Vanessa's sixth studio album, Love Is An Art, releases on March 27th, 2020 through Dine Alone Records.
Vanessa's fifth studio album, Liberman, was released on October 23 2015, through Dine Alone Records. It marks her first release since signing with Dine Alone Records. The title of the album comes from an oil painting made by Carlton's late maternal grandfather, whose given surname was "Liberman".
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Vanessa Carlton first began playing the piano as a toddler, continuing on an artistic road with her attendance at the School of American Ballet in New York, a path she would eventually abandon in favor of songwriting. She re-embraced the piano and began performing in bars and clubs across Manhattan. While studying at Columbia University, Carlton was signed to Interscope Records, but made her formal debut on A&M under veteran producer Ron Fair.
Her debut album in April 2002, Be Not Nobody, resonated with audiences of all ages world-wide, especially the hit piano single “A Thousand Miles,” which reached the Top 5 on Billboard’s Hot 100 Singles chart, #1 in Australia, and Top 10 in the UK. Carlton went on to earn 2003 Grammy nominations for Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist (“A Thousand Miles”). The album witnessed global success, reaching Gold status in over 10 countries, and Platinum status in Asian territories, such as Hong Kong, Indonesia, and Taiwan.
Her second album Harmonium (2004), which yielded the single “White Houses,” continued to inspire an increasingly loyal global fan base and garnered some the best reviews of her career.
Her record release in 2007, Heroes & Thieves “might be my first thematic record,” Carlton says, adding that the songs reveal themselves like chapters in a book, one that fans can crack open (Vanessa has often explained during her live shows that the second single from "Heroes & Thieves" entitled "Hands On Me" is the second chapter to the album). Paying homage to the area of Manhattan where most of its songs were written, the first single off of the 2007 record, appropriately dubbed “Nolita Fairytale,” is a syncopated, upbeat piece that paints a dramatic musical landscape. “ That song is really about finding joy in unexpected environments. How sometimes losing things makes you realize what you have, which is like a quasi fairytale,” says Carlton. Heroes & Thieves was recorded in the San Francisco studio of Third Eye Blind founder Stephan Jenkins and the Los Angeles studio of producer/songwriter Linda Perry.
Vanessa's fourth studio album, "Rabbits On The Run" was released on July 26th, 2011. Material for this album was produced by Steve Osborne (U2, B-52’s, KT Tunstall), and was recorded in the UK at Peter Gabriel's well-renowned Real World Studios.
Speaking with Songfacts about the lead single Carousel in a 2011 interview, Carlton explained that she wrote the song in a dream where the "da na na na na" tune was floating around.
Other facts:
Vanessa's uncle is jazz musician Larry Carlton.
In 2003, Vanessa portrayed Dusty Springfield on the television show "American Dreams" on Heartache (episode #1.14) and performed a cover of the song "Wishin' And Hopin'".
One of Vanessa's touring guitarists, Ari Ingber, (other than being credited as a group vocalist on "More Than This) is the lead vocalist/guitarist for the band The Upwelling. Ari also co-wrote the song "About to Break" from Third Eye Blind's "Ursa Major".
One of Vanessa's touring bassists, Jon Evans, (other than being credited as bassist on Heroes & Thieves and bass guitarist on Third Eye Blind's "Ursa Major") is part of the band Redfish, Bluefish and has also performed with Tori Amos.
One of Vanessa's touring guitarists, Mark Beauchemin, (other than performing with Vanessa on the song "More Than This (Campfire Take)" for the album "Songs For Tibet - The Art of Peace") used to be part of the band SR-71 and currently has his own band.
Besides having Stevie Nicks do backing vocals on her song "The One" and Stephan Jenkins (of Third Eye Blind) do backing vocals on select songs on Heroes & Thieves, Vanessa has made several contributions to works of other artists and bands including: Vocals on the song Big Yellow Taxi with Counting Crows; backing vocals on the song Moving On by Kimya Dawson; piano on the song Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime by Zucchero; vocals on the song M A K E L O V E T O M E with 7 Aurelius; co-writing 3 songs with The Matrix; Providing vocals on the various artist compilation song "Put A Little Love", created for a Gap clothing company campaign which also featured Al Green, Melissa Etheridge, Kelly Rowland, Stephan Jenkins, Ginuwine, Musiq, Heather Headley and Gavin DeGraw; Providing vocals and piano on the various artist compilation song "Love Revolution", a cover of Lenny Kravitz's song, created for a Kohl's clothing company campaign which also featured Avril Lavigne, Lenny Kravitz, Plain White T's and The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus; Performing live with artists/bands including a cover of Elton John's song "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" with Elton John's band, duets with Shlomo, Shlomo and the Vocal Orchestra, Stevie Nicks, Goo Goo Dolls and Counting Crows and backing vocals on select songs with Counting Crows.
