Tori Amos – Dragon

General Commentthis is definately my fave from this new album, i think the meaning of it is that it is directed at a love interest and basicly its some one with baggage left over from a previous relationship, and saying you know, that whatever happened in his previous relationship should come between them, and basicly saying its time to pull that wild card, and get rid of that baggage symbolised as a dragon that needs slaying...

i think overall its saying that, there is like an overtone that she is the solution to this problem, and in the undertone there is a hint that perhaps she knows she is guilty of telling sweet yet hurtful lies as well... hmm well thats what i get from it

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  @BrokenNailz

General CommentI interpret the "Don't believe the lie / your dragon needs slaying" differently! I think instead of sticking a comma in and slaying the dragon, it was meant to be one whole idea (don't believe the lie [that] your dragon needs slaying) and she thinks that the idea of needing to slay your inner wild side (dragon) for the sake of another person is a lie. That's why when she lies with him she "brings kisses for the beast" - she wants to nuture it.
That way, the force being called dark (a passionate, dragon-esque force being called evil) is called into question. She likes the way it feels when he touches her hand - it is not wrong.
The "christened those inflated" bit would then refer to Tori's idea that the Christian religion kept people feeling shamed about their sexuality and uninhibited side (in this case by putting those inflated with the old arguments into power). The man in the song may argue that it is a woman that has subdued him (an easy - candy - lie), but he has chosen to subdue himself.
Tori wants those Dragons out and rockin', people!

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  @louliloulou
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  louliloulou - I think you and I are saying sort of the same thing. especially the "(don't believe the lie [that] your dragon needs slaying" part...I was trying to say that the last time, but I'd been up all night, lol. It never occurred to me that anyone would interpret it any other way (of course, apparently you and I are in the minority)!
  
  And I think you hit the nail on the head about "candy lies..." He's subduing himself...get off the cross, man!
  
  You know Tori loves dem dragons ;)

  Flag Crystalline888on March 17, 2009  

General CommentI think this is my favourite on the new album.

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  @maggotbrain

General CommentI completely agree. Beautiful song!

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  @buddha boy

General Commentsanta reminds me of samantha on sex and the city haha even though im sure santa is much smarter. just the whole martini glass and dress reminds me of her. but yea... the piano in the song is so dark and sexy. i love it.

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  @ThickLykePuddin

General CommentI agree BrokenNailz, I think though that perhaps there is an emphasis on her being there for him and being the solution to the problem only IF he slays his dragon - and I also get the sense that it needs to be an impressive display for her to then be that person. I think she reflects on the days of the dragon slayers chivalrous acts and that he needs to do this for her and then he (in their relationship) will be fine

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  @calescent_spark

General CommentI may get shot down for this, but on a deeper/archetypal level, I get the feeling that this song is referring to the madonna/whore split in a man's mind, within a relationship. The woman is telling him, "oh no, a woman didn't do this to you, society did and you accepted it, you're lying to yourself because its easier."

She's saying " I can be BOTH to you, I'm a woman, a whole woman, both madonna and whore." For instance, "you called it dark but now I'm not so sure." She's saying, "you can trust me with your sexuality, it's not darker or dirtier than mine, I can handle it."

I get a different thing from the line "don't believe the lie/your dragon needs slaying..." I think she's saying that the idea that he has to separate his sexuality into good/bad is the lie.He needs to play his "wild card," in a healthy way instead of repressing it.

And she can "bring kisses for the beast," again, she can be both mother to him, and feed the beast within. She can be all encompassing.

The part about "ancient savageries....it has come to light the gods they have slipped up...ect" Seems to me to be referring to the fact that religion and "gods" have always been the tools that perpetuate this mentality-it sort of flows back to the theme of "devils and gods," in that all of us have both devil and god inside us and to try to seperate them/blame them on an outside force is just an excuse for actions that we feel ashamed of...it's like she's telling this guy "dump the shame, you're safe and you're only hurting others with it..." sort of like "get off the cross we need the wood..." it's a recurring theme on the album, even in the art.

At the end, perhaps she's asking him to forgive her for the "lies" he's been fed, since we tend to blame our partners for our own issues...like she's telling him to forgive him for the percieved injustices of other women and trust her, even though she's done no wrong to begin with.

Just my opinion :)

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  @Crystalline888

General CommentI think that she is trying to sexually console someone who has recently be hurt by another woman...
- my run-through:
dont tell me a woman did this to you => he was hurt by a woman
you touched my hand, i felt a force, you called it dark ... not so sure => they touched hands, she feels attracted to him. he thinks its wrong as hes just split with someone
candy lies => candy tastes good for you but isnt... people can put on a facade to make themselves desirable (the woman that hurt him)
Don't believe the lie, your Dragon needs slaying => his dragon (phallic) needs slaying (guess :P) its a euphamism of what she can do for him sexually

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  @inthefogforthelastbit

General CommentI agree with happygreenapples that there are references to sexual acts in the song. I do believe the message is highly feminist in the sense that it speaks to a woman's power, that women have been unjustly unequal to men because of the social meaning of their bodies.

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  @DarkChild

General CommentI see this as a woman who loves a man, but he's too hurt by a past relationship to even notice her. She gives him the cold, harsh truth in the first lines...

"Don't tell me a *woman* did this to you."

How true, Tori.

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  @Marjosa