Damsel in Distress (song)

Last updated
"Damsel in Distress"
Rufus Wainwright - Damsel in Distress.png
Single by Rufus Wainwright
from the album Unfollow the Rules
ReleasedFebruary 27, 2020 (2020-02-27)
Length4:42
Label BMG
Songwriter(s) Rufus Wainwright
Rufus Wainwright singles chronology
"Trouble in Paradise"
(2019)
"Damsel in Distress"
(2020)
"Peaceful Afternoon"
(2020)

"Damsel in Distress" is a song by Rufus Wainwright. On February 27, 2020, [1] the song was released as the second single for his ninth studio album Unfollow the Rules , released by BMG in April 2020.

Contents

Composition

Wainwright wrote the song to honor Joni Mitchell. [2] He said, "My husband and I now live in Laurel Canyon. I wasn't that familiar with Joni's music but Jörn [Weisbrodt] became obsessed and took me on a journey into her music. We ended up hanging out with her and I get now why she's one of the greats. So it's part Laurel Canyon, part a song about a personal relationship that I'm trying to come to terms with, but mostly my Mitchell virginity being broken." [3]

Music video

The song's animated music video features "a woman in bellbottoms sauntering through landscapes with the song's lyrics displayed in the clouds". [3]

Track listing

Stream [4]

  1. "Damsel in Distress" – 4:42
  2. "Trouble in Paradise" – 3:05

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joni Mitchell</span> Canadian-American singer-songwriter (born 1943)

Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and painter. As one of the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her starkly personal lyrics and unconventional compositions which grew to incorporate pop and jazz elements. She has received many accolades, including ten Grammy Awards and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. Rolling Stone called her "one of the greatest songwriters ever", and AllMusic has stated, "When the dust settles, Joni Mitchell may stand as the most important and influential female recording artist of the late 20th century".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rufus Wainwright</span> Canadian singer-songwriter and composer

Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and composer. He has recorded eleven studio albums and numerous tracks on compilations and film soundtracks. He has also written two classical operas and set Shakespeare's sonnets to music for a theatre piece by Robert Wilson.

<i>Ladies of the Canyon</i> (album) 1970 studio album by Joni Mitchell

Ladies of the Canyon is the third studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, released on Reprise Records in 1970. It peaked at No. 27 on the Billboard 200, and has been certified platinum by the RIAA. The title makes reference to Laurel Canyon, a center of popular music culture in Los Angeles during the 1960s, where Mitchell lived while she was writing the album. Specifically, Mitchell lived and wrote at 8217 Lookout Mountain Avenue, the house which is the subject of Graham Nash's "Our House". The album includes several of Mitchell's most noted songs, such as "Big Yellow Taxi", "Woodstock" and "The Circle Game".

<i>Rufus Wainwright</i> (album) 1998 studio album by Rufus Wainwright

Rufus Wainwright is the debut studio album by Canadian-American singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, released in the United States on May 19, 1998, through DreamWorks Records. The album was produced by Jon Brion, with the exception of "In My Arms", which was produced and mixed by Pierre Marchand, and "Millbrook" and "Baby", which were produced by Brion and Van Dyke Parks. Lenny Waronker was the album's executive producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Yellow Taxi</span> 1970 single by Joni Mitchell

"Big Yellow Taxi" is a song written, composed, and originally recorded by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell in 1970, and originally released on her album Ladies of the Canyon. It was a hit in her native Canada as well as Australia and the UK. It only reached No. 67 in the US in 1970, but was later a bigger hit there for her in a live version released in 1974, which peaked at No. 24. Charting versions have also been recorded by the Neighborhood, and most notably by Amy Grant in 1994 and Counting Crows in 2002. The song was also sampled in Janet Jackson's "Got 'til It's Gone" (1997).

"River" is a song by Canadian singer songwriter Joni Mitchell, from her 1971 album Blue. Written on piano, it has become a standard for artists in many music styles, and has become popular as Christmas music. Although never released as a single, "River" holds second place among Mitchell's songs most recorded by other artists. In 2021, it was ranked at No. 247 on Rolling Stone's "Top 500 Best Songs of All Time".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Our House (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young song)</span> 1970 single by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

"Our House" is a song written by British singer-songwriter Graham Nash and recorded by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young on their album Déjà Vu (1970). The single reached No. 30 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and No. 20 on the Cash Box Top 100. The song, "an ode to countercultural domestic bliss", was written while Nash was living with Joni Mitchell, recording both Crosby, Stills & Nash and Déjà Vu.

<i>Release the Stars</i> 2007 studio album by Rufus Wainwright

Release the Stars is the fifth studio album by Canadian-American singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, released through Geffen Records on May 15, 2007. Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant was the executive producer; the album was mixed by Record producer Marius de Vries and Andy Bradfield. Wainwright's most commercially successful album to date, Release the Stars charted in 13 countries, reaching Top 10 positions in Denmark, Norway, and the United Kingdom, and was certified gold in Canada and the UK. The album generated three singles: "Going to a Town", which peaked at number 54 on the UK Singles Chart, "Rules and Regulations", and "Tiergarten".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rufus Wainwright discography</span>

The discography of Rufus Wainwright, a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, consists of eleven studio albums, six live albums, three compilations, three extended plays (EPs), three video albums, nine singles, and nine music videos. Wainwright's self-titled debut album was released through DreamWorks Records in May 1998. Wainwright reached number 24 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers chart, and Rolling Stone named him 1998's Best New Artist. Wainwright's second album, Poses, was released through the same label in June 2001, resulting in a number one on the Heatseekers Chart and number 117 on the Billboard 200. With material recorded from the same session, Want One was released through DreamWorks in September 2003, and Want Two was released through Geffen Records in November 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joni Mitchell discography</span>

Since her debut album in 1968, Canadian musician Joni Mitchell has released 19 studio albums, most recently 2007's Shine. Her most commercially successful period was the early-mid 1970s, which included 1970's Ladies of the Canyon, 1971's Blue and 1974's Court and Spark, all three of which reached Platinum status in the US.

