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Liquid Diamonds Lyrics

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, liquid running.
There's a sea secret in me it's plain to see a-it is rising.
But I must be flowing liquid diamonds... liquid... 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 playin' 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 so I guess I can't take it personally.
I guess I'm an underwater thing, liquid running.
There's a sea secret in me it's plain to see a-it is rising.
But I must be flowing liquid? diamonds? liquid... liquid? diamonds.


I call. I go inside her. Shall 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 that.
These Saturdays, such muse in it, can he bring me those chains?
Keep it back. Daddy's down preachin' back into himself.
Keep it just between us, yes. It's liquid... liquid... liquid...
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19 Meanings

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Cover art for Liquid Diamonds lyrics by Tori Amos

"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."

Cover art for Liquid Diamonds lyrics by Tori Amos

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.

Cover art for Liquid Diamonds lyrics by Tori Amos

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).

Cover art for Liquid Diamonds lyrics by Tori Amos

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.

Cover art for Liquid Diamonds lyrics by Tori Amos

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.

Cover art for Liquid Diamonds lyrics by Tori Amos

I have no idea what this song is about... would someone like to share an interpretation?

Cover art for Liquid Diamonds lyrics by Tori Amos

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.

Cover art for Liquid Diamonds lyrics by Tori Amos

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.

Cover art for Liquid Diamonds lyrics by Tori Amos

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.

Cover art for Liquid Diamonds lyrics by Tori Amos

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."

My Interpretation