In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
With a strut into the room
With his hat cocked sure defiantly
He said "I, I have heard
That you can play the way I like it to be played."
I said, "I can play, anyway that you want.
But first I want, I want to know
Baby is it sweet sweet
Sweet the sting
Is it real this infusion
Can it heal where others before have failed?
If so then somebody
Shake shake shake me sane
Cause I am inching ever closer to the tip of this scorpion's tail
He said "I laid my weapons
Down with my pistol
Fully loaded, a hunted man
To my root, will it end
Or begin in your cinnabar juice?"
Is it sweet sweet
Sweet the sting
Is it real this infusion
Can it heal where others before have failed?
If so then somebody
Shake shake shake me sane
Cause I am inching ever closer to the tip of this scorpion's tail
Love let me breathe
Breathe you in
Melt the confusion
Until there is
There is your - union
With his hat cocked sure defiantly
He said "I, I have heard
That you can play the way I like it to be played."
I said, "I can play, anyway that you want.
But first I want, I want to know
Baby is it sweet sweet
Sweet the sting
Is it real this infusion
Can it heal where others before have failed?
If so then somebody
Shake shake shake me sane
Cause I am inching ever closer to the tip of this scorpion's tail
He said "I laid my weapons
Down with my pistol
Fully loaded, a hunted man
To my root, will it end
Or begin in your cinnabar juice?"
Is it sweet sweet
Sweet the sting
Is it real this infusion
Can it heal where others before have failed?
If so then somebody
Shake shake shake me sane
Cause I am inching ever closer to the tip of this scorpion's tail
Love let me breathe
Breathe you in
Melt the confusion
Until there is
There is your - union
Lyrics submitted by merchantpierce
Sweet the Sting Lyrics as written by Tori Amos
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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Has anyone else noticed how the lyric: "I. I have heard. that you can play the way I like it to be played" kind of mimics the line in 'Precious Things' "He said you're really an ugly girl, but I like the way you play..."
The Beekeeper is a much softer, gentler album as others have commented and 13 years after 'Little Earthquakes' Tori Amos seems to have resolved a lot of her sexual/feminine angst (e.g. she married and had a baby), so now she is more at ease with herself and men and sexuality, etc. and hence the lyric reflects that.
Just a thought I had last time I listened to this song.
I HAVE noticed that! Found it interesting that maybe she did that on purpose to kind of indicate that she has healed and realized that "playing" is part of life.