| Imogen Heap – Aha! Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| Just to add... The second verse was inspired by some neighbors who were avid recyclers but actually petitioned their landlord to be allowed to cut down a tree that was blocking their view of their car in the parking lot. I quite like the politician angle though, I hadn't thought of that... | |
| Imogen Heap – Hide and Seek Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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I think that Nyx is on to something with this one. I've read in interviews and articles that deal with this song that its a collage of childhood memories. I've also read that when she was 12, her parent's split up. Taking that into the fold it changes the perspective a little bit. Where are we? What the hell is going on? The dust has only just begun to fall Crop circles in the carpet Sinking feeling... One parent is breaking the news to their kids that the other parent is going away. The kids are noticing missing furniture, dust settling, and start to get worried. Spin me around again and rub my eyes This can't be happening When busy streets, a mess with people, Would stop to hold their heads heavy Hide and Seek This can be very confusing and "dizzying" for a child to understand. Its almost as if the missing parent were just playing a game of Hide and Seek. And since the rest of the world isn't stopping to mourn the breakdown of this family, it must not be real. Trains and sewing machines All those years Trains=dad. Sewing machines=mum. They've been together for as long as she can remember. They were here first. The single parent has brought in someone new. This is often viewed as an intrusion by the children. Oily marks appear on walls where pleasure moment's hung before the takeover, the sweeping insensitivity of this still life... i think there's a double meaning here. Oily marks could be a derogatory opinion of the art work that this new person has hung on the walls where family photos used to be. The sweeping insensitivity could be a reference to how the new pictures have no memory attached to them and are taking up space rightfully belonging to the family photos (or even pictures that had been precious to the parent that left). I think the double meaning comes in with "still life." Still life could refer to the type of painting but also a metaphor for the fact that life has come to a halt in her world and is reflected in the type of art the new parent hung on the walls. ...Oh, you won't catch me around here Blood and tears The child lashes out. Saying if s/he's staying, then I'm leaving. Mum and dad shed blood and tears together. What does this new person have? I think the middle 8 is pretty much self explanatory. Ransom notes keep falling out your mouth Mid-sweet talk, newspaper word cutouts speak no feeling, no I don't believe you you don't care a bit, you don't care a bit. I think this part is addressed to the parent that left. The child feels abandoned by them and so they will have to earn her trust again. I truly love this song. It was the one that introduced me to Immi. It opened up a door that hasn't closed since. I am awed and truly inspired by her. They were here first |
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| Imogen Heap – 2-1 Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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I think it is interesting to note that the ratio of Polyfilla powder to water (when preparing the paste) is 2:1. I think that the title is in reference to the original title. Polyfilla is used to cover cracks in walls, nails, "gaps" as it were. I think what she is saying is that religion, any religion, is the polyfilla that we use to cover up the cracks in our understanding of the Universe. The fact that she calls life "the interim" as in something that is taking the place of something else for now. This implies that we are usually something else, but for the interim we are alive and this limited existence has us standing on our tiptoes to offer up our fears and hopes to something bigger than ourselves, "the top dog of dreams." I agree with ianthlyn, I think this song is a conversation in a relationship between someone who has just discovered polyfilla under the paint on the walls of their relationship and someone who discovered it long ago. When she says, "you're not alone in this," I think she is saying that whoever she is singing to is not alone in their belief in something that fills in the gaps but at the same time, she is saying that it IS just a "gap-filler." Its not the real deal. It LOOKS strong in the weakness of the gaps. Whatever they have patched up their love with is just a patch. And the veneer that they portray to the world at large is starting to show the patchwork through it. |
