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))).
The Bridge
Scott Walker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I knew her when she danced with dreams
White doves were there to dress her hair
And so was Madelaine
At night the people's faces danced
Like pearls colliding on the breast
Of fat Marie whose thunder laugh
Her sailors stained her cobblestones
With wine and piss and death desire
And sometimes blood for Madelaine
Whose laughter was the night
Her girls would lift their dresses high
And breathe the stars and kiss the sky
She'd smother them with whispers then
Embrace them with her sighs
Before the bottle dulled my eyes
And made me so I couldn't stand
I'd overact and play the clown
When Madelaine would cry
And now I watch from riverbanks
I watch it weave it's memories
White doves turned gray and flew away
And so did Madelaine
The lyrics of Scott Walker’s song “The Bridge” are full of vivid imagery and metaphor, telling the story of a woman named Madelaine who once danced with dreams but ultimately met a tragic end. The singer, who appears to have been intimately involved with Madelaine, describes watching her from the river banks and memories of her dancing with white doves in her hair.
The song suggests Madelaine had a reputation and managed a brothel (“Her sailors stained her cobblestones with wine and piss and death desire”), and describes the singer’s experiences with her girls, who would lift their dresses high and embrace life with abandon. Madelaine herself is portrayed as a magnetic, larger-than-life figure whose laughter was the night, but the mood of the song starts to transform as darker elements are introduced.
The song builds a sense of foreboding as the singer describes how Madelaine’s laughter was threaded with crying, implying that her life was not as glamorous as it appeared. The mood takes a darker turn as the singer reveals how he used to overact and play the clown to cover up Madelaine’s tears when he was still sober enough to stand. The song concludes with the singer watching from the river banks again, narrating that the white doves have turned gray and flew away, as Madelaine presumably dies.
Overall, “The Bridge” is a poignant song that eschews straightforward storytelling in favor of vivid metaphor and image, encouraging the listener to delve deeper into the emotions and experiences portrayed.
Line by Line Meaning
I've watched her from the river banks
I had been observing her from the river banks
I knew her when she danced with dreams
I was aware of her when she was full of hope and aspirations
White doves were there to dress her hair
White doves would flutter around her hair
And so was Madelaine
Madelaine was also there
At night the people's faces danced
During the night, people's faces appeared to dance
Like pearls colliding on the breast
Their appearances were enchanting like pearls coming together
Of fat Marie whose thunder laugh
People used to hear the thunderous laugh of a person named Marie
Was just a thread from crying
Marie's joyous laugh was on the verge of turning into tears
Her sailors stained her cobblestones
The sailors left behind their marks on the cobblestones
With wine and piss and death desire
Their marks were left by wine, urine, and violent intentions
And sometimes blood for Madelaine
The sailors might have left behind blood for Madelaine
Whose laughter was the night
Madelaine's laughter characterized the entire night
Her girls would lift their dresses high
Her female companions would raise their dresses high
and breathe the stars and kiss the sky
They would breathe in the warmth of the stars and kiss the sky
She'd smother them with whispers then
Madelaine would speak softly to them
Embrace them with her sighs
She would console them with her sighs
Before the bottle dulled my eyes
Before alcohol dimmed my vision
And made me so I couldn't stand
And made me too dizzy to stand
I'd overact and play the clown
I used to over-exaggerate my behavior and clown around
When Madelaine would cry
Whenever Madelaine seemed upset
And now I watch from riverbanks
I currently observe from the river banks
I watch it weave its memories
I observe as memories are woven
White doves turned gray and flew away
The formerly white doves turned gray and flew away
And so did Madelaine
Madelaine also flew away
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BUTCH WALKER, PAT MONAHAN, GREG KURSTIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Shane Wright
Scott's loss is easily as profound as that of David Bowie. A Titan, a genius and a humble one at that.
pedro izquierez
indeed.
Ahmed Mahon
David Bowie himself would tell you that is is much greater
Michael Skywood Clifford
Scott Walker is a real musician. Everytime he is involved in a production, singing, arranging, writing, he gets so close that you shiver. His latest stuff is really frightening, operatic, but it's music that you can't predict. I love all these old numbers and by God don't they stand the test of time!! They are still amazing.
Bobito
Terribly sad news today. Rest in peace Scott. Not just a great voice but the artistry to use it to such moving effect.
gus8max
Such sad news been a fan since the sixties , will never stop playing his music , such a great voice , R I P Scott you enriched my life .
John Anthony
Never will stop playing his music, he reminds me of who I am....
John Anthony
Apparently I am one of only a few who loved Scott's later work too. Such bravery in exploring the nature of expression through sound. Our worldis made of music (sound and light vibrations) and Scott understood how vast are the possibilities to expres our souls. God rest his soul.
Too Much Spare Time Productions
Intellectually I prefer his later stuff, however I’m not exactly going to listen to the drift to relax at the end of the day
Me
You are not on your own John. I have loved Scott from hearing him sing Love Her through to all his later work and collaborations.
There will only ever be one Scott Walker and I continue to listen to him for as long as I live.