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".
Official website: http://www.vanessacarlton.com
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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.
Little Mary
Vanessa Carlton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With her perfect hair and perfect heart
And happy as can be
Little Mary
Mary it's just visual I don't think it's real
Inside I think she's me
Well I could be wrong could be right
Cause little Mary sings her song and wipes away her tears
Little Mary don't you worry
You're perfect all around
No wounds or worries on your head
Just please come back down
Drop a line my way
You say it Mary, say it Mary
Don't be afraid to reveal
It's this preconceived notion that everybody's got
That little girls are perfect and angry they are not
And little Mary don't you worry
You're perfect all around
No wounds or worries on your head
Just please come back down
Oh little Mary
Don't you jump now
Little Mary show them who you are
Show them what you are
And little Mary takes a fall
All the way to heaven
Her feelings always trapped inside her perfect little heart
Her image is secure
She had to do what she had to do
To keep a perfect little Mary
It's always a perfect little Mary that falls
She falls
And it's always a perfect little Mary that falls
Mary falls
Little Mary don't you worry
You're perfect all around
No wounds or worries on your head
Just please come back down
The song Little Mary by Vanessa Carlton tells the story of a girl who appears to be perfect on the outside, but is struggling internally. Little Mary is presented as a symbol of the societal pressure placed on young girls to maintain a facade of perfection, even if it means hiding their authentic feelings. The lyrics serve to remind the listener that no one is truly perfect, and that it's okay to let others see our flaws and vulnerabilities.
The first verse establishes Little Mary's appearance, describing her perfect hair and heart. Vanessa Carlton contrasts Little Mary's external appearance with the line "Mary it's just visual I don't think it's real, inside I think she's me." This line suggests that the singer, and by extension others, can relate to Little Mary's inner struggles. The chorus encourages Little Mary to "drop a line" and be honest about her feelings, subverting the pressure to maintain a perfect image.
In the final verses, Little Mary takes a fall and falls all the way to heaven, suggesting that perhaps authenticity and vulnerability are the path to true happiness and inner peace. The lyrics of Little Mary can be interpreted as a call to action to break down the societal expectation of perfection on young girls and encourage them to be true to themselves.
Line by Line Meaning
Little Mary takes a walk
Mary, who presents herself perfectly, goes for a walk.
With her perfect hair and perfect heart
Her beautiful appearance and kind heart are her identity.
And happy as can be
She wanders around with joy in her heart.
Little Mary
She is identified as 'Little Mary'.
Mary it's just visual I don't think it's real
Only her visual look is perfect, and the rest is unknown to everyone.
Inside I think she's me
She might be feeling the same way inside as everyone else does.
Well I could be wrong could be right
The singer is not sure if she's right about Mary.
Don't think it matters
It doesn't matter if she's right or wrong.
Cause little Mary sings her song and wipes away her tears
Mary keeps herself happy and wipes her sorrows away.
Little Mary don't you worry
She is asked to not worry.
You're perfect all around
She is perfect in every aspect of appearance.
No wounds or worries on your head
She hasn't faced any problems or difficulties yet.
Just please come back down
The singer requests her to come down to reality.
Drop a line my way
The singer is asking Mary to communicate with them.
You say it Mary, say it Mary
Mary is encouraged to speak her mind.
Don't be afraid to reveal
The artist assures her that she should not be afraid of being herself.
It's this preconceived notion that everybody's got
People have a pre-formed notion that little girls are perfect, which is not true.
That little girls are perfect and angry they are not
People think that little girls are not supposed to be angry and need to stay perfect.
Oh little Mary
She is addressed again as 'Little Mary'.
Don't you jump now
The artist warns her not to jump to conclusions or extremes.
Little Mary show them who you are
She is asked to showcase her true identity.
Show them what you are
The artist wants her to reveal her true nature.
And little Mary takes a fall
Mary faces a downfall due to her perfect image.
All the way to heaven
Mary's fall leads her to escape the reality of this world and fall into a fantasy world.
Her feelings always trapped inside her perfect little heart
Mary hides her real feelings inside her perfect heart.
Her image is secure
Her image of being perfect is intact.
She had to do what she had to do
Mary did what she had to do in order to maintain that perfect image.
To keep a perfect little Mary
Mary chose to maintain her perfect image.
It's always a perfect little Mary that falls
It is always the image of being perfect that becomes the cause of Mary's downfall.
She falls
Mary faces a downfall.
Little Mary don't you worry
She is consoled not to worry.
You're perfect all around
She is still perfect in her appearance.
No wounds or worries on your head
Her perfect image is still untarnished.
Just please come back down
She is still asked to come back to reality.
Contributed by Lillian R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
annikengd95
i love this song .
mirroredhour
She sounds so young.