Vanessa is credited with providing piano on the track "Company" and backing vocals on "Faster" from Third Eye Blind's album "Out of the Vein".
Vanessa is also credited as being a performer on The Upwelling's debut album "An American Stranger" which Stephan Jenkins also produced.
Fairweather Friend
Vanessa Carlton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I'm fighting the jet stream drinking cheap wine on airplanes
And you're in LA not Chicago
Key under mat, I walk the dog, order in, home alone
Found your letter on a full moon Sunday night
Some other girl in your spell casting plans for her life
Pour the vodka and it dulls sharp knives
And you didn't mean to do it
So I don't have to believe it
If you didn't really mean it
Then magical thinking gets us by
Think for the after show those candy-colored lips
Your age is showing and you've gotta work harder for it
It's always easier with freshmen
They're not as clever and she'll bring you to life
And you didn't mean to do it
So I don't have to believe it
If you didn't really mean it
Then magical thinking gets us by
My fairweather friend
Fairweather friend
Live for the folly but you did it for the fame
Now you're fragile as porcelain drinking cheap wine on airplanes
Did I ever leave Chicago?
Got your message that you're doing well
And you didn't mean to do it
So I don't have to believe it
If we didn't really mean it
Then magical thinking gets us by
Gets us by, gets us by
You say you see through the folly but you did it for the fame
You say you see through the folly but you did it for the fame
You say you see through the folly but you did it for the fame
You say you see through the folly but you did it for the fame
My fairweather friend
The song "Fairweather Friend" by Vanessa Carlton is a melancholic ballad that delves into the complexities of a strained friendship. The opening lines of the song indicate that the singer's friend is willing to compromise their values or beliefs for the sake of fame, while the singer is struggling to keep up with their friend's glamourous lifestyle. The chorus repeats the phrase, "And you didn't mean to do it / So I don't have to believe it / If you didn't really mean it / Then magical thinking gets us by," suggesting that the relationship is based on the friend's tendency to make empty promises.
As the song progresses, the singer discovers a letter from the friend that reveals they have intentions to use another girl for their own gain. The friend seems to be changing and aging, while the singer remains the same. The line, "Your age is showing and you've gotta work harder for it," suggests that the friend is struggling to maintain their image and lifestyle as they get older. The song ends on a slightly bitter note, with the singer receiving a message from the friend that they are doing well, but still questioning the authenticity of their words.
Overall, "Fairweather Friend" is a poignant critique of the emptiness and transience of fame and the difficulties of maintaining genuine relationships within its constraints.
Line by Line Meaning
Say you see through the folly but you do it for the fame
You know it's ridiculous, yet you do it for the attention
And I'm fighting the jet stream drinking cheap wine on airplanes
I'm trying to keep up while travelling on a budget
And you're in LA not Chicago
You're not where I thought you were
Key under mat, I walk the dog, order in, home alone
I'm stuck at home while you're out having fun
Found your letter on a full moon Sunday night
I stumbled upon your message on a mystical evening
Some other girl in your spell casting plans for her life
You're scheming with someone else to manipulate their future
Pour the vodka and it dulls sharp knives
Alcohol is a temporary pain reliever
Breathe the words of diamonds on rings
You're spinning stories of wealth and status
And you didn't mean to do it
You made a mistake but you claim it was unintentional
So I don't have to believe it
I don't have to accept your excuses
If you didn't really mean it
If you're lying to me
Then magical thinking gets us by
Then we'll use our imagination to cope
Think for the after show those candy-colored lips
You're planning for the future after the fame fades
Your age is showing and you've gotta work harder for it
You're getting older and need to put in more effort to stay relevant
It's always easier with freshmen
It's easier to manipulate people who are naive
They're not as clever and she'll bring you to life
She's not as smart as you, but she'll make you feel alive
My fairweather friend
You're not a true friend when the going gets tough
Live for the folly but you did it for the fame
You're chasing after what's frivolous for the sake of popularity
Now you're fragile as porcelain drinking cheap wine on airplanes
You're delicate and vulnerable despite pretending to be strong
Did I ever leave Chicago?
Did I ever really move on from where I started?
Got your message that you're doing well
I received your update on your successful life
Then magical thinking gets us by
We'll pretend that everything is okay
Gets us by, gets us by
It's enough to get us through the tough times
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: VANESSA CARLTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind