WITCHES'
SONG
MARIANNE FAITHFULL
Songwriter: BARRY
REYNOLDS; MARIANNE FAITHFULL; STEVE YORK & TERRY STANNARD.
Country:
u. k.
Álbum: broken english
Label: island records
Genre: new wave
Year: 1979
Marianne Evelyn Gabriel Faithfull (born 29 December 1946) is
an English singer, songwriter, and actress. She achieved popularity in the
1960s with the release of her hit single "As
Tears Go By" and became one of the lead female artists during the British
Invasion in the United States.
Born in Hampstead, London, Faithfull began her
career in 1964 after attending a Rolling
Stones party, where she was discovered by Andrew
Loog Oldham. After the release of her hit single "As
Tears Go By", she became an international star. Her debut album Marianne Faithfull (1965) (released
simultaneously with her album Come My Way) was a commercial success
followed by a number of albums on Decca Records. From 1966 to 1970, she
had a highly publicised romantic relationship with Mick Jagger. Her popularity was
further enhanced by her film roles, such as I'll Never Forget What's'isname (1967), The Girl on a Motorcycle (1968), and Hamlet (1969). However, her
popularity was overshadowed by personal problems in the 1970s. During that time
she was anorexic, homeless, and a heroin
addict.
Noted for her distinctive voice, Faithfull's
previously melodic and higher registered vocals (which were prevalent
throughout her career in the 1960s) were affected by severe laryngitis, coupled with persistent
drug abuse during the 1970s, permanently altering her voice, leaving it raspy,
cracked and lower in pitch. This new sound was praised as "whisky
soaked" by some critics for helping capture the raw emotions expressed in
her music.
After a long commercial absence, Faithfull
made a comeback with the 1979 release of her critically acclaimed album Broken
English. The album was a commercial success and marked a resurgence of her
musical career. Broken English earned Faithfull a nomination for Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance and is often regarded as
her "definitive recording". She followed with a series of albums,
including Dangerous
Acquaintances (1981), A
Child's Adventure (1983), and Strange Weather (1987). Faithfull also
wrote three books about her life: Faithfull: An Autobiography (1994), Memories, Dreams
& Reflections (2007), and Marianne Faithfull: A Life on Record (2014).
Faithfull is listed on VH1's "100 Greatest Women of Rock and
Roll" list. She received the World Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2009 Women's
World Awards and was made a Commandeur of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the government of
France.
Broken English is the seventh
studio album by English singer Marianne
Faithfull. It was released on 2 November 1979 by Island
Records. The album marked a major comeback for Faithfull after years of drug abuse, homelessness, and suffering from anorexia. It is often regarded as
her "definitive recording" and Faithfull herself described it as her
"masterpiece".
Broken English was Faithfull's first major release since
her album Love
in a Mist (1967). After ending her relationship with Mick Jagger in 1970 and losing custody
of her son, Faithfull's career went into a tailspin as she suffered from heroin
addiction and lived on the streets of London. Severe laryngitis, coupled with persistent
drug abuse during this period, permanently altered Faithfull's voice, leaving
it cracked and lower in pitch. She attempted to make a comeback in 1976 with
the release of Dreamin' My Dreams, which noted only a small
success. Shortly afterwards, Faithfull began working with musician Barry
Reynolds who initially produced the songs "Broken
English" and "Why D'Ya Do It?". The demos attracted the
attention of Chris Blackwell who signed Faithfull to his
record label Island Records.
The album was recorded at Matrix Studios in
London. Faithfull collaborated with producer Mark Miller Mundy with whom she
recorded all songs for the album. After having the whole album recorded, he
suggested that the music should be "more modern and electronic" and
brought in Steve Winwood on keyboards. Musically, Broken
English is a new wave rock album with elements of
other genres, such as punk, blues and reggae.
Broken English received critical acclaim. It peaked at
number 82 on the Billboard 200, becoming her first album to chart in the
United States since Go
Away from My World (1965) and giving Faithfull a first nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. It reached number 57 in
the United Kingdom and entered the top five in Germany, France and New Zealand.
Broken English was certified platinum in Germany and France and sold over
one million copies worldwide. Two singles were released from the album, with
"The Ballad of Lucy Jordan" peaking at number 48
on the UK Singles Chart. The album was included on
NME magazine's list of "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" and in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
Shall I see tonight
sister, bathed in magic greet
Shall we meet on the hilltop where the two roads meet
We will form the circle, hold our hands and chant
Let the great one know what it is we want
Danger is great joy,
dark is bright as fire
Happy is our family, lonely is the ward
Sister, we are
waiting on the rock and chain
Fly fast through the airwaves, meet with pride and truth
Danger is great joy,
dark is bright as fire
Happy is our family, lonely is the ward
Father, we are
waiting for you to appear
Do you feel the panic, can you see the fear?
Mother, we are waiting for you to give consent
If there's to be a marriage, we need contempt
Danger is great joy,
dark is bright as fire
Happy is our family, lonely is the ward
La da da da da da, la
la la la la
La da da da da da, la la la la la
La da da da da da, la la la la la
La da da da da da, la la la la la
Remember death is far
away and life is sweet.