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...").
Ups and Downs
Rufus Wainwright Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Trying to kiss you it hasn't been easy
A lost little puppy dog runnin' away
From the pound
Say
Break all my bones with a stick and a stone
And don't say a word 'cause it's words that're hurtin'
Running away
From the hounds
Let's say that when they told me you're Russian
How my eyes did widen up
You and Mussorgsky
And ups and downs and ups and downs
Oh I'm just a floozy, an old-fashioned hussy
And ups and downs and ups and downs
Me, you and Mussorgsky could be good
Enough of this fooling
I'm playing for keeps now
Pitchin' the sheets like a tent on a camp
And a lost little baby lamb
Hopin' that he
Has been found
Won't you hold my hand through all these
Ups and downs
And ups and downs and ups and downs
Oh I'm just a floozy, an old-fashioned hussy
And ups and downs and ups and downs
Me, you and Mussorgsky
And ups and downs and ups and downs
Oh I'm just a floozy, an old-fashioned hussy
And ups and downs and ups and downs
Me, you and Mussorgsky
And ups and downs and ups and downs
The lyrics of "Ups and Downs" by Rufus Wainwright are an expression of the singer's insecurities and anxieties in a romantic relationship. The title itself is a metaphor for the emotional rollercoaster that love and relationships can be. The singer describes themselves as a "floozy" and an "old-fashioned hussy," indicating a sense of self-doubt and a negative self-image. They are trying to express their feelings to their partner but feel vulnerable and exposed, as though they are a "lost little puppy dog runnin' away from the pound."
The lines "Break all my bones with a stick and a stone / And don't say a word 'cause it's words that're hurtin'" suggest that physical pain might be easier to endure than the emotional pain of rejection or hurtful words. The metaphor of a "lost little baby fox / Running away from the hounds" reinforces the idea of vulnerability and needing protection. The mention of Mussorgsky, a Russian composer, is a nod to the power and beauty of art to bring people together, to find common ground despite any barriers of language or culture.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm just a floozy, an old-fashioned hussy
I am a promiscuous woman with old-fashioned values
Trying to kiss you it hasn't been easy
I have been struggling to express my affection for you
A lost little puppy dog runnin' away
From the pound
I feel like a stray dog without a home, trying to escape from my troubles
Say
Break all my bones with a stick and a stone
And don't say a word 'cause it's words that're hurtin'
This lost little baby fox
Running away
From the hounds
I would rather endure physical pain than verbal abuse, and I feel like a helpless animal being chased by hunters
Let's say that when they told me you're Russian
How my eyes did widen up
You and Mussorgsky
I was surprised to learn that you are Russian, and it made me think of the composer Mussorgsky
And ups and downs and ups and downs
Oh I'm just a floozy, an old-fashioned hussy
And ups and downs and ups and downs
Me, you and Mussorgsky could be good
Life has its highs and lows, and I acknowledge my complicated nature, but I still believe that we could have a good relationship inspired by our shared interest in music
Enough of this fooling
I'm playing for keeps now
Pitchin' the sheets like a tent on a camp
And a lost little baby lamb
Hopin' that he
Has been found
Won't you hold my hand through all these
Ups and downs
I am tired of messing around and want a serious relationship, like setting up a tent for a camping trip, and I feel vulnerable like a lost lamb hoping to be rescued, so I ask for your support through the ups and downs of life
Contributed by Savannah D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jordan Blair
The most important musician of our time. Or at least the only one that matters. Viva Rufus!
Lena
love him to pieces. bothers me to know that sexual orientation is still something oh boy still so much to do
Tiny Epics - Myth & History
Rufus: I think I chose good... devlish laugh
Love you, Rufus. You were a big part of my life when I listened to you as a teen in Texas and as I grew up and saw you in SF, London and Berlin (three cities I am lucky to say I have lived in).
Great piece Rolling Stone! I learned things I never knew and this interview deepened my affection for those songs.
-Lance
Bill Bene'
As a straight man, I want to call out how uber important is is for a man like Rufus to share his message. Whether you're straight, gay, sideways, purple or orange, live your life at peace people
Big fan of Rufus and his messages
Uncle Monty
I love you, Rufus. Thank you for the music.
Tina Perez
The legendary Rufus Wainwright. Creates and performs music like no one else and it's just so magical and rich and sublime and just nothing but superlatives. LOVE YOU, RUFUS. ♥️💕♥️💕♥️💕
Catalina Busla
Il talento di Rufus è geniale! La sua risata contagiosa! Thank you Amazing Rufus
Fast food review and coffee too
I love your voice Rufus ❤️
Clara Rodríguez-Chaves
Thank you soooo much for this wonderful video of the AMAZING Rufus!!!💯🔝👌👏💥🔥⚡🎹🎶🎵
Catalina Busla
Fabulous Rufus! Legendary