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...").
Spotlight on Christmas
Rufus Wainwright Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
People love the working man
Who does the best that he can but
Don't forget all the horses and toys
Never could fix the poor little rich boys.
People say they love the maid who
Sweats and toils just like a slave but
Never could fix the poor little rich girls.
You could measure it in blood
You could measure it in mud
Let us say for these twelve days
Put the measurin' away
Cause it's Christmas
And a spotlight shining on Christmas
And a spotlight shining on us.
People love and people hate
People go and people wait but
Don't forget Jesus Mary and Joseph
Once were a family, poor but rich in hope, yeah
Don't forget Jesus Mary and Joseph
Running from the law King Herod hath imposeth
And they were each one quite odd
A mench, a virgin, and a god but
Don't forget that what kept them afloat
Floatin' through the desert doesn't take a boat
Don't forget that what kept them above
Is unconditional love and
You could measure it in blood
You could measure it in mud
Let us say for these twelve days
Put the measurin' away
Cause it's Christmas
And a spotlight shining on Christmas
And a spotlight shining on us.
And a spotlight shining on Christmas
And a spotlight shining on
People love the working man
Does the best that he can but
Don't forget all the horses and toys
Never could fix the poor little rich boys.
The song "Spotlight on Christmas" by Rufus Wainwright is a commentary about the double standards in society where people tend to overlook the struggles of the less fortunate while idolizing the wealthy. In the first two verses, Wainwright sings about how people love and admire the working man and the maid who are hardworking but often forget to acknowledge their struggles. Instead, people tend to focus on the wealth and luxury of the rich boys and girls who seem to have everything but still lack something that toys and jewels couldn't provide them.
The song then shifts its focus to Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, who were a poor family but were rich in hope and love. They were refugees, running away from King Herod's persecution and had to travel through the desert without any proper transportation. However, what kept them afloat was their unconditional love for each other, and that is what the song wants us to recognize. Despite being poor, they were loved and they loved each other, and that is what truly mattered.
The song's chorus emphasizes the message of the song and reminds us to put aside our measuring instruments of blood and mud and instead celebrate the unconditional love and hope that Christmas brings. The spotlight is shining on Christmas, and it's shining on us, urging us to embrace its message of love and compassion.
Line by Line Meaning
People love the working man
People tend to appreciate and admire those who work hard for a living.
Who does the best that he can but
Even though the working man may give his all, it still may not be enough.
Don't forget all the horses and toys
Material possessions do not bring happiness or fulfillment to privileged individuals.
Never could fix the poor little rich boys.
Wealthy individuals who lack emotional support may fill the void with material possessions, yet still feel unfulfilled.
People say they love the maid who
People often express admiration for those who toil and work themselves until exhaustion for low pay.
Sweats and toils just like a slave but
Many people work hard every single day in underappreciated, union-less and under-paying jobs.
Don't forget all the diamonds and pearls
The wealthy routinely shower themselves with extravagant luxuries and expensive baubles.
Never could fix the poor little rich girls.
Similar to the privileged boys, girls born into privilege may indulge in possessions but still find themselves unfulfilled.
You could measure it in blood
People can go to any extent to prove their point or struggle, often risking their own well-being.
You could measure it in mud
Strife and struggle can often be compared to slogging through the mire and mud.
Let us say for these twelve days
During the twelve days of Christmas, let’s put measuring the struggles aside.
Put the measurin' away
Let's take a break from comparing and measuring people's difficulties and setbacks.
Cause it's Christmas
The spirit of Christmas represents compassion, giving, and loving your fellow human beings.
And a spotlight shining on Christmas
Christmas is a special time of the year when love and kindness get the spotlight.
And a spotlight shining on us.
During these twelve days, we should also take a moment to focus on ourselves and spread joy and happiness to everyone around us.
People love and people hate
There will always be individuals who love us and those who dislike us.
People go and people wait but
People move through life, progressing and waiting for the future to unfold.
Don't forget Jesus Mary and Joseph
Let us remember the central figures of Christmas, who were humble and loving in all their deeds.
Once were a family, poor but rich in hope, yeah
The family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph were not wealthy, but they had hope, faith, and love, making them rich in a sense.
Running from the law King Herod hath imposeth
The family of Jesus had to escape a ruling king because of their religious beliefs.
And they were each one quite odd
The family of Jesus, despite their peculiarities, were accepting and welcoming individuals.
A mench, a virgin, and a god but
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph were each unique in their way, Jesus being the son of God, Mary being a virgin and Joseph being a righteous, upstanding man.
Don't forget that what kept them afloat
What enabled the family of Jesus to persevere through unfair situations was their faith and unconditional love for each other.
Floatin' through the desert doesn't take a boat
The faith and love in their hearts helped them overcome any obstacle, even that as insurmountable as crossing the unforgiving desert on foot.
Don't forget that what kept them above
It was the enduring quality of love that gave the family an elevated perspective, even when times were tough.
Is unconditional love and
The central message of Christmas is love that is given without limitations or reservation.
And a spotlight shining on Christmas
During the holiday season, Christmas shines as an example of hope, love, and family.
And a spotlight shining on us.
We should try to live up to the goodwill of the holiday season, spreading joy and happiness to those around us.
People love the working man
People tend to appreciate and admire those who work hard for a living.
Does the best that he can but
Even though the working man may give his all, it still may not be enough.
Don't forget all the horses and toys
Material possessions do not bring happiness or fulfillment to privileged individuals.
Never could fix the poor little rich boys.
Wealthy individuals who lack emotional support may fill the void with material possessions, yet still feel unfulfilled.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RUFUS WAINWRIGHT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind