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But where exactly have we run aground? We didn't want to live the lives of our mothers and grandmothers, and we almost succeeded.
But then what went wrong? The dating, the dating is what I need.
Maybe after 2000? Like the euro/lira exchange rate. VALUE HALVED?
The regression has been so slow that regaining ground today is almost impossible.
When the war SEEMS over, the "enemy" regains ground.
But in the end, aren't women their own worst enemies?
When we were getting exhausted to death for everything we had achieved, we were defeated once more.
Yet we believed in it, we did it, mixed, together without ever having to look over our shoulders.
In 1992 when this album came out, we were all by the sea talking, laughing, consoling each other with total carefreeness.
We talked about love, books, and albums. There was always a concert to go see, the summer was dotted with musical events, touring central Italy. Arezzo Wave, Ferrara sotto le stelle, il Violino e la Selce, Frequenze disturbate.
We women were represented by warriors like Tori Amos and PJ Harvey. Raw, tough, and determined to revolutionize history. The girls rocked, one with the guitar and the other thrashing on the piano.
Tori Amos is not just a genius of music but writes and interprets a cultural and social manifesto with Little Earthquakes. Her music contains her life marked by many satisfactions but also much violence. The end of a pregnancy, the end of a love, and also the violence which in the end you even feel guilty about.
The album is long, challenging, not my favorite perhaps but a true manifesto of passion and reflection. The themes Tori Amos discusses are grand in a mix of pure feeling. In "Crucify" seemingly pop, she talks about the relationship with a man and with religion, and here's Girl speaking to us young warrior girls always in between the dark and the light. Then come the "Precious Things," live gives chills down the spine for that speed of sound and passion. What are the precious things to keep guarded within? The red-haired priestess of sound explains and teaches us. Then she talks to men in "Leather" (you just want to take my sex). And here come the imperious "Little Earthquakes" of adjustment. Sometimes imperceptible but powerful within the soul, without them how could we settle emotions and turn the page?
I now listen again to "mother," with which I close this analysis. "Circus girl without the net" that's what I am—a woman who always flew without a safety net and got very hurt.
Music is therapy and sweetness and especially answers and empathy. Tori Amos cares about maternity more than anything else; there is no greater joy or pain in a woman's heart and mind.
The world I see from the window doesn't please me, this isn't what we wanted for the new warriors of the future. Nature will know how to set things right as always.
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
01 Crucify (05:01)
Every finger in the room is pointing at me
I wanna spit in their faces
Then I get afraid what that could bring
I got a bowling ball in my stomach
I got a desert in my mouth
Figures that my courage would choose to sell out now.
I've been looking for a savior in these dirty streets
Looking for a savior beneath these dirty sheets
I've been raising up my hands
Drive another nail in
Just what God needs
One more victim
Why do we crucify ourselves
Every day I crucify myself
And nothing I do is good enough for you
Crucify myself
Every day I crucify myself
And my heart is sick of being in chains
Got a kick for a dog beggin' for love
I gotta have my suffering
So that I can have my cross
I know a cat named Easter
He says will you ever learn
You're just an empty cage girl if you kill the bird
I've been looking for a savior in these dirty streets
Looking for a savior beneath these dirty sheets
I've been raising up my hands
Drive another nail in
Got enough guilt to start
My own religion
Why do we crucify ourselves
Every day I crucify myself
And nothing I do is good enough for you
Crucify myself
Every day I crucify myself
And my heart is sick of being in chains
Please be
Save me
I cry
Looking for a savior in these dirty streets
Looking for a savior beneath these dirty sheets
I've been raising up my hands
Drive another nail in
Where are those angels
When you need them
Why do we crucify ourselves
Every day I crucify myself
And nothing I do is good enough for you
Crucify myself
Every day I crucify myself
And my heart is sick of being in chains
Why do we ...
... chains ...
Crucify ourselves
Everyday
Never going back again
Crucify myself again
You know
Never going back again to
Crucify myself
Everyday
03 Silent All These Years (04:13)
Excuse me but can I be you for awhile?
My dog won't bite if you sit real still
I got the anti-Christ in the kitchen yellin' at me again
Yeah I can hear that
Been saved again by the garbage truck
I got something to say you know but nothing comes
Yes I know what you think of me--you never shut up
Yeah I can hear that
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 years
So you found a girl who thinks really deep thoughts
What's so amazing about really deep thoughts?
Boy you best pray that I bleed real soon
How's that thought for you?
My scream got lost in a paper cup
I think there's a heaven where the screams have gone
I got 25 bucks and a cracker, do you think it's enough
To get us there 'cause...
