‘Born To Live’: the song that helped Marianne Faithfull mourn a loved one
The world of music, film, and pop culture was rocked recently when it was revealed that ‘60s icon Marianne Faithfull had sadly passed away. Faithfull was born in Hampstead in the ‘40s and had a successful career in both music and film. She became an icon in her own right, the muse behind several excellent songs and the creative mind behind even more.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of the singer, songwriter and actress Marianne Faithfull,” read a statement released on January 30th, “Marianne passed away peacefully in London today, in the company of her loving family […] She will be dearly missed.”
News of her death led to a number of tributes coming in that paid homage to Faithfull. From young to old, it was clear that Faithfull had a profound impact on the world of pop culture, as people reflected on times when they had met Faithfull and the positive memories they had with her.
“Farewell Marianne Faithfull I first heard Broken English on a school trip in 1980 and it blew my mind,” said Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess, “She was such a free spirit and a true talent. We met in Amsterdam in 1994 and spent an afternoon chatting and in between interviews – going to listen to Why D’Ya Do It, right now.”
Another tribute for Faithfull came from Rolling Stones vocalist Mick Jagger. He and Faithfull were in a relationship for a period throughout the ‘60s. “I am so saddened to hear of the death of Marianne Faithfull,” he wrote, “She was so much part of my life for so long. She was a wonderful friend, a beautiful singer and a great actress. She will always be remembered.”
While Jagger and Faithfull’s relationship didn’t last, it was during this period that she met Anita Pallenberg. Pallenberg was an actress and model dating the band’s drummer Brian Jones. They both hit it off and stayed friends up until Pallenberg sadly passed away on June 13th, 2017. As Faithfull was working on music for her 2018 record at the time, Negative Capability, she ended up writing about the sad passing of her friend and used her music as a tool to come to terms with the loss and help with her mourning.
The song is called ‘Born To Live’, and it’s a heartbreaking tribute to Pallenberg, which both doubles as a celebration of life and a song that grows sad by the loss of it. The lyrics are deeply moving: “Born to live and die / Forever loving you / Don’t make me cry, know what I must do / Pray for a good death, one for me, one for you.”
Faithfull admits that she struggled writing the song, as it brought back all her memories with Pallenberg. “All these memories came back hard. When I’d done that, Anita appeared, right there in front of me,” she said, “That’s the thing about these songs. They’re not just about these people, they’re about everybody who’s been going through this stuff. It’s so hard to lose your loved ones.”
