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))).
Where's The Girl?
Scott Walker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where's the girl, the flowers are dying 'cause nobody cares any more
The canary and the poor lonely flowers miss her so very much
You can tell this apartment and I are in need of a woman's touch
On the floor there is one nylon stocking and I'm a leaving it there where it lies
Oh who'd have thought that one nylon stocking could ever bring tears to these eyes
Where's the girl who used to fix me my coffee and butter up my toast
But lord what I miss the most is the girl.
Here's a dresser drawer that's filled with old hairpins, lipstick and Lord knows what
And here's a photograph taken last summer and a bottle of perfume bought
But where's the girlâ?¦. Where's the girl. Where's the girl Oh I need the girl
In Scott Walker's song Where's The Girl?, the lack of a female presence in the singer's life is palpable, with the imagery of a canary who stopped singing since the woman walked out and flowers that are dying because no one cares anymore. The singer comments on how the apartment and he himself are in need of a woman's touch. The song is poignant in its portrayal of the loneliness and longing that come with a lost love.
The singer's grief is also emphasized by the nylon stocking on the floor, which he leaves there as a reminder of the woman who used to wear it. The simple object brings tears to his eyes, highlighting the depth of his emotional attachment. The lyrics also reveal the little things that the woman used to do for him that he now misses, such as fixing him coffee and buttering his toast. The most significant loss, however, is the woman herself.
Overall, Where's The Girl? is a melancholic reflection on the absence of love, and the longing that results from it. It captures the sense of emptiness that can come with the end of a relationship, and the yearning for what has been lost.
Line by Line Meaning
Where's the girl, the canary stopped singing the moment she walked out the door
The girl's absence has created a void in this apartment, even the canary stopped singing when she left.
Where's the girl, the flowers are dying 'cause nobody cares any more
The flowers are dying because no one is there to care for them, since the girl left.
The canary and the poor lonely flowers miss her so very much
The canary and the flowers miss the girl, who was their caretaker, dearly.
You can tell this apartment and I are in need of a woman's touch
The apartment and the artist are in need of a woman's presence and care.
On the floor there is one nylon stocking and I'm a leaving it there where it lies
The artist is leaving the nylon stocking on the floor, as he remembers the girl who left it there.
Oh who'd have thought that one nylon stocking could ever bring tears to these eyes
The memory of the girl who left the stocking behind is so powerful that it brings tears to the singer's eyes.
Where's the girl who used to fix me my coffee and butter up my toast
The singer misses the girl who used to take care of him, making his coffee and buttering his toast.
Lord how I miss the coffee taste of her kiss
The artist misses the girl's affection and intimacy dearly.
But lord what I miss the most is the girl.
Most of all, the artist misses the girl's presence in his life.
Here's a dresser drawer that's filled with old hairpins, lipstick and Lord knows what
The artist has a drawer filled with the girl's personal items, which serve as reminders of her.
And here's a photograph taken last summer and a bottle of perfume bought
The singer has keepsakes that remind him of the girl, like a photograph and a bottle of her perfume.
But where's the girlâ?¦. Where's the girl. Where's the girl Oh I need the girl
The artist is asking where the girl is and expressing his need for her presence in his life.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JERRY LEIBER, MIKE STOLLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@andyisdead
Where's the girl, the canary stopped singing the moment she walked out the door
Where's the girl, the flowers are dying 'cos nobody cares any more
The canary and the poor lonely flowers miss her so very much
You can tell this apartment and I are in need of a woman's touch
On the floor there is one nylon stocking and I'm a leaving it there where it lies
Oh who'd have thought that one nylon stocking could ever bring tears to these eyes
Where's the girl who used to fix me my coffee and butter up my toast
Lord how I miss the coffee taste of her kiss
But lord what I miss the most is the girl…
Here's a dresser drawer that's filled with old hairpins, lipstick and Lord knows what
And here's a photograph taken last summer and a bottle of perfume bought
But where's the girl…. Where's the girl…. Where's the girl… Oh I need the girl…
@helenastokes3694
I love this song by Scott, he could sing anything, and that wide range of notes are just sublime. Miss you Scott walker 😢❤❤xx
@patwebb4112
Definitely one of my Scott faves.
@CANARVONKID
LORD HOW I MISS, THE COFFEE TASTE OF HER KISS! What a great line!! What a great singer!
@wellandtrulyjoshed
Beautiful man beautiful voice ❤️ RIP Scott 💔 Miss you more 😢
@annetteshaw1820
Great voice
@danieljones5137
The first LP that I brought with my own money.Have not played it since I got rid of my record player 10 years ago, after listening to this have decided to by a new one.Great song thanks for posting.
@bmckeeb1
i have listened so many times 2 this never fails again and again need i say any more .
@johncrawford4926
Awesome collection, grew up digging these guys .Scott Walker did define the group. Thanks so much for throwing this all out there !
@sallyann1951
Hi, I have all the original lp's ep's and 45's. A true fan. Thanks for posting
@johnanthony9313
1966...the year we married...here's the girl right here. Unbelievable