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 years
Years go by, will I still be waiting
For somebody else to understand
Years go by, if I'm stripped of my beauty
And the orange clouds raining in my hand
Years go by, will I choke on my tears
'Till finally there is nothing left
One more casualty you know we're too easy, easy, easy
Well I love the way we communicate
Your eyes focus on my funny lip shape
Let's hear what you think of me now, but baby don't look up
The sky is falling
Your mother shows up in a nasty dress
And it's your turn now to stand where I stand
Everybody lookin' at you
Here, take hold of my hand
Yeah I can hear them...
But what if I'm a mermaid
In these jeans of yours with her name still on it
Hey, but I don't care 'cause sometimes
I said sometimes, I hear my voice
I hear my voice
I hear my voice
And it's been here... silent all these years
I've been here... silent all these years
Silent
All these
Silent all these years
04 Precious Things (04:29)
So I ran faster
but it caught me here
Yes my loyalties turned
like my ankle
in the seventh grade
Running after Billy
Running after the rain
These precious things
Let them bleed, let them wash away
These precious things
Let them break their hold over me
He said you're really an ugly girl
but I like the way you play
and I died
but I thanked him
Can you believe that? sick, sick
Holding on to his picture
Dressing up every day
I wanna smash the faces
of those beautiful boys
those Christian boys
So you can make me cum
That doesn't make you Jesus
These precious things
Let them bleed, let them wash away
These precious things
Let them break their hold over me
I remember
Yes in my peach party dress
No one dared, no one cared to 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
These precious things
Let them bleed, let them wash away
These precious things
Let them break, let them wash away
These, these precious things
Let them bleed now, let them wash away
These, these precious things
Let them break their hold over me
Precious
Precious
05 Winter (05:44)
Snow can wait, I forgot my mittens
Wipe my nose, get my new boots on
I get a little warm in my heart when I think of winter
I put my hand in my father's glove
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 always 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
All the white horses are still in bed
I tell you that I'll always want you near
You say that things change my dear
Boys get discovered as winter melts
Flowers competing for the sun
Years go by and I'm here still waiting
Withering where some snowman was
Mirror mirror where's the crystal palace
but I only can see myself
Skating around the truth who I am
but I know, dad, the ice is getting thin
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
All the white horses are still in bed
I tell you that I'll always want you near
You say that things change my dear
Hair is grey and the fires are burning
So many dreams on the shelf
You say I wanted you to be proud
I always wanted that myself
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
All the white horses have gone ahead
I tell you that I'll always want you near
You say that things change my dear
Never change
All the white horses
06 Happy Phantom (03:19)
And if I die today I'll be the happy phantom
and I'll go chasin' the nuns out in the yard
and I'll run naked through the streets without my mask on
and I will never need umbrellas in the rain
I'll wake up in strawberry fields everyday
and the atrocities of school I can forgive
The happy phantom has no right to bitch
Oo who- The time is getting closer
Oo who- Time to be a ghost
Oo who- Everyday we're getting closer
The sun is getting dim
Will we pay for who we've been
So if I die today I'll be the happy phantom
And I'll go wearin' my naughties like a jewel
They'll be my ticket to the universal opera
There's Judy Garland taking Buddha by the hand
and then these seven little men get up to dance
They say Confucius does his crossword with a pen
I'm still the angel to the girl who hates to sin
Oo whoo- The time is gettin closer
Oo who- The time to be a ghost
Oo who- Everyday we're getting closer
The sun is getting dim
Will I pay for who I've been
Or will I see you dear and wish I could come back
You found a girl that you could truly love again
Will you still call for me when she falls asleep
or do we soon forget the things we cannot see
Oo who- The time is getting closer
Oo who- The time to be a ghost
Oo who- Everyday we're getting closer
The sun is getting dim
Will I pay for who I been
And if I die today
And if I die today
And if I die today
Chasin' nuns out in the yard
07 China (05:01)
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 the Great Wall around you
In your eyes I saw a future together
But 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 to me to touch you
But how can I when you build the Great Wall around you
In your eyes I saw a future together
But 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
But how can I when you build the Great Wall around you
I can feel the distance getting close
08 Leather (03:13)
Look I'm standing naked before you
Don't you want more than my sex
I can scream as loud as your last one
but I can't claim innocence
Oh god could it be the weather
Oh god why am I here
If love isn't forever
and it's not the weather
Hand me my leather
I could just pretend that you love me
The night would lose all sense of fear
but why do I need you to love me