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| Tori Amos – Walk to Dublin (Sucker Reprise) Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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i think it would help to revise the lyrics a little bit: If I walk to Dublin Cause my feet all got a soul But I'll show them I've got a girl in my pocket book and some Proverbs Gonna take it take it there Bulls and curdeling And something's happening I'm property of my family Gideon tell me where to go I'm gonna sure break down your father's alter and moo Do a jig Do a jig Do a jig If I walk to Dublin I'm gonna pass that Turquoise Lady in her new Nike flats and something's flat I said I need size 10,000 for my ass yes Do a jig Do a Jig Make him laugh Do a Jig Do a jig Hey, make him laugh Cause he won't be coming back Said, he won't be coming back If I make the Golden Hordes and the lord needs men He needs good men The Lord he needs the U.S. Marines I said I got them Numbers in my sheep machine I got me an electric sheep machine that Do a jig Do a jig Do a jig Let me plague myself with the west in his head I said do a jig Make him laugh Make him laugh Make him laugh Just make him laugh Cause he won't be coming back Cause he won't be coming back Said he won't be coming back "The drinking test is puzzling, pp puzzling The drinking test is puzzling, Marcel For those that lapped are described both as drinking as a dog Drinking as a dog face they say was misplaced We wonder whether the Lord chose a few good men Whether the Lord chose the U.S. Marines" The "Proverbs," "Numbers" that are mentioned are books in the Old Testament. Proverbs 31 talks about how to be a good and dutiful wife but the term Eishes Chayil in the Hebrew version seems to translate as "victorious, mighty, valiant or noble" wife depending on the context. Numbers talks about enumerating the Jews during the Exodus. God had Moses count up the men 20yrs and older who were able to fight or hold weapons. Gideon appears in the book of Judges and is considered the Paragon of the holy man, one who does exactly as God tells him. He was instructed by God to gather up an army and destroy the Altar of Baal and Asherah (equated with Hathor, the Cow headed goddess in Egypt) in a neighboring town. God then had Gideon raise an army to stamp out idolotry among the Jews of Israel and when Gideon came before Him with 22,000 men God said it was too many, they would think that they themselves had saved the day rather than the Divine Providence of God so he told Gideon that any man who was afraid was to go home. That left him with 10,000 men (size 10, 000). This was still too many so God told him to take the men to the river and bid them drink. Those who lapped at the water like a dog were to be sent home. Those who drank like a man would be allowed to remain. Only 300 were allowed to remain. This is what is meant by the Drinking Test reference and "those that lapped" not "laughed." I think the Turquoise Lady is a reference to "Lady Turquoise" from a DC comic series called "Gemworld" which is about Faeries. Lady Turquoise is the Queen of the Turquoise realm. All in all I think this song is a condemnation of militarism. The fact that its set in Ireland on a "Walk to Dublin" would imply that its a condemnation of the dispute between the Catholics and the Protestants that had been going on for so very long, hence all the biblical references. Passing "the Turquoise Lady in her new Nike flats" could be a tip of the hat to the fact that Ireland has such a rich mythological history that existed well before Christianity ever came there and that it is still alive, just in a different form. |
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| Tori Amos – Bug a Martini Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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Found out recently that Echo is one of two communications satellites that was launched in the '60's by the US in order to pinpoint Moscow geographically for a nuclear strike. The Triad refers to a nuclear deterrence system used during the cold war: Land strike, Air Strike and Submarine Strike. This was used by both sides as a countermeasure system, it was unlikely that all three systems would be taken out before a retaliatory launch could be initiated by the remaining ones. Canada (where I'm from) offered up its northern most islands to the US to use as part of the Land Strike, being able to launch ICBM's over the North Pole. Dead Letterbox is a reference to a type of information transfer used by spies. It is a method where information was dropped into a 'mail' or 'letterbox' near a graveyard (where no one would really NEED to send or receive mail) to be picked up by the intended recipient. It came to mean any kind of drop where there was no direct contact between parties. Wikipedia is AWESOME!!! |
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| Tori Amos – 1,000 Oceans Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| The little blue ball - Planet Earth. Its saying when we die, do we still remember the things we did while alive or does this life just fade from memory? | |
