Photo: Photographer: A. Vente, CC BY-SA 3.0 NL
Marianne Gabriel Faithfull was born in Hampstead, London, in 1946. She began her singing career at eighteen, in 1964, as a folk performer. Her first big break came while attending a party that year hosted by The Rolling Stones. The band’s manager, Andrew Loog Oldham, discovered her at this party. Oldham Mick Jagger and Keith Richards wrote Faithfull’s first major release, “As Tears Go By,” which became a massive success. After releasing several successful singles, she entered a highly publicized relationship with Mick Jagger.
Marianne Faithfull’s life and career worsened after her relationship with Mick Jagger ended in 1970. After losing custody of her son, she became a heroin addict and spent two years living on the streets. She also struggled with anorexia. Despite attempts by friends and peers to help her, Faithfull continued to suffer from addiction throughout much of the next decade, spending most of it in obscurity. Her drug use and heavy smoking altered the sound of her voice, which became much deeper and more cracked. Although she released her first album of new material in a decade with the country album Dreamin’ My Dreams in 1976, it wasn’t until 1979 that she achieved a career comeback with Broken English. This album saw her embracing the contemporary sounds of the punk and new wave movements, and it remains widely considered Marianne Faithfull’s definitive release.
As Marianne Faithfull entered the 1980s, her career may have been revived, but she continued to struggle with personal challenges, including ongoing battles with addiction. She released several more albums throughout the decade, including Rich Kid Blues in 1985, which featured a mix of new and re-recorded songs. In 1987, after finally getting clean, she released the album Strange Weather, for which she did not write any of the material. Despite this, it became her most critically acclaimed album of the decade.
In the years since Marianne Faithfull has continued to be a successful and popular artist. This article looks to showcase a sampling of her recordings.
# 10 – Come My Way – Come My Way
Opening our list of the Top 10 Marianne Faithfull Songs is “Come My Way,” the title track from Faithfull’s bold second studio album released in 1965. Issued simultaneously with her self-titled album, Marianne Faithfull, by Decca Records, Come My Way was the product of a creative tug-of-war between Faithfull and her record label. While Decca pushed for a pop record to capitalize on her burgeoning mainstream appeal, Faithfull insisted on recording an album dedicated to the folk music she loved. Rather than compromise with a mixed-genre album, Faithfull made the audacious decision to release two separate records: Marianne Faithfull, catering to the label’s pop demands, and Come My Way, a testament to her folk roots and artistic independence.
“Come My Way” exemplifies Faithfull’s commitment to authentic folk music, featuring traditional melodies and lyrics that draw on deep themes of longing, nature, and solitude. In the song, Faithfull sings of “the wild mountain thyme that grows around my door” and the “brook that sings and twinkles in the sun,” creating a tapestry of imagery that reflects her yearning for freedom and her affinity with the natural world. Her voice is tender yet resolute, capturing the tension between desire and restraint. The refrain—“I’ve grown weary waiting for love to say, ‘Come my way’”—reveals an aching vulnerability, made all the more potent by Faithfull’s restrained, clear delivery. The song’s sparse arrangement, centered around an acoustic guitar, allows her vocal expression to shine, giving listeners an unfiltered glimpse into her emotional landscape.
Musically, “Come My Way” is a stark contrast to the pop tracks found on Marianne Faithfull, embracing a minimalist folk aesthetic that highlights Faithfull’s roots in the genre. The production by Tony Calder and Andrew Loog Oldham is deliberately stripped back, allowing the simplicity of the acoustic instrumentation and Faithfull’s haunting vocals to carry the song’s emotional weight. Released as part of a strategic artistic pivot, the album challenged the commercial trends of the time and affirmed Faithfull’s dedication to her craft. While Come My Way did not achieve the same commercial success as its pop counterpart, it has since been praised by critics and fans alike for its sincerity and artistry.
# 9 – So Sad – Dangerous Acquaintances
# 8 – Summer Nights – Go Away from My World
# 7 – It’s All Over Now Baby Blue – Rich Kid Blues
“It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue,” from Marianne Faithfull’s 1985 album Rich Kid Blues, is a compelling interpretation of Bob Dylan’s classic, which originally appeared on his 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home. Faithfull’s version was recorded during a period of artistic reinvention, as she embraced a darker, more introspective style that diverged sharply from her earlier folk-pop roots. Produced by Mike Leander and recorded in the early 1970s—though the album itself was shelved for more than a decade and released later—Rich Kid Blues features Faithfull’s deeply emotive take on Dylan’s enigmatic farewell song, capturing the profound sense of loss and change that defines the original while making it entirely her own.
