"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).
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]
The song's lyrics describe a confrontation between Wainwright and his father, Loudon Wainwright III (pictured in 2015).
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]
Performancesedit
Wainwright sings "Dinner at Eight" on the video album Live at the Fillmore, which was released in DVD format and accompanied his fourth studio album, Want Two (2004),[9][10] as well as All I Want (2005), a DVD featuring a documentary film about Wainwright and live performances.[11]
Wainwright has also performed the song live in concert throughout his career, since the release of Want One.[7][12]
Receptionedit
The song has received a positive critical reception. The Guardian's Tim Adams described "Dinner at Eight" as "extraordinary" and the "most poignant expression" of Wainwright's many songs about desire.[5] Jim Beviglia of American Songwriter said the song is "beautiful but devastating", and "sits at the end like a silent killer, creeping up to break your heart".[3] Furthermore, he wrote, "On 'Dinner at Eight,' [Wainwright] delivered the kind of towering ballad that all artists crave, even if it took unearthing some ugly family history to do it... The wounds engendered from a fractious father-son relationship often run deep... Rufus Wainwright suggests that maybe the only way to truly set about healing those wounds is to pick at the scab."[3]The Advocate's Michael Giltz called the song "wrenching", and in his review of Want One, said "Dinner at Eight" was one of three tracks on the album that made Wainwright's music "more convincingly personal and sincere than ever".[10][13] In 2015, Wainwright selected "Dinner at Eight" as one of eight "songs that defined him".[14]
Referencesedit
^ abJohnson, Zac. "Rufus Wainwright: Want One". AllMusic. All Media Network. from the original on November 15, 2017. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
^Collar, Matt. "Rufus Wainwright: Vibrate: The Best of Rufus Wainwright". AllMusic. from the original on November 15, 2017. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
^ abcdefghBeviglia, Jim (October 17, 2016). "Rufus Wainwright, "Dinner at Eight"". American Songwriter. Nashville, Tennessee. ISSN 0896-8993. OCLC 17342741. from the original on November 15, 2017. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
^ abWindolf, Jim (May 22, 2007). "Songs in the Key of Lacerating". Vanity Fair. Condé Nast. ISSN 0733-8899. from the original on November 17, 2016. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
^ abcAdams, Tim (February 20, 2005). "Crystal clear". The Guardian. London: Guardian Media Group. ISSN 0261-3077. OCLC 60623878. 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. from the original on November 16, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
^ abDoyle, Patrick (December 7, 2010). "Rufus Wainwright's Emotional Return to Carnegie Hall". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. ISSN 0035-791X. 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. from the original on November 15, 2017. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
^Collar, Matt. "Rufus Wainwright: Want Two". AllMusic. from the original on November 15, 2017. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
^ abGiltz, Michael (November 23, 2004). "Everything fans want". The Advocate. No. 927. Here Media. p. 92. ISSN 0001-8996. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
^"Rufus Wainwright: All I Want". AllMusic. from the original on September 8, 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. from the original on November 1, 2018. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
^Giltz, Michael (October 14, 2003). "Third time charmed". The Advocate: 79. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
^Zuel, Bernard (February 27, 2015). "Rufus Wainwright on the eight songs that defined him". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. ISSN 0312-6315. OCLC 226369741. from the original on November 17, 2017. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
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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 Dinner at Eight Song by Rufus Wainwrightfrom the album Want OneReleased2003Length4 33 1 Songwriter s Rufus Wainwright Contents 1 Composition 2 Performances 3 Reception 4 References 5 External linksComposition edit 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 nbsp The song s lyrics describe a confrontation between Wainwright and his father Loudon Wainwright III pictured in 2015 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 editWainwright sings Dinner at Eight on the video album Live at the Fillmore which was released in DVD format and accompanied his fourth studio album Want Two 2004 9 10 as well as All I Want 2005 a DVD featuring a documentary film about Wainwright and live performances 11 Wainwright has also performed the song live in concert throughout his career since the release of Want One 7 12 Reception editThe song has received a positive critical reception The Guardian s Tim Adams described Dinner at Eight as extraordinary and the most poignant expression of Wainwright s many songs about desire 5 Jim Beviglia of American Songwriter said the song is beautiful but devastating and sits at the end like a silent killer creeping up to break your heart 3 Furthermore he wrote On Dinner at Eight Wainwright delivered the kind of towering ballad that all artists crave even if it took unearthing some ugly family history to do it The wounds engendered from a fractious father son relationship often run deep Rufus Wainwright suggests that maybe the only way to truly set about healing those wounds is to pick at the scab 3 The Advocate s Michael Giltz called the song wrenching and in his review of Want One said Dinner at Eight was one of three tracks on the album that made Wainwright s music more convincingly personal and sincere than ever 10 13 In 2015 Wainwright selected Dinner at Eight as one of eight songs that defined him 14 References edit a b 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 a b c d e f g h 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 a b Windolf Jim May 22 2007 Songs in the Key of Lacerating Vanity Fair Conde Nast ISSN 0733 8899 Archived from the original on November 17 2016 Retrieved November 16 2017 a b c 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 a b 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 Collar Matt Rufus Wainwright Want Two AllMusic Archived from the original on November 15 2017 Retrieved November 14 2017 a b Giltz Michael November 23 2004 Everything fans want The Advocate No 927 Here Media p 92 ISSN 0001 8996 Retrieved December 5 2020 Rufus Wainwright All I Want AllMusic Archived from the original on September 8 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 Giltz Michael October 14 2003 Third time charmed The Advocate 79 Retrieved November 16 2017 Zuel Bernard February 27 2015 Rufus Wainwright on the eight songs that defined him The Sydney Morning Herald Fairfax Media ISSN 0312 6315 OCLC 226369741 Archived from the original on November 17 2017 Retrieved November 14 2017 External links edit Dinner at Eight Rufus Wainwright Paroles officielles Universal Music France Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Dinner at Eight song amp oldid 1159369318, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