| Tori Amos – Hey Jupiter Lyrics | 14 years ago |
| I just had an epiphany about this song... Tori said in a recent interview that her South Florida home is near Jupiter, Florida. I wonder if the Jupiter in the song is not only a reference to someone she saw as King of the Gods, but also if Eric Rosse might have lived in Jupiter, Florida at one time and she's referring to him as Jupiter, a la Sleepless in Seattle. Hmmmm... | |
| Tori Amos – Big Wheel Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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I've been on the other side Got my lips smacked Now they're dry Then you Call me Call me in You think I am your possession You're messing with a Southern girl I wonder if you're all familiar with a product called "lipsmackers." Its a type of lipgloss/lip balm. There may absolutely be a reference to having her lips physically smacked, but I think it might be a reference to suiting up for battle. Like her orange knickers that she needs to wear to combat terrorism or the tubes of lipstick in the UK Cornflake Girl video. She's put her lippy on, its dry now and she's ready to take on the corporate dragons. They think they own her, but they've clearly never dealt with a Southern girl. But my recipe is on With your stale bread Yeah it's hot But baby I don't need your cash I think this is directed right at label execs. She's always said she makes fine wine. She's not going to change the way she makes it to get into Safeway. And if you look at the artists that are being pumped out of record labels these days, they absolutely fall in the "stale bread" category. They keep doing the same type of songs, made the same ways, the same as every other major label. And these girls that they're churning out may be "hot" but they're not going to last. And she's been doing this long enough to know that she doesn't need a significant other (here being the label) to support her if it means she's got to make the wine their way. So baby maybe I'll let your Big wheel turn my fantasy Don't you throw your shade on me This is the Big Corporate Wheel. The one that turns all the gears and controls what gets made and what doesn't. She knows its going to keep turning no matter what she does. But she's not going to fall under that shadow. I've been drinking down your pain I'm gonna turn that whiskey into rain Wash it away, wash it away, Wash you away, boy Let's go This is pure transmutation. She's taking all the crap that the record companies have tossed at her, drinking it down and turning it into purifying, cleansing rain. I've been on my knees but you're so Hard to please, did you Take me, take me in So you are a superstar Get off the cross, we need the wood This is an attack on the Christian Right (which coincidentally is neither lol) and the patriarchy. As a woman, the church fathers will never recognize her power. She's cursed with Original Sin. The only thing she's good for is making more men. She's spent time in prayer, she's spent time in church but its made no difference whatsoever. They didn't take her in. They excised her sexuality (another interpretation of "on my knees" being giving head) and refused to acknowledge her spirituality. And yeah, Jesus Christ is a Superstar but the time has come to make some changes. Somehow you will rise, but without a tool I know, honey, you're a pro But baby I don't need your cash Mama got it all in hand now This is kinda like a smack in the face. Sarcastically saying, "yes dear, you created the universe. Good for you. Now run along and play, mama's got work to do." She's not going to be a tool for the church fathers to make war on the people. She's taking over. She's got it ALL under control. Chorus This chorus, though same as the first one, can now be directed at the Christian Right and all the crap they've been shoving down the throats of the people for the last 2000 years. Its all going in as whisky but coming out as fresh water. Its like the reverse of the miracle at cana (the whole "water into wine" thing). Gimmie 8, A gimmie 7, A gimmie 6, Gimmie 5, Gimmie 4, A gimmie 3 I-I-I am an M-I-L-F, don't you forget, M-I-L-F, don't you forget, M-I-L-F, don't you forget Baby, I don't need your cash She's just reminding all those record labels and church fathers that she is still a sexual and sexy being. Just because she's matured does not mean she is no longer sexy. And just because she's sexual and sexy does not mean she's profane. She's a woman. She doesn't need anyone's charity to do what she does. So baby maybe I'll let your Big wheel turn my fantasy... |
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| Tori Amos – Ophelia Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| Another thought about the "secret" is that Hamlet doesn't know she survived to be having this conversation. She is "safe" because everyone thinks she's dead. | |
| Tori Amos – Girl Disappearing Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| I think the 'Girl Disappearing' is a celebrity who has lost herself to her career. The "7am so it begins again, 1-0(zip) favoring familiar silhouettes" I think is talking about her daily routine putting her face on. She's exhausted. The familiar silhouettes are the shadows that have grown up under her eyes. 1-0 is the score and the shadows are winning. | |
| Tori Amos – Bug a Martini Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| I think the "elixir of quietude" is even simpler than that. I agree that the "guy's" version is coercion or beating the info out of someone, but I think Tori's is more a sense of lulling them into a sensual hypnosis rather than poisoning them. I think the "bug a martini" line means just that. Hand me a bugged (equipped with a listening device) martini and I'll walk around the party with it gathering intel. | |
| Tori Amos – Ophelia Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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I think this is one of the most complex songs on the record. First we have Ophelia, the tragic heroine of Shakespeare's "Hamlet." A woman who is controlled by her father, her brother, her Queen, and her love for Hamlet who uses that love in his scheme to exact revenge on his Uncle. When her father is killed, she loses her mind and "incapable of her own distress" falls into a brook and drowns. She then unwittingly becomes an Archetype for women who are victimized by their choices to be in relationships with men who are either abusive or negligent or (as in Hamlet's case) both. This becomes a chain of relationships that stretch for hundreds of years to the present day. Ophelia is no longer just one poor woman. She is every woman who has found herself in a relationship with a man for whom she has given up her self. This is the chain that must be broken. I think the secret that is "safe" is the one regarding whether she actually committed suicide in the play or if she simply fell. There is no resolution in the play as to precisely what happened. It is left open to audience interpretation. Next we are introduced to Veronica, Charlotte and Alison. We are told that "Veronica's America is not like Charlotte's, one to savor cosmic flavor." Veronica is both a Novel by Mary Gaitskill and a character within that novel, as is Alison. Alison is the narrator in the story, a former model cum office cleaning lady suffering from Hepatitis C who is filled with self loathing. She sees the world "face deep." Veronica is a former friend of Alison's whom she meets while they are both working a temp job in the '80s. Veronica is described as unbeautiful, and the personification of a german cuckoo clock. She is desperately in love with Duncan, a flagrantly unfaithful bisexual who infects her with HIV. She eventually dies of AIDS. Alison once comments to her that she "doesn't love herself. [She has] to learn to love herself." Veronica replies, "i think love is overrated. My parents loved me and it didn't do any good." In this story, Veronica is like Ophelia. She chooses to be with Duncan, to love him even knowing his tendencies, even after he infects her. This is Veronica's America. Face deep, filled with grit and self indulgence and self loathing. Alison relates this to the reader while in her late 40's, climbing a hill, remembering her "bright past" amid her "grey present." The character of Charlotte is a little more ambiguous but I believe that she is in fact the character from "Sex and the City." As an antithesis to Veronica and Alison's jaded and cynical view of America, Charlotte's "Love conquers all" attitude and general naïvety works rather well. I believe that the line, "one to savor cosmic flavor" is a reference to "Flavor," from earlier on the record and that "cosmic flavor" is an idea of Divine Love rather than Divine Fear. And still, Charlotte seems to have trouble choosing the right man. Trey McDougal is apathetic and impotent and yet she marries him anyway, because "love conquers all." Granted she ends up with Harry Goldenblatt but even that does not start off well. She changes her religion so that she can marry him and even confesses that she is embarrassed to be seen with him in public because he is conventionally unattractive. So both of these women, Veronica and Charlotte, have different views of American Love and Alison is the commentator, the wise crone who offers the cynical viewpoint that "Change" and "Pain" are sisters who waltz into your life together. You have to CHOOSE to send Pain packing and accept Change on her own. The Eve of St. Agnes is a poem by John Keats about a woman, Madeleine, who is told that if she lies naked in bed with her arms beneath her pillow, gazing upward, on the Eve of the Feast of St. Agnes (the patron saint of Virgins) that her love will come to her in her dreams. Porphyro, her lover from an enemy family (sound familiar?) is offered admittance to her bedchamber by a friendly maidservant and she, thinking he is part of her dream, invites him into her bed. When she awakes she finds she can't hate him for his deception since her heart is so fully in his but that if he leaves her now, he shall leave her broken. He professes his love to her and offers her a home over the southern moors. They escape the castle in the night to live out their love together. This is offered to Ophelia as an alternative to her usual "chain" of hurtful relationships. Constancy. Love and devotion. "Choose/ Those men who choose to stay." If she is a character in this poem, her abusive lover won't be able to reach her. Sorry about the length. There's a LOT of stuff in this song lol. |
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| Tori Amos – Oscar's Theme Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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A warm autumn breeze gliding in In the distance a tailspin Languid as Oscar's theme He awaits Juliet's landing Made to doubt where he is now If he could just step back and swim To bliss Partnership Warm autumn breeze gliding in In the distance a tailspin Languid as Oscar's theme He awaits Juliet's landing Snakes and snails and puppy dogs tails Yes, throw the rice. Are they all made with sugar and spice? Warm autumn breeze gliding in In the distance a tailspin Languid as Oscar's theme He awaits Juliet's landing Languid as Oscar's theme He awaits Juliet's landing. I believe this is in reference to the song "No Other Love" from the Rogers and Hammerstein musical "Me & Juliet." Richard Rogers had written the music for an episode of "Victory at Sea" which was then set to new lyrics written by Oscar Hammerstein for the musical. It is indeed languid lol. There is also a possibility of reference to the 1983 Russian attack on a Korean Airliner which was one of the tensest moments during the cold war. It was detailed in a 1989 TV movie entitled Tail Spin. The attack happened on Sept 1, 1983. "A warm AUTUMN breeze.." There was a great deal of controversy over whether it was an accident or if America was testing Russia's offensive capabilities or if it was an American espionage attempt. All 269 passengers were killed when the plane went down in the waters surrounding Moneron Island in the sea of Japan. i think that the reference might be used to illustrate the "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus" philosophy, anthropomorphizing America and Russia into a man and woman in a relationship and taking the man's POV in that women aren't always made of "Sugar and Spice." Sometimes the man is left to "doubt just where he is" in a relationship where the woman has all the power. An idea that Tori herself has admitted to exploring on this record. Maybe girls are made of snakes and snails and puppy dog tails too, in some cases. |
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| Tori Amos – Beauty of Speed Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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I think the "colors changing" is a scientific reference to the fact that colors exist as different frequencies. As you increase the frequency (or speed it up) the colors shift from red to violet and beyond. So as you speed up, you "see the colors changing." And I think, too, that it is an allegory; that the speed at which things are changing in this relationship is extremely fast, fast enough to see the colors changing. Then she's "smacked upside of the head with the harsh of daylight." She doesn't love this man anymore - at least not the way she used to. Things were so simple before she started seeing the world in color. Seeing that there is more than just black and white. There's also the idea that while she was in this relationship with this obviously bi-polar individual (fluctuating temperature) her world was black and white. Not moving. Static. Suddenly things have changed and she is moving again. Her life has picked up speed. So she's coming back for more out of a black and white world. She's moving so quickly now that she can outpace a shooting star and she sees the colors changing from red to violet. Hot to cool. |
