Vonda Shepard was born in New York but her family relocated to California when she was fairly young. She played piano from an early age. Her father is Richmond Shepard, a mime and improv actor. Vonda has three sisters: Rosetta, Luana, and Brianna. Her mother left the family when Vonda was ten, and her father raised the four girls by himself.
After performing as a backing singer for many years she was eventually given her own recording contract. Shepard's first chart appearance was in 1987 when she recorded a duet with Dan Hill entitled 'Can't We Try'. She released her first self-titled album in 1989 with little fanfare. The album did yield one chart single, Don't Cry Ilene, a mid-tempo, piano-driven jazz-RnB flavored song dealing with the break-up of a relationship between a black woman and a white man, arising from adult peer pressure. The track is sung from the perspective of the woman's white female friend, who harbors a desire to have the man for herself, but keeps her distance out of respect for her friend. The song peaked at 17 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary chart and stayed on the charts for 12 weeks.
After her third album, Shepard was signed up to appear on Ally McBeal after being spotted by the show's creator David E Kelley. While on the show she recorded two full soundtrack albums and was featured on two other Ally McBeal compilations. The songs Shepard recorded for Ally McBeal soundtrack albums were mainly covers of old songs with lyrics that paralleled what was happening in the title character's life onscreen. Since appearing in the show, Shepard has released two more studio albums and a live album.
Shepard is married to music producer Mitchell Froom and they had their first child, Jack Froom, on 15 April 2006.
The Sunset Marquis
Vonda Shepard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
At The Sunset Marquis
And I miss the way your hand felt
Resting on my knee
It was one of the few times
I didn't want to change a thing
And the way the light hit your face just right
And the way you laughed
Well it warmed the draft
Running through me, through me
And I wanna go back to try and unwind
A couple is snapping at each other
Like dirty old rubber bands
While a waitress in a cat suit
Is starting to expand
I draw a line around your finger
Like a wedding band
Then I scribble down some poetry
On a book of matches
Cause I realise I am sitting with
One of the finest catches
And suddenly in the background it was you
Playing on that radio
Burning on that stereo
In the bar at The Sunset Marquis
There was a party in my head
Where did everybody go?
One night in the blue light
I sat there all alone
And I tried to remember
The smell of your coat
Then I touched my hand and I
Whispered into my own ear, my own ear
In the background something familiar
Something was so clear, so clear
And I realised that it was me
Playing on that radio
Burning on that stereo
In the bar at The Sunset Marquis singing 'bout
All the laughs we once had darling
Oh the way it felt to me
In the bar at The Sunset Marquis
The Sunset Marquis is a song by American singer Vonda Shepard, and it talks about a place that she used to go to with someone special where they would hang out. She misses the way their hands would interlock over her knee, and how there was no need to make any changes. She enjoyed the way the light would fall on her partner's face, creating a magical movie-like experience. The melody of the song is reminiscent of a slow, mellow bar tune, evocative of a laid-back atmosphere.
The lyrics tell a story of Shepard being in The Sunset Marquis bar, where she sees a couple arguing and a waitress expanding. She then draws a line around her finger, like a wedding band, to show her dedication and love. While sitting in the bar, she scribbles some poetry on a book of matches - a common writing ritual for people who frequent bars. In the background, she hears someone playing music that sounds familiar and realizes that it is her own song playing on the radio. She remembers all the things that happened in that place with her partner, and all the memories come flashing back to her.
The Sunset Marquis is a song that speaks to the complexities of relationships, the power of memories, and the joy of immersing oneself in a familiar setting. It is a nostalgic ballad that conjures up images and emotions of a time that has passed.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a place where we hung out
There's this specific place that we used to visit and hang out together
At The Sunset Marquis
This place is called The Sunset Marquis
And I miss the way your hand felt
I miss the feeling of your hand resting on my knee
Resting on my knee
Your hand used to calmly rest on my knee
It was one of the few times
This place and time was one of the rare instances where I didn't want anything to change
I didn't want to change a thing
I was perfectly content with how everything was, I didn't want anything to change
And the way the light hit your face just right
The way the light in the room illuminated your face was like watching a movie
Was like a movie, a movie
The lighting and atmosphere felt almost like a perfectly staged movie scene
And the way you laughed
Your laughter
Well it warmed the draft
Your laughter made me feel warm inside, like I was sitting next to a fire on a drafty day
Running through me, through me
This feeling of warmth was coursing through my veins and overwhelming my senses
And I wanna go back to try and unwind
I want the chance to relive that moment again and let myself relax and unwind
A couple is snapping at each other
I observe a couple who are arguing and bickering with each other
Like dirty old rubber bands
Their words are sharp and abrasive, like the smell and feel of old rubber bands
While a waitress in a cat suit
In the midst of this tension, I notice a waitress wearing a tight-fitting cat suit
Is starting to expand
She's starting to gain weight and her uniform is getting too tight for her
I draw a line around your finger
I take a pen and draw a line around your finger as if it was a wedding band
Like a wedding band
I want to symbolize our connection and commitment to each other, even though we may not be officially married
Then I scribble down some poetry
Feeling inspired, I take a book of matches and start writing some poetry
On a book of matches
I use the surface of the book of matches as a makeshift canvas for my poetry
Cause I realise I am sitting with
I come to a realization that I'm seated next to someone truly special and amazing
One of the finest catches
You are a rare and valuable catch, I feel fortunate to know you
And suddenly in the background it was you
Suddenly, I hear you playing in the background (possibly on the radio)
Playing on that radio
You are playing on the radio and I recognize your voice
Burning on that stereo
Your music is playing loudly on the stereo system in the bar
In the bar at The Sunset Marquis
This is all happening in the same place we were talking about earlier - The Sunset Marquis
There was a party in my head
I was initially feeling overwhelmed and chaotic in my thoughts
Where did everybody go?
I suddenly feel all alone and wonder where everyone has disappeared to
One night in the blue light
This specific memory is bathed in blue light, perhaps from the atmosphere of the bar or a neon light outside
I sat there all alone
I found myself sitting there without anyone to keep me company
And I tried to remember
I made an effort to recall precise details and memories of you and our time spent together
The smell of your coat
One of those specific memories was the smell of your coat, which I try to conjure in my mind's eye
Then I touched my hand and I
In an effort to comfort myself, I reach out and touch my own hand
Whispered into my own ear, my own ear
I spoke softly and reassured myself with kind words, as if whispering in my own ear
In the background something familiar
I begin to hear something that seems very familiar, something that brings me back to the present moment
Something was so clear, so clear
This familiar sound is crystal clear and brings me to a sense of calm and clarity
And I realised that it was me
I finally realize that the familiar sound was my own voice, singing something we both knew
In the bar at The Sunset Marquis
The memory of you and our time spent together floods back to me, singing loudly in the same bar as earlier
singing 'bout All the laughs we once had darling
My song is all about reminiscing and recalling all of the happy moments we once shared together
Oh the way it felt to me
I am filled with emotion and nostalgia about how much those moments meant to me
In the bar at The Sunset Marquis
All of these memories are tied to this special place that we shared
Contributed by Logan P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.