Faithfull’s rendition of “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” is marked by her distinctive voice, which by the 1980s had developed a rougher, deeper timbre, reflecting the hard living and personal battles she had faced over the preceding years. Her delivery is raw and plaintive, imbuing the song with a sense of weary resignation. Lines like “The empty-handed painter from your streets / Is drawing crazy patterns on your sheets” are given new weight and nuance through Faithfull’s interpretation, as her voice hovers between defiance and fragility, capturing the song’s complex emotions. Her performance draws out the themes of departure and finality in Dylan’s lyrics, transforming them into a personal statement that resonates with the emotional honesty that has come to define her later work.
Musically, Faithfull’s version of “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” is stripped down, yet layered with melancholy. The arrangement, built around a simple acoustic guitar line with minimal backing, allows her voice to take center stage. Leander’s production is deliberately understated, enhancing the haunting quality of Faithfull’s performance.
# 6 – The Gypsy Faerie Queen feat. Nick Cave
We thought it would be special to share one of her more recent recordings.
“The Gypsy Faerie Queen,” featuring Nick Cave, is a standout track from Marianne Faithfull’s 2018 album Negative Capability. Co-written with Cave and produced by Rob Ellis and Warren Ellis, the song was recorded at La Frette Studios in Paris, capturing a haunting, ethereal quality that seamlessly blends folk, rock, and a touch of mysticism. The collaboration between Faithfull and Cave, two of the most distinctive voices in contemporary music, brings together their shared sensibilities for storytelling, darkness, and poetic lyricism.
Lyrically, “The Gypsy Faerie Queen” explores themes of transformation, loss, and the passing of time through the lens of a mythical, otherworldly figure. Faithfull’s voice, weathered and evocative, delivers lines like, “The Gypsy Faerie Queen / Some things we see, we want to believe / She’s calling to you, ‘Where are you?’” with a sense of yearning and mystery. The song paints a vivid picture of a faerie queen who beckons and guides, a character who could easily have walked out of a folk tale or ancient myth. The interplay between Faithfull’s expressive delivery and Cave’s baritone harmonies adds layers of depth to the narrative, creating a dialogue that feels intimate yet expansive, capturing the timeless struggle between reality and fantasy.
Musically, the song’s arrangement is understated but rich, featuring gentle acoustic guitar lines, subtle strings, and piano that provide a lush yet restrained backdrop. Warren Ellis’s production is spare, allowing the emotional weight of Faithfull and Cave’s vocals to come to the forefront. Critics have praised “The Gypsy Faerie Queen” for its haunting beauty and the seamless way it marries Faithfull’s weathered voice with Cave’s unmistakable presence. Mojo described the song as “a timeless duet that feels like a whispered secret between two old souls.” The collaboration between Faithfull and Cave is a natural fit, with both artists bringing a depth and intensity that elevates the track into something uniquely powerful.
Read More: Top 10 Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Songs
# 5 – Is This What I Get For Loving You? – Love In A Mist
“Is This What I Get for Loving You?” holds a special place in Marianne Faithfull’s catalog as her final charting single of the 1960s, marking the end of an era in her early career. Written by the legendary team of Gerry Goffin, Carole King, and Phil Spector, the song was recorded in 1967 at Decca Studios in London, with Mike Leander handling production. Released during a period when Faithfull was transitioning from her folk-pop beginnings, this track represents a poignant farewell to the initial phase of her musical journey.
The song’s lush orchestration and “Wall of Sound”-influenced arrangement, characteristic of Spector’s style, are key to its emotional impact. With sweeping strings and a soft rhythm section, the music creates a rich, textured backdrop that perfectly complements Faithfull’s haunting vocal performance. Her voice is tender yet filled with emotion, conveying a depth that elevates the song beyond its chart performance. Despite its relatively modest success, reaching number forty-three on the UK Singles Chart, forty-two in Australia, and 125 in the US, “Is This What I Get for Loving You?” showcases Faithfull’s ability to deliver a compelling interpretation filled with vulnerability and emotional complexity.
