Dinner at Eight (song)
| "Dinner at Eight" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Rufus Wainwright | |
| from the album Want One | |
| Released | 2003 |
| Length | 4:33[1] |
| Songwriter(s) | Rufus Wainwright |
"Dinner at Eight" is a song written and performed by American-Canadian singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright. It originally appeared on his third studio album, Want One (2003).
Composition
"Dinner at Eight" is the final track on Wainwright's third studio album, Want One (2003),[1] and later appeared on Vibrate: The Best of Rufus Wainwright, his 2014 greatest hits album.[2] The ballad describes a confrontation over dinner at a restaurant between Wainwright and his father, Loudon Wainwright III.[3][4] Wainwright recalled:
We had just done a shoot for Rolling Stone together, and I told him he must be really happy that I got him back in that magazine after all these years. That sort of kicked things off. Later in the evening he threatened to kill me. So I went home and wrote 'Dinner at Eight' as a vindictive retort to his threat.[3][5]
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The song's lyrics compare Wainwright and his father to David and Goliath, respectively, and refer to "those old magazines". Wainwright takes some blame for their conflict, but also accuses his father of abandonment.[3][5] According to Vanity Fair, "A seductive melody belies the angry first verse, prefiguring the compassionate final couplet, which has Rufus recalling a moment from his boyhood when he wept as Loudon was leaving Montreal after one of his infrequent visits."[4] During the bridge, the singer invites his father to settle their differences, even if a long time into the future, and wants to see him cry. Wainwright acknowledges his father's love, but then repeats the opening verse, which is critical of their relationship, suggesting reconciliation will be difficult.[3] According to Wainwright, "Dinner at Eight" is a "good representation" of his relationship with his father,[6] and "starts a little rough but is ultimately a love song".[7] He has also said of his father and the song:
[My father] has, for better or worse, no filter whatsoever for what he does. And I admire that, because never have I known a more tormented artist than him. And I mean that respectfully, because he's just so affected by his artistic radar. We've had our feuds, on my part with 'Dinner at Eight', but I tend to be a little more romantic in my songs. He lives out every word of his.[8]
Musically, the song has "classically-tinged" piano chords and "tender" strings.[3] The music and Wainwright's vocals intensify during the bridge.[3]
Performances
Wainwright has also performed the song live in concert throughout his career, since the release of Want One.[7][9]
Reception
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Johnson, Zac. "Rufus Wainwright: Want One". AllMusic. All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 15, 2017. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
- ↑ Collar, Matt. "Rufus Wainwright: Vibrate: The Best of Rufus Wainwright". AllMusic. Archived from the original on November 15, 2017. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Beviglia, Jim (October 17, 2016). "Rufus Wainwright, "Dinner at Eight"". American Songwriter. Nashville, Tennessee. ISSN 0896-8993. OCLC 17342741. Archived from the original on November 15, 2017. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Windolf, Jim (May 22, 2007). "Songs in the Key of Lacerating". Vanity Fair. Condé Nast. ISSN 0733-8899. Archived from the original on November 17, 2016. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Adams, Tim (February 20, 2005). "Crystal clear". The Guardian. London: Guardian Media Group. ISSN 0261-3077. OCLC 60623878. Archived from the original on March 12, 2017. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
- ↑ Outhier, Craig (November 5, 2009). "Rufus Wainwright, Approaching Near-Middle Age, Explains His Songs". Phoenix New Times. Voice Media Group. ISSN 0279-3962. Archived from the original on November 16, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Doyle, Patrick (December 7, 2010). "Rufus Wainwright's Emotional Return to Carnegie Hall". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. ISSN 0035-791X. Archived from the original on November 16, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
- ↑ Sturges, Fiona (April 14, 2012). "Rufus Wainwright: 'I am somewhat imprisoned by my fabulous career'". The Independent. London: Independent Print Limited. ISSN 0951-9467. OCLC 185201487. Archived from the original on November 15, 2017. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
- ↑ Bell, Corey (April 7, 2017). "Live Review: Rufus Wainwright at Napa's Uptown Theatre". SF Weekly. San Francisco Media Co. Archived from the original on November 1, 2018. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