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| Tori Amos – Apollo's Frock Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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I think this song is also about the transfer of power from a matriarchal Goddess worship base to a Patriarchal monotheist God base. I think the use of the past tense in, "WAS always as beautiful" is important in that Apollo and Artemis were equal and opposite. Neither was greater or more powerful than the other. Then along comes Man and it decides that Apollo is more deserving of worship than his sister and suddenly the balance is shifted. So Tori calls in the Shekhina (the Anima, or female aspect of God) to scold the Church fathers (the "predators) for using their flocks (the cubs) to gain power and wealth. Also, the Shekhina laments the loss of the soul of feminine Mystery (the "soul" of the "bow and quiver," the Virgin Huntress - Artemis, The Moon). The first verse seems to be saying that the Hunt exists the same in an LA café as it does on the Serengeti. I think this is an old female archetype sitting down with an old male archetype and re-establishing the rules of combat. The Male has transgressed. He knowingly bombed civilian targets. She's calling him to task. The "put me back in the cold" line could be a reference to being about to boil over with anger at current events. Possibly a Pele reference. And Antarctica is the coldest most desolate place on earth. If you need to cool down in a hurry...accept no substitute. |
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| Tori Amos – Abnormally Attracted to Sin Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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Oddly enough i think the images in this song are pretty straightforward. Pussy Willow could mean a couple things. Pussy Willows are used on Palm Sunday (in place of palm fronds) in countries that are too far north to grow Palm trees. So as a representation of an orthodox faith, it makes sense for the Pussy Willow (originally venerated in Pagan traditions) to offer a warning before entering the church if you are "abnormally attracted to sin." It is also a tradition in places like North Carolina, Buffalo and New York to celebrate Easter Monday as a holiday which, to the Polish and Ukrainian population is called "Dyngus Day." Originally Dyngus Day was a day of blessing with water and self flagellation with willow switches to purify the self for the coming year but as time went on, unmarried girls became the only acceptable target of young unmarried men who would douse the objects of their affections in water and switch their legs with willow branches to profess their interest. Girls who avoided this treatment were considered unattractive and unfit for marriage. I think the bridge is in reference to the Great Mother Goddess (or very likely Mary Magdalene, a good representation of the sexual aspect of the Great Mother). "She may be dead to you but her hips sway a natural kind of faith that could give your lost heart a warm chapel." She's suggesting an alternative to the male dominated right wing patriarchy. Its also a caveat that if you "sleep in her belltower" you won't know what's happening to you but when you wake, you'll simply find yourself abnormally attracted to sin. This is a wakening of the mind to those alternate possibilities. So much of what keeps us submissive to the Patriarchal Right is our CHOICE to be. Then you start to recognize that things like Desire (tales of longing sway lost without a verse) and progressive music (hymns of swing lay low) have become panned by the church. Music by the Beatles and Elvis, some of the most popular music of ALL TIME were banned by some orthodox practices as being "the Devil's music!" Sleeping in Her bell tower awakens you to things that are not inherently evil, but are frowned upon by those in power because they require an ACTIVE mind. |
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| Tori Amos – Fast Horse Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| This one gave me a bit of pause. Specifically the line referring to a finger-apple. But I thought back to Police Me and the Blackberry Storm reference and I thought this might be a reference to the iPhone. An Apple product that uses a finger touch interface - a finger-apple. This, I think, is a song about a woman who loves the absolute wrong kind of man. The controlling, "where are you" call every five minutes type of guy. Her shackling is advanced for a couple of reasons, a) its the 21st century and women are STILL shackled in many relationships b) its a technological shackling, by way of phone, pager, etc. c) if viewed in terms of a sickness, this "shackling" is very progressed in her system, potentially terminal. Everyone knows someone in that one relationship where all the friends look at each other and go, "Is she NUTS? Why can't she see that he's poison?" Its because she's possessed by him. Physically and mentally. She needs to find a medicine man to smoke out the Bad Medicine. The other aspect of this song is that she left her home in the south to be with this man. I think the actual physical location is more metaphorical. The South representing a more religious, simpler lifestyle while New York is everything new and complex. That's why she complains that her "Fast Horse" "ain't a Maserati." Her body may be with this man in a New York flat wearing Gucci and Louis Vitton but her soul is back in Tennessee in a Sundress and flip flops. | |
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