As the final charting single of Faithfull’s 1960s output, “Is This What I Get for Loving You?” highlights her capacity to capture the nuances of heartbreak and longing, evident in lyrics like “There’s nothing left for me to say or do / Is this what I get for loving you?” Her delivery transforms the song from a straightforward pop tune into a deeply resonant piece that foreshadows the darker, more introspective material she would explore in the decades to come.
# 4 – Something Better
“Something Better,” released in 1968, stands as a captivating piece in Marianne Faithfull’s rich discography, combining her ethereal voice with the songwriting prowess of Barry Mann and Gerry Goffin. Produced by Mick Jagger and arranged by Jack Nitzsche, the track was recorded during a period when Faithfull was closely intertwined with the members of The Rolling Stones, both personally and professionally. Its haunting melody and introspective lyrics were brought to life with the accompaniment of a striking arrangement that captured the essence of the late 1960s. “Something Better” gained additional notoriety for its appearance in The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, where Faithfull performed it live, preceded by a memorable introduction from Charlie Watts.
Musically, “Something Better” marries folk influences with a lush, orchestrated arrangement that showcases Faithfull’s voice at its most fragile and yearning. The track opens with a soft, contemplative rhythm, building with Nitzsche’s orchestral flourishes that add a sense of depth and drama. Faithfull’s delivery is both wistful and commanding as she navigates lyrics that speak to a yearning for something more than the ordinary confines of life. Lines like “It is absurd to live in a cage / You know there’s got to be something better” resonate with a broader existential questioning that defined much of the era’s counterculture. The song’s production by Jagger and its orchestration by Nitzsche provide a rich, layered backdrop that complements Faithfull’s evocative performance, making it a standout in her catalog.
“Something Better” was released as a single to promote the 1970 Decca compilation The World of Marianne Faithfull, with “Sister Morphine” as its B-side. Although it did not achieve significant chart success at the time, it has since been recognized as a compelling example of Faithfull’s artistry during a pivotal period in her career. The song’s inclusion in The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus video further cemented its place in rock history, with Faithfull’s live performance capturing her magnetic stage presence and the unique timbre of her voice, which seemed to embody the spirit of the 1960s.
Positioned on our list of the top 10 Marianne Faithfull songs, “Something Better” represents a moment when Faithfull was straddling the line between folk-pop ingenue and the darker, more introspective artist she would become. It is a song that offers a glimpse into her evolving style and serves as a bridge between her early hits and the more mature, complex work that would define her later career. “Something Better” endures as a hauntingly beautiful reflection on the search for freedom and meaning, a testament to Faithfull’s ability to convey depth and emotion with remarkable subtlety and grace.
# 3 – As Tears Go By – Marianne Faithfull
“As Tears Go By” stands as a defining moment in Marianne Faithfull’s career, marking her breakthrough into the music world in 1964. Written by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham, the song was recorded at Decca Studios in London under Oldham’s production. Faithfull’s interpretation, with its plaintive, introspective tone, quickly captured the hearts of listeners, climbing to number nine on the UK Singles Chart and reaching number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. It remains one of Faithfull’s most enduring tracks and a significant milestone in the landscape of 1960s pop music.
The song’s lyrics, “It is the evening of the day / I sit and watch the children play,” reflect a sense of melancholy and wistful contemplation. Faithfull’s delivery, characterized by her soft and youthful voice, adds a layer of innocence that contrasts with the song’s deeper themes of loss and regret. At just seventeen years old, Faithfull imbues the song with an emotional depth that belies her age, creating a haunting quality that resonated strongly with the public. This juxtaposition between the lightness of her vocal delivery and the heaviness of the lyrics made “As Tears Go By” a compelling listen and a distinctive entry in the catalog of 1960s pop ballads.
“As Tears Go By” not only established Marianne Faithfull as a formidable talent in her own right but also marked the beginning of a musical journey that would see her continually evolve as an artist. Positioned on our list of the top 10 Marianne Faithfull songs, it is a track that captures the essence of her early appeal—combining a haunting melody with a performance that is both tender and compelling. Decades after its release, “As Tears Go By” continues to resonate with audiences, reminding us of Faithfull’s unique ability to infuse a pop song with a depth of feeling that is both immediate and enduring.
# 2 – Come And Stay With Me – Marianne Faithfull
# 1 – The Ballad Of Lucy Jordan – Broken English
Top 10 Marianne Faithfull Songs article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2024