<i>Out of the Game</i> 2012 studio album by Rufus Wainwright

Out of the Game is the seventh studio album by singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, released in Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada in April 2012 and in the United States on May 1, 2012 through Decca Records/Polydor Records. The album was produced by Mark Ronson. Recording sessions began in May 2011. Guest musicians include his sister Martha Wainwright, Thomas "Doveman" Bartlett, drummer Andy Burrows, guitarist Nels Cline, members of the Dap-Kings, Sean Lennon, the alternative rock band Wilco, Miike Snow's Andrew Wyatt and Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zinner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blake Mills</span> American musician

Blake Mills is an American songwriter, guitarist, producer, and composer based in California. He is known for production and guitar work on albums and singles by many artists, including Fiona Apple, Perfume Genius, Bob Dylan, Feist, Jack Johnson, Marcus Mumford, Laura Marling, Weyes Blood, John Legend, Alabama Shakes, Beck, The Killers, Conor Oberst, and Bruce Hornsby; as a touring musician with artists such as Lucinda Williams, Band of Horses and Jenny Lewis; and his four solo albums.

<i>Vibrate: The Best of Rufus Wainwright</i> 2014 greatest hits album by Rufus Wainwright

Vibrate: The Best of Rufus Wainwright, sometimes referred to simply as Vibrate: The Best Of, is the greatest hits album by American-Canadian singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, released on February 28, 2014 in Australia and Ireland by Universal Music Enterprises and in other nations subsequently. The standard issue of the album includes eighteen songs from six of Wainwright's studio releases, including his self-titled debut album (1998), Poses (2001), Want One (2003), Want Two (2004), Release the Stars (2007) and Out of the Game (2012), plus soundtrack contributions and one previously unreleased track. The deluxe version includes a bonus disc with sixteen rare and unreleased recordings, both live and studio recorded. Featured are "Chic and Pointless", previously unreleased and produced by Guy Chambers, and "WWIII", a song that was co-written by Chambers and had not been released in a physical form until Vibrate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Me and Liza</span> 2014 single by Rufus Wainwright

"Me and Liza" is a song by American-Canadian singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright for his greatest hits album, Vibrate: The Best of Rufus Wainwright (2014); it appears as the third track on the album's standard issue, serving as its lead single. The song is about Wainwright's relationship with Liza Minnelli, who was reportedly upset by his 2006 tribute concerts to her mother, Judy Garland. It premiered on BBC Radio 2's Weekend Wogan on January 12, 2014 and was officially released on January 20. "Me and Liza" reached a peak position of number 59 on Belgium's Ultratop singles chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">April Fools (song)</span> 1998 song by Rufus Wainwright

"April Fools" is a song written and performed by American-Canadian singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright. It originally appeared on his eponymous debut studio album, released by DreamWorks Records in May 1998. The song's music video was directed by Sophie Muller and features cameo appearances by Gwen Stefani and Melissa Auf der Maur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sword of Damocles (Rufus Wainwright song)</span> 2018 single by Rufus Wainwright

"Sword of Damocles" is a song by Rufus Wainwright, released in October 2018. Wainwright made the song available for purchase after a premiere performance on The Late Late Show with James Corden on October 18, with a portion of proceeds benefiting voter registration efforts. The song's music video, directed by Andrew Ondrejcak, features Wainwright as Dionysius II of Syracuse and Darren Criss as Damocles.

<i>Unfollow the Rules</i> 2020 studio album by Rufus Wainwright

Unfollow the Rules is a studio album by Rufus Wainwright, released on July 10, 2020. It marks Wainwright's ninth of original material, his first since Out of the Game (2012), and his first under BMG. The album was produced by Mitchell Froom, and other contributors include Matt Chamberlain, Jim Keltner, and Blake Mills.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trouble in Paradise (Rufus Wainwright song)</span> 2019 single by Rufus Wainwright

"Trouble in Paradise" is a song by American-Canadian singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, released on October 24, 2019, as the lead single of his upcoming studio album, slated for release by BMG in 2020. The track was produced by Mitchell Froom. A music video directed by Mia Donovan was released to promote the song on November 5, 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peaceful Afternoon</span> 2020 single by Rufus Wainwright

"Peaceful Afternoon" is a song by Rufus Wainwright, released on March 13, 2020, as a single to promote his tenth studio album Unfollow the Rules.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alone Time</span> 2020 single by Rufus Wainwright

"Alone Time" is a song by Rufus Wainwright, appearing as the twelfth and final track on his studio album Unfollow the Rules. The single was the album's fourth, released on April 24, 2020 following "Trouble in Paradise", "Damsel in Distress", and "Peaceful Afternoon".

References

  1. Moore, Sam (February 27, 2020). "Rufus Wainwright announces new album 'Unfollow The Rules' and shares 'Damsel In Distress'". NME . Archived from the original on January 24, 2022. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  2. Minsker, Evan (February 27, 2020). "Rufus Wainwright Announces New Album Unfollow the Rules, Shares New Song". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on February 27, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  3. 1 2 Martoccio, Angie (February 27, 2020). "Rufus Wainwright Pays Homage to Joni Mitchell in 'Damsel in Distress'". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on February 27, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  4. "Damsel in Distress / Trouble In Paradise". Spotify . Archived from the original on February 27, 2020. Retrieved February 28, 2020.