Here’s a beautiful song from Rufus Wainwright’s 2010 collecton All Days Are Nights: Songs for Lulu, an album of piano ballads written in the months leading up to his mother’s death.
This very personal and classically-influenced album followed five baroque pop albums and hinted at Wainwright’s future direction. Though he did release another pop album, Out of the Game, in 2012, he then shifted his focus to recording and releasing an opera, 2015’s Prima Donna.
He has released only one other album since, a collection of Shakespeare sonnets set to piano music (three of those appeared first on this album, in fact).
This is nice, but I can’t say I don’t miss the old Rufus. I’m crossing my fingers that he’ll go back to the dark side soon.
How would it ever get me high?
What would I ever do with a rose?
How would it ever get me by?
How would it ever get the guy?
What would I ever do with a rose?
Sitting here underneath the bridge
Making love at the break of dawn
Sitting here in the afternoon
Making love underneath the awning
I’ll then tell you in the night
Tell you this with a kiss
Never does the dream come true
Without the night
Never does the dream come true
Without the nightmare
What would I ever do with a rose?
How would it ever get me high?
What would I ever do with a rose?
How would it ever get me by?
How would it ever get the guy?
What would I ever do?
What would I ever do with you?
Never does the dream come true
Without the nightmare
He really took a page out of the Sting/Costello playbook releasing an album of Shakespeare sonnets and an opera. I too would like to see him return to a bit more accessible music, though I admit that this is quite lovely.