when you can't hold what I hold dear
Oh god could it be the weather
Oh god why am I here
If love isn't forever
and it's not the weather
Hand me my leather
I almost ran over an angel
He had a nice big fat cigar
"In a sense" he said "you're alone here
So if you jump you best jump far
Oh god could it be the weather
Oh god why am I here
If love isn't forever
and it's not the weather
Oh god could it be the weather
Oh god it's all very clear
If love isn't forever
and it's not the weather
Hand me my leather
09 Mother (07:01)
Go go go go now
out of the nest it's time
Go go go now
Circus girl without a safety net
Here here now don't cry
You raised your hand for the assignment
Tuck those ribbons under your helmet
Be a good soldier
First my left foot then my right behind the other
Pantyhose running in the cold
Mother the car is here
Somebody leave the light on
Green limousine for the redhead dancing dancing girl
And when I dance for him
Somebody leave the light on
Just in just in case I like the dancing
I can remember where I come from
I walked into your dream
and now I've forgotten how to dream my own dream
You are the clever one aren't you
Brides in veils for you
We told you all of our secrets
All but one, and don't you even try
The phone has been disconnected
Dripping with blood and with time and with your advice
Poison me against the moon
Mother the car is here
Somebody leave the light on
Black chariot for the redhead dancing dancing girl
He's gonna change my name
Maybe you'll leave the light on
just in just in case I like the dancing
I can remember where I come from
I escape into your escape into
our very favorite fearscape
It's across the sky and across my heart and I
crossed my legs oh my god
First my left foot then my right behind the other
Breadcrumbs lost under the snow
Oo who mother
Oo mother the car is here
Maybe you'll leave the light on
for the for the for the dancing girl
He's gonna change my name
Maybe you'll leave the light
just in case I like the dancing
I can remember where I come come from
Mother mother mother
10 Tear in Your Hand (04:40)
All the world just stopped now
So you say you don't wanna stay together any more
Let me take a deep breath babe
If you need me, me and Neil'll be hangin' out with the Dream King
Neil says hi by the way
I don't believe you're leaving cause
me and Charles Manson like the same ice cream
I think it's that girl
and I think there're pieces of me you've never seen
Maybe she's just pieces of me you've never seen well
All the world is
All I am
The black of the the blackest ocean
and that tear in your hand
All the world is danglin' danglin' danglin' for me darlin
You don't know the power that you have with that
tear in your hand
that tear in your hand
Maybe I ain't used to
Maybes smashing in a cold room
Cutting my hands up
Everytime I touch you
Maybe it's time to wave goodbye now
Time to wave goodbye now
Caught a ride with the moon
I know I know you well
Well better than I used to
Haze all clouded up my mind
In the dazeof the why it could've never been
So you say and I say you know you're full of wish
and your "baby baby baby babies"
I tell you there's peices of me you've never seen
Maybe she's just pieces of me you've never seen well
All the world is
All I am
The black of the blackest ocean
and that tear in your hand
All the world is danglin' danglin' danglin' for me darlin'
You don't know the power that you have with that
tear in your hand
that tear in your hand
11 Me and a Gun (03:46)
5am friday morning, thursday night, far from sleep
I'm still up and driving, can't go home obviously
So I'll just change direction cause they'll soon know where I live
And I wanna live
Got a full tank and some chips
It was me and a gun and a man on my back
And I sang "holy holy" as he buttoned down his pants
You can laugh, It's kind of funny the things you think times like these
like I haven't seen Barbados so I must get out of this
Yes I wore a slinky red thing, does that mean I should spred
for you, your friends, your father, Mr. Ed
It was me and a gun and a man on my back
but I haven't seen Barbados so I must get out of this
And I know what this means, me and Jesus a few years back
Used to hang and he said "It's your choice babe, just remember
I don't think that you'll be back in 3 days time so you choose well"
Tell me what's right, Is it my right to be on my stomach of Fred's Seville
It was me and a gun and a man on my back
But I haven't seen Barbados so I must get out of this
And do you know Carolina where the biscuits are soft and sweet
These things go through you head when there's a man on your back
and you're pushed flat on your stomach, it's not a classic cadillac
Me and a gun and a man on my back
But I haven't seen Barbados so I must get out of this
I haven't seen Barbados so I must get out of this
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Other reviews
By FatherLucifer
"Little Earthquakes is a rather difficult album, very intimate and at times melancholic and romantic; it’s one of those records you listen to when you’re alone and you want to hear something truly beautiful."
"The album indeed contains various genres, ranging from pop rock to blues, making it a different but compelling listen."
By adp
"Little Earthquakes is gradually being born — a fresh, innovative sound rich with themes of great social importance."
"Tori becomes a true idol in London venues, and everyone talks about this girl at the piano and her songs."
