Surrender then start your engines
You'll know quite soon what my mistake was
For those on horseback or dog sled
You turn on at the bend in the road
I hear she still grants forgiveness
Although I willingly forgot her
The offering is molasses and you say
I guess I'm an underwater thing
So I guess I can't take it personally
I guess I'm an underwater thing
I'm liquid running

There's a sea secret in me
It's plain to see it is rising
But I must be flowing liquid diamonds
Calling for my soul at the corners of the world
I know she's playing poker with the rest of the stragglers
Calling for my soul at the corners of the world
I know she's playing poker with the rest the rest
And if your friends don't come back to you
And you know this is madness
A lilac mess in your prom dress
And you say

I guess I'm an underwater thing

I go I go inside her shell
I see it so and you're doing oh so well these days
You do it again and I say it's coming back again
Something like the saturdays such was it
Can you bring me those jeans
Keep it back daddy's done preaching in to himself
Keep it just between us
It's liquid
Liquid
Liquid


Lyrics submitted by Novartza

Liquid Diamonds Lyrics as written by Tori Ellen Amos

Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Liquid Diamonds song meanings
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18 Comments

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  • +3
    General Comment
    "I don't know of anybody who's gonna be fulfilled if they get hit by a bus. You have to surrender to that eternal need to be fulfilled. That's very much what Liquid Diamonds was for me."
    merchantpierceon May 04, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    I think it's pretty clear this song is about her miscarriage. What is so great about this song is its amazing beat. I always thought the snare drum sounded really familiar. I listened to the Led Zeppelin song "When the Levee Breaks," and I swear Tori must have sampled and altered the snare drum from that song. Which would make sense, as she dated Robert Plant. Plus, the whole image of a levee breaking seems to conjure up the idea of a miscarriage.
    drewk1on November 10, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    I might add that the phrase "liquid diamonds" came from The Sandman (Tori is big Sandman fan, and is good friends with Neil Gaiman, so reference is obvious).
    Chloe le Fayon July 08, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    Just to add.. the Delirium character was modeled after Tori. You'll see Neil and "the dream king" referred to in quite a few songs.
    andshediedon August 31, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    One of her greatest songs, I think. I suppose Merchantpierce (I assume that's a tori quote in your post?)'s post cant describe it any better.
    toriamosfanon June 20, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    I have no idea what this song is about... would someone like to share an interpretation?
    cloudgirlon March 08, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    I still haven't nearly figured out the entire song, but the line "underwater thing" has gained new meaning for me. "I guess I'm an underwater thing..." I interpret this as she means under water.. blue, sad, stifled.. she can't breathe, she's struggling in the depths.. and *also: she's misunderstood. she says, "I guess I can't take it personally." People are misreading her. She's blurred by the crests of water. You know when you try to look under the water, but all you see is the surface? That's what Tori means. people have a disfigured, distorted and unclear vision of her, and that upsets her greatly because she's been through hell and she feels like a terrible mess.
    cloudgirlon March 23, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    this song is about her miscarriage. "liquid diamonds" is a metaphor for the actual physical substance of the baby that she lost - the blood, fetus, etc. These things are precious, like diamonds...and flowed from her when she wasn't ready. "i guess i'm an underwater thing" - this is what the baby is saying. meaning it was only meant to be an underwater thing, not ever meant to come out into the air. So, tori "can't take it personally".. meaning.. it was not meant to be, it's not Tori's fault...not something she did. "calling for myself, at the corner of the world, i know she's playing poker with the rest of the stragglers".. this is the soul of her child..she's calling to the soul of her unborn baby, who she knows is everywhere and nowhere, "playing poker", or existing, with the other souls who have not made it here yet.
    scottroryon August 22, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    This song came to me during a psychotherapy workshop... Liquid diamonds is a metaphor of tears for me. The salt carried by the feminine side that must be realised and hold on as a precious gift.
    atofioson July 14, 2008   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation
    I had someone very dear to me betray all of his friends, including myself. So I look at this song in a dual context, like I do with so many of Tori's songs. It is about her miscarriage, but it is also about betrayal and deception for me. "And if your friends don't come back to you. And you know that this is madness."
    angstiosis_againon August 23, 2009   Link

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