Marianne Faithfull - As Tears Go By Live
Marianne Faithfull’s 1995 live performance of Working Class Hero is a masterclass in reinterpretation. Originally written and recorded by John Lennon for his 1970 album Plastic Ono Band, the song is a stark and cynical critique of societal oppression, delivered in a raw, folk-inspired style. Lennon’s version is biting yet restrained, his voice dripping with controlled anger. Faithfull, however, takes the song to an entirely different emotional plane.
Faithfull’s Reinvention: A Voice of Survival
By 1995, Marianne Faithfull had long transcended her early image as the ethereal ’60s pop ingénue who sang As Tears Go By. Her voice, once delicate, had been transformed by years of hardship—addiction, homelessness, and a hard-fought comeback in the late ’70s with Broken English. The Marianne Faithfull of the ’90s was a survivor, and her voice carried every scar, making Working Class Hero feel even more personal and poignant.
In this live performance, Faithfull slows the song down slightly, stretching out phrases to emphasize their bleak poetry. Her gravelly, whiskey-soaked voice adds an almost theatrical element to the lyrics. When she delivers lines like "They hurt you at home and they hit you at school", there’s an unmistakable resonance, as if she’s singing from lived experience rather than observation. Where Lennon sounded detached and resigned, Faithfull’s rendition is filled with a weary anger, a voice hardened by struggle but still standing.
Minimalist Arrangement, Maximum Impact
The arrangement remains relatively simple, staying true to the song’s folk roots. A sparse instrumental backing allows Faithfull’s voice to take center stage. The stripped-down nature of the performance enhances the song’s stark message—there are no distractions, no lush orchestrations, just raw storytelling through sound.
Context: Part of a Theatrical and Political Evolution
Faithfull’s choice to cover Working Class Hero in 1995 fits within her artistic trajectory at the time. This period saw her embracing dramatic, literary, and politically charged material, as evidenced in her 20th Century Blues album, which was filled with Brechtian cabaret songs. Covering Lennon’s song aligned with her growing interest in socially conscious, rebellious material—songs that spoke to outcasts, underdogs, and those ground down by the system.
A Cover That Stands Out
Many artists have covered Working Class Hero, but Faithfull’s version stands among the most powerful. Unlike Green Day’s more punk-driven approach or David Bowie’s eerie unreleased take, Faithfull transforms the song into something that feels like a confession, a testament, and a warning all at once. Her version doesn’t just acknowledge the bitterness of Lennon’s lyrics—it lives them.
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