Ignored             Obscured              Restored

WARNING:  Today’s first SotW contains explicit language that you may find to be offensive.

Marianne Faithfull tragically passed away on January 30th at the age of 78, leaving behind a legacy marked by striking contradictions.  Born into a highly educated family with notable ties to aristocracy, she was educated at the prestigious St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Convent School.  As a teenager, she was famously “discovered” by Rolling Stones’ manager Andrew Loog Oldham, who infamously described her as “an angel with big tits.”

Faithfull’s debut recording, the timeless hit “As Tears Go By,” was penned by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards after Oldham locked them in a room, declaring they could not leave until they had composed a song for her.

Throughout the late 60s and early 70s, Faithfull succumbed to the turbulent haze of drug addiction, yet remarkably, she managed to survive. During this tumultuous period, she became the muse for several iconic Rolling Stones tracks — “She Smiled Sweetly,” “Let’s Spend the Night Together,” “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” “Live With Me,” and “Wild Horses.”  Faithfull also channeled her own painful experiences into writing the raw and unforgettable lyrics of “Sister Morphine” (though the band denied her credit for many years).

In the late 70s, she staged a monumental and defiant comeback with her groundbreaking album Broken English (1979).  Inspired by the explosive punk rock movement that was sweeping the music scene, Faithfull boldly embraced a new, rebellious sound.

The album’s final track, “Why D’Ya Do It,” is a searing, intense confession.

Over a gripping quasi-reggae rhythm, Faithfull recites the dark, biting words of a poem by Heathcote Williams. As MOJO writes:

“… ‘sing’ barely describes the haunting, raw, ravaged keen that characterises her delivery throughout, and which contrasts so startlingly with the folky warble of her 60s recordings.”

And,

[The song] “is a torrent of foul-mouthed abuse aimed fairly obviously at inconstant lover Ben Brierley, which makes that turmoil all-too plain…”

In stark contrast, another song inspired by Faithfull is The Hollies’ cheerful pop tune “Carrie Ann.”

This lighthearted, upbeat track seems to reflect the many layers of Faithfull’s multifaceted life and public persona — a portrait of a woman whose experiences, both soaring and heartbreaking, shaped her extraordinary journey.

Enjoy… until next week.