Originally coming to fame in the mid-1960s singing orchestral pop ballads as the frontman of The Walker Brothers, Walker went on to a solo career balancing a light entertainment/MOR ballad approach with increasing artistic innovations in arrangement and writing. Despite a series of acclaimed albums, a disastrous drop in sales forced him back into straight Middle of the road recordings with little of his own artistic input. This in turn eventually led to a Walker Brothers reunion in the mid-1970s (although the latter eventually moved, by mutual consent, into more avant-garde areas).
From the mid-1980s, Walker revived his solo career while drastically reinventing his artistic and compositional methods, via a series of acclaimed and vividly avant-garde albums. These combined his iconic voice with an unsettling avant-garde approach which owed more to modernist and post-modernist classical composition than to his pop singer past. This change in approach has been compared to "Andy Williams reinventing himself as Stockhausen".
Walker has been a continuing influence on other artists, in particular The Last Shadow Puppets, Marc Almond, Goldfrapp, Douglas Pearce of the band Death in June, Billy MacKenzie of The Associates, David Sylvian, Julian Cope, Antony Hegarty, Thom Yorke, Steven Wilson, David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, Trey Spruance, Perry Blake, Radiohead, Noah Lennox, Mikael Åkerfeldt, and the Divine Comedy/Neil Hannon.
Walker continued to release solo material until his death, and was signed to 4AD Records. As a record producer or guest performer he worked with a number of artists including Pulp, Ute Lemper, Bat For Lashes and Sunn O))).
Maria Bethania
Scott Walker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everybody knows that our cities were built to be destroyed
You get to know it
You buy a flat
You hide behind the mat
But I know she was born to do everything
Wrong before our love died
But I know she was born to do everything
Maria Bethania please send me a letter
I wish to know things are getting
Better better better better better
Bethania please send me a letter
I wish to know things are getting better
She has give out a soul to the devil but
The devil gave his soul to God
She has give out a soul to the devil but
The devil gave his soul to God.
Before the flood
After the flood
Before you can't see
She has given the soul to the devil
And bought a flat by the sea
She has given the soul to the devil
And bought a flat by the sea
Maria Bethania please send me a letter
I wish to know things are getting better,
Better, better, better, better.
Bethania please send me a letter
I wish to know things are getting better
Everybody knows that it's so hard to dig and get to the root
Everybody knows that it's so hard to dig and get to the root
You eat the food
You go ahead
You wake up on your head
But I love her face cause it has nothing to do with all I said
But I love her face cause it has nothing to do with all I said
Maria Bethania please send me a letter
I wish to know things are getting better
Better, better, better, better
Bethania please send me a letter
I wish to know things are getting better
The lyrics of Scott Walker's song Maria Bethania describe a sense of disillusionment with modern city life and relationships. The opening lines, "Everybody knows that our cities were built to be destroyed," seem to suggest that the urban environment is inherently flawed and unsustainable. The subsequent line, "You get to know it, you buy a flat, you hide behind the mat," implies a sense of resignation and escapism that many people resort to in order to cope with the difficulties of city living.
However, the song takes an even darker turn with the repeated phrase, "But I know she was born to do everything wrong before our love died." This line seems to suggest that the singer's relationship with Maria Bethania was doomed from the start, that she was fated to make destructive choices that would ultimately lead to the demise of their love.
The repeated refrain of "Maria Bethania please send me a letter, I wish to know things are getting better," adds to the sense of desperation and longing that permeates the song. It seems that the singer is seeking some kind of reassurance or connection from Bethania, despite the perceived hopelessness of their situation.
Overall, the lyrics of Maria Bethania paint a bleak picture of modern life, highlighting the challenges of living in a rapidly changing urban environment and the difficulty of maintaining relationships amidst such turmoil.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody knows that our cities were built to be destroyed
The transient nature of cities is a widely accepted truth, and they were intended to be destroyed eventually.
You get to know it
It is a realization that comes with time and experience.
You buy a flat
Despite knowing that cities are meant to be destroyed, people still invest in them and create a home for themselves.
You hide behind the mat
The attempt to ignore or avoid the inevitable destruction of the city.
But I know she was born to do everything
Wrong before our love died
The artist believes that Maria Bethania had a predisposition to making mistakes that ultimately led to the end of their relationship.
Maria Bethania please send me a letter
I wish to know things are getting
Better better better better better
Bethania please send me a letter
I wish to know things are getting better
The singer is desperate for communication with Maria Bethania and hopes that things are improving for both of them.
She has give out a soul to the devil but
The devil gave his soul to God
Maria Bethania made a deal with the devil, but he eventually received redemption and gave his soul to God.
Before the flood
After the flood
Before you can't see
She has given the soul to the devil
And bought a flat by the sea
She has given the soul to the devil
And bought a flat by the sea
Maria Bethania made her deal with the devil prior to a major catastrophe, and even after losing her soul, she still found comfort in her home by the sea.
Everybody knows that it's so hard to dig and get to the root
Understanding the fundamental issues underlying a problem is a challenging task.
You eat the food
You go ahead
You wake up on your head
Despite trying to address the root of a problem, you may end up being surprised or disoriented by the outcome.
But I love her face cause it has nothing to do with all I said
The singer still holds affection for Maria Bethania despite their past issues.
Contributed by Gabriel O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
roger johansson
His breath control is breathtaking, his phrasing beyond words, his color blue but dark, his pitch 'another ballgame' & his expression celestial... what can I say.....
charmaine prince
Beautifully said.!
John Faram
absolutely sublime
David Walsh
Scott Walker was an amazing performer. He hated all the adulation he recieved. He wasn't really a pop singer, although he had hit records. He had his own idea of where his music was going. It wasn't in a commercial direction but he was happy with what he was doing.
Christine Cronje
Christine Scott
Scott still sings Christine . Yes he is more into the jazz, perhaps country and different side of things but he is still working as hard and well as ever. Bless him ❤️👍
Christine Cronje
And he still is David Walsh.
Christine Scott
I hate to read 'was' in your comment, but sadly it is true. We will never hear his beautiful voice on new recordings. Although he was a pop singer and idol in the 60's/70's I still found his more recent music very interesting ... and I still love his voice so much. I'll never tire of listening to him ever ..........
George Burrell
Extraordinary, the voice and the communication.
Julio Rivera
I'm a big appreciator of Scott Walker and the Walker Bros. I love ON YOUR OWN AGAIN (my favorite song of all time) but I somehow never paid attention to his rendition of this classic. Another NEW fave in my book! Damn...
Joan Scorey
His beautiful voice reaches into your soul, he will forever have a place in my heart. ❤️❤️❤️Xxx