History Music / RufusWainwright

** "California" mentions "my new grandma [[Series/GoldenGirls Bea Arthur]]" as well.

-->''I think that any gay person in the world would be seduced at one point by a certain kind of camp. For certain people it's kind of a saving grace.''
-->'''Rufus''', on {{Camp}}

Rufus Wainwright is known for his lush, theatrical BaroquePop. He came from a musical family. His parents (Kate [=McGarrigle=] & Music/LoudonWainwrightIII) were folk singers. His sister, Music/MarthaWainwright, and half-sister Lucy Wainwright Roche are also musicians. He is openly gay, which is reflected in his music. His voice is very hard to describe. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiKMqz2MhWE See for yourself.]]

!!Discography:

* ''All Days are Nights: Songs for Lulu'' (2010)

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Rufus_Wainwrightbbbb_6787.jpg

* TheCoverChangesTheMeaning – His cover of Leonard Cohen's "Everybody Knows" changes...well, suddenly it sounds like its set amidst a casino underworld that's about to crumble and is having one last revel in its own shallowness and debauchery. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J26UlYXPi7o Worth a listen]]

* HasTwoDaddies: "Montauk" addressed to his daughter Viva[[note]]whose mother is Lorca Cohen, LeonardCohen's daughter[[/note]] talks about how one day she will visit "your dad" (presumably Rufus himself) and "your other dad" (presumably Jorn).

* LeavingYouToFindMyself - "Leaving For Paris No. 2", which was originally written as part of the backstory of Satine in ''MoulinRouge''.

** The video for "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIF6f3tFxBw April Fools]]" has Rufus try to save the opera heroines Cho-Cho-San ("MadameButterfly"), Carmen ("Carmen"), Mimi ("LaBoheme"), Tosca ("{{Tosca}}") and Gilda ("Rigoletto") from their tragic deaths. [[spoiler:He fails, but they get better.]]

** "California" mentions "my new grandma [[GoldenGirls Bea Arthur]]" as well.

** "Grey Gardens" to the documentary of the same name, and also to Thomas Mann's ''DeathInVenice'' with "Tadzio, Tadzio."

** "Memphis Skyline" is about JeffBuckley.

** "Vibrate" mentions BritneySpears.

** He name-drops "[[NataliePortman Miss Portman]]" in "Rashida."

-->Then came hallelujah sounding like [[{{Hamlet}} Ophelia]], for me in my room living, turn back and you will stay, under the Memphis Skyline
** This is especially poignant because JeffBuckley, who the song is dedicated to, drowned in the Wolf River.

** "Hallelujah" was this for a while, but after hearing JustinTimberlake cover it at the Hope For Haiti event Rufus announced that he'd be shelving it for a bit.

* TheCameo - sister Music/MarthaWainwright, MelissaAufDerMar, and [[NoDoubt Gwen Stefani]] (as the waitress) all show up in the video for "April Fools."

* CampGay – He even recreated JudyGarland's April 23, 1961 concert (which is ''Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall'') and performed a couple of numbers ''in Judy drag.''

Rufus Wainwright is known for his lush, theatrical BaroquePop. He came from a musical family. His parents (Kate [=McGarrigle=] & Music/LoudonWainwrightIII) were folk singers. His sister, Music/MarthaWainwright, is another musician. He is openly gay, which is reflected in his music. His voice is very hard to describe. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiKMqz2MhWE See for yourself.]]

** "Natasha": about his friend, actress NatashaLyonne.

* HotDad - On February 2, 2011, he welcomed his daughter Viva Katherine Wainwright Cohen. Lorca Cohen, daughter of LeonardCohen, was the surrogate, and is helping raise Viva along with Jorn and Rufus.

* GodIsLoveSongs - [[InvertedTrope Inverted]] brilliantly with "Gay Messiah."

** "Rashida"
** "Barbara": about a French singer

-->'''Rufus''', on [[{{Camp}} camp]]

** "Barbara": about a French singer

** "Dinner At Eight" has the line "I'm gonna take you down with one little stone" referencing TheBible and David and Goliath in particular.

*** He also mentions these characters by name in the song "Damned Ladies."

** The famous [[ThePhantomOfTheOpera Phantom of the Opera]] theme is used in "Between My Legs."
** "Fuggi regal fantasima," the GratuitousForeignLanguage in "Barcelona," is from Verdi's opera of {{Macbeth}}.

** He also set 3 of Shakespeare's sonnets (10, 20, and 43) to music on his album ''All Days are Nights: Songs for Lulu''.
** The song "Damned Ladies" features the line, "[[{{Othello}} Desdemona]], do not go to sleep."
* SignatureSong - "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk". "Gay Messiah" is probably another of his best known songs.

* TheCameo - sister Music/MarthaWainwright, MelissaAufDerMar, and [[{{No Doubt}} Gwen Stefani]] (as the waitress) all show up in the video for "April Fools."

* VocalEvolution - 21-year-old Rufus' voice, as heard on his demo tape, is much higher and more nasally than how he sounded even on his debut album released only three years later. In his own words, "like a little old man."

Rufus Wainwright is known for his lush, theatrical BaroquePop. He came from a musical family. His parents (Kate [=McGarrigle=] & Loudon Wainwright III) were folk singers. His sister, Martha Wainwright, is another musician. He is openly gay, which is reflected in his music. His voice is very hard to describe. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiKMqz2MhWE See for yourself.]]

* HeavyMithril - "Between My Legs," written as "fantasy about being able to save your object of desire when the apocalypse comes, and bring him to some sort of hidden paradise."

* HotDad - On February 2, 2011, he welcomed his daughter Viva Katherine Wainwright Cohen. Lorca Cohen, daughter of Leonard Cohen, was the surrogate, and is helping raise Viva along with Jorn and Rufus.

* InTheBlood - His musical talent, since he's the son of two very talented musicians and his sister Martha Wainwright is successful in her own career.

** "Grey Gardens" to the documentary of the same name, and also to Thomas Mann's ''Death in Venice''.

** This is especially poignant because Jeff Buckley, who the song is dedicated to, drowned in the Wolf River.

** "Tulsa" is a good humored TakeThat to Brandon Flowers, former lead singer of The Killers. Flowers loved the song.

* TheCameo - sister Martha Wainwright, Melissa Auf Der Mar, and [[{{No Doubt}} Gwen Stefani]] (as the waitress) all show up in the video for "April Fools."

* HotDad - On February 2, 2011, he welcomed his daughter Viva Katherine Wainwright Cohen. Lorca Cohen, daughter of Leonard Cohen, was the surrogate.
** As Lorca is raising Viva alongside Rufus and "deputy dad" Jorn, she is the mom and co-parent, not surrogate.

* TheSomethingSong – “Greek Song”

* DoubleEntendre[=/=]IfYouKnowWhatIMean: "Gay Messiah"

* AudioErotica - Quite a few people are willing to admit they'd have sex with his voice.

** A possible one in "Katonah," where he says "I'm going to Katonah to marry Jack Johnson." A common name, but Jack Johnson is also a musician.

* TheTropeSong – “Greek Song”