Silent All These Years - Tori Amos

Artist: Tori Amos
Song: Silent All These Years
Year: 1992
Album: Little Earthquakes

This song was my first exposure to Tori Amos. I saw the video for this song on MTV, when they used to actually play videos. I know, it's a shocker. I was entranced with this gorgeous redhead singing about garbage trucks and the shape of her lips. I was hooked.

I jotted down the Tori's name and never heard anything from her until 1994. MTV played this song as a "Buzz Clip" and quickly dropped it. I wanted to know more, but my resources were limited back then.

The stark white background with Tori climbing in and out of this box kept running through my mind until I found her again in 1994. Q101 played her song "God" and I liked the song. They started playing "Cornflake Girl" and I liked that song. Then they started playing "Past The Mission" because Trent Reznor did the backing vocals. I liked that song too.

So, I picked up her second solo album shortly before my high school graduation in 1994. Then I saw the picture of Tori. It was the same girl from the video from two years ago.

Since then, I became a Tori fan. I would pick up every piece of music she came out with. From albums to singles. But it all started with this one song.

Lyrics:
excuse me but
can i be you for a while
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
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

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 head
years go by will i choke on my tears
till finally there is nothing left
one more casualty
you know we're to 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
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 his 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