verse introduces a note of vulnerability and pathos. The singer admits to being enamored with their enemy's fiery nature, and expresses a fear of their "shining features." The reference to Valhalla, the Norse afterlife for warriors, suggests that the singer is contemplating their own mortality and the possibility of a world without their enemy – a world without a friend.
Overall, "Rainbow Crossing" is a complex and highly visual song that incorporates a range of literary and mythological references. It paints a vivid picture of a struggle between two powerful forces, while also exploring themes of addiction, mortality, and the fear of loss.
Line by Line Meaning
Well since you are my archenemy
As you are my ultimate enemy, let's spend some time together
I'm gonna give you some time
I will afford you some time, as my enemy
With a heart that's made filled with alcohol
My heart is filled with alcohol, which changes water into wine
Water can be wine
Drinking water mixed with wine is fine
Hope the rocks are not too slippery
I hope the rocks will not be too hard to walk on
When through the center I slay
When I pass through the middle and succeed
Won't you stand in straight as an evergreen
Please stand upright like an evergreen tree
When it all gives way
When everything collapses
Oh brace yourself
Prepare yourself for what's coming
It's a world we'll spin about
We will move around this world
Since I'm the right side of this legend
As I am the hero of this story
Those who have the sense to fear in me
People who are sensible enough to be fearful of me
Know I'm the dark prince and you are the peasant
Understand that I am the evil prince and you are nothing but a poor person
Oh but wait for me on the rainbow crossing
Please wait for me at the rainbow crossing
Cause I need to there for to meet the maker
I need to be there to meet the maker
Finally I will see your person
At last, I will see you
But my greatest fear are your shining features
However, I am most afraid of your glowing features
So much time has been spent inventing
We have put a lot of effort into devising
Crime that I've grown to love
I have started to enjoy doing criminal activities
Your fiery nature
Your passionate character
Beware
Stay alert
On the rainbow crossing
At the path that leads to Valhalla
You can check your spears, your bows and arrows
You can inspect, verify, and ready your weapons
Meet me there above the river flowing
Come and join me there, above the flowing river
And we'll enter in the greatest heroes
And we will join the company of the greatest heroes
Though they say Valhalla ain't what it used to be
They say Valhalla is not as good as it used to be
Still I reckon that it can't be all that bad
But still, I believe that it cannot be terrible
It can't be any worse than a world without a friend
It cannot be worse than a world without friends
Contributed by Chase C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
claudette mousseau
Keep uploading these rare Rufus' gems! Thank you!
Jordan Blair
thank you!! god I love these unreleased Rufus as songs!! I thought I heard anything hes put out!! This is very reminiscent of his first as albums songs!!
Iam Picasso
Saw him perform this way back 1999 at the Supper Club in NYC. The piano work is exceptional. Initially Rufus talked about recording 57 songs for the first record, I would love to hear the outtakes or demos. Unfortunately, none of these made it onto the House of Rufus box set. Btw, ‘Ashes’ is a beautiful song from Rufus’ Original demo.
Christopher Todd Durnil
I was at this show and partied with Rufus after the show - but that's a story in and of itself...
daveroxit
I was at the show, too! Got an autograph afterward but no partying, lol.