Tori's Ramblings
Tori amos has been one of the greatest influences in my life. I used to think that I was alone in my way of thinking, but then I found Tori, and hundreds of others who'd found her too. . .
If you are unfamiliar with tori's work, she plays the piano . . .and sings, and is one of the most incredible people on the earth. . . I suggest you check it out:
www.hereinmyhead.com
www.yessaid.com
www.thedent.com
I think that people who can't believe in faeries aren't worth knowing. I just think alternate realities make you a good writer. If your work is anymore than one dimension, you believe in faeries.
- Tori Amos
(see The Dimension)
I think there’s so much emphasis on pushing things away, instead of pulling them out of the closet. A lot of times I just notice that people try to hide their dirt for as long as possible. Monsters, dirt, whatever you want to call it, the stuff that you censor and that you don’t really want to share with people. I think you can only do that for so long before you start losing your mind. I’m finding a lot of freedom right now in just looking at things that I really feel. We’re not encouraged to do that, and I think that that’s what makes people sick inside of themselves. You kind of want everybody else to think that you’re okay. Well, you’re okay if you have monsters! That’s what people don’t understand—everybody has many many voices going on inside of themselves. Now there is one voice, though, that is more of the ringleader, more of the innermost voice that isn’t trying to beat you up, or trying to make you feel like you can go slaughter 67 people and it’s okay. You know, the voice in there that goes, “hang on a minute, Tori, we’re really feeling lonely right now.” That inner inner voice is, to me, the most important because it can start being a bridge between all these other voices in your head. Everybody has them.
--Tori Amos
“There’s the inner world which is a reflection of the outer world, and when you think of all the billions of worlds that are going on out there - we are connected with that, we’re not encouraged to think of our connection as why we are on this planet. Is our life just functional; is that all that is? Getting up, going to work, having kids, to just populate the planet? I mean there have to be reasons we do things...” [In Conversation - interview cd, 1992]
"With Poppa, there was Spirit in all things. You have a relationship with the spirit world or you have nothing. People try and make other people feel bad about getting in touch with their souls and their spirit. You get it a lot, especially in the cynical media. When people cut themselves off from everything except what they can touch, they are cancerous. The sad thing is, that’s really evil… evil to yourself. You become the fascist." [Details - August 1998]
". . . tell me where the pretty girls are
Those demigods
With their NINE-INCH nails and little fascist panties tucked inside the heart
of every nice girl . . ."
--Precious Things
"After the shows, everybody talks to me about how they’re pulled in different directions. A lot of times there doesn’t have to be conflict, it’s just we’re not giving attention to different sides of ourselves. You see, you’ve got a masochist side that has to be met in some way. You need to look at why you need to be hurt, and why you get some kind of pleasure out of it. Then you need to go and give equal time to the part of you that’s a sea captain, you see what I mean? The one that sails the ship, and can bring it home, and isn’t needy. We have all these different sides, and they just go out of balance! That’s what I meant by that." [Michael Pearce interview - 1994]
There is room for everybody on the planet to be creative and conscious if you are your own person. If you’re trying to be like somebody else, then there isn’t. [Q (UK) - May 1994]
"You don't need my voice girl you have your own. but it never was enough of . . ."
--Bells for Her
I’m not afraid of grief. You might cry, you might even cry so much that there are no more tears left inside of you that you feel you’ve become dry, but still your grief lets you make decisions and lets you grow as a person. Everything depends upon how you handle it, if you accept your grief, your loss and your mourning or if you try to push it away. I think you have to live through it, that’s my personal belief, because it has consequences. [The Inside Connection - June 1998]
"My scream got lost in a paper cup
You think there's a heaven where some screams have gone
I got 25 bucks and a cracker do you think it's enough
To get us there
But what if I'm a mermaid
In these jeans of his with her name still on it
Hey but I don't care
Cause sometimes I said sometimes I hear my voice and it's been
HERE silent all these "
--Silent All these Years
". . . I run off where the DRIFTS GET DEEPER
Sleeping beauty trips me with a frown
I hear a voice
"You must learn to stand up for yourself
Cause I can't alyways be around"
He says when you gonna make up your mind
When you gonna love you as much as I do
When you gonna make up your mind
Cause things are gonna CHANGE so fast
. . .
Hair is grey and the fires are burning
So many dreams on the shelf
You say I wanted you to be PROUD of me
I always wanted that myself . . ."
--Winter
China
(This song touches closer to home than anyonecould ever know. Every nuance, every stitch that went into this song bleeds my story. . .)
China all the way to New York
I can feel the distance getting close
You're right next to me
But I need an airplane
I can feel the DISTANCE as you breathe
Sometimes I think you want me to touch you
How can I when you build a great WALL around you
In your eyes I saw a future together
You just look away in the distance
China decorates our table
Funny how the CRACKS don't seem to show
Pour the wine dear
You say we'll take a holiday
But we never can agree on where to go
Sometimes I think you want me to touch you
How can I when you build a great WALL around you
In your eyes I saw a future together
You just look away in the distance
China all the way to New York
Maybe you got lost in MEXICO
You're right next to me
I think that you can hear me
Funny how the distance learns to grow
Sometimes I think you want me to touch you
How can I when you build a great WALL around you
I can feel the distance getting close
