Tori Amos: HEREINMYHEAD.COM

had a northern lad
well not exactly had
he moved like the sunset
god who painted that
first he loved my accent
how his knees could bend
i thought we’d be ok
me and my molasses
but i feel something is wrong
but i feel this cake just isn’t done
don’t say that you don’t
and if you could see me now
said if you could see me now
girls you’ve got to know
when it’s time to turn the page
when you’re only wet because of the rain
you know it’s time to change
he don’t show much these days
it gets so fucking cold
i loved his secret places
but i can’t go anymore
“you change like sugar cane”
says my northern lad
i guess you go too far
when pianos try to be guitars
i feel the west in you
and i feel it’s falling apart too
don’t say that you don’t
and if you could see me now
said if you could see me now
girls you’ve got to know
when it’s time to turn the page
when you’re only wet because of the rain
you know it’s time to change
when you’re only wet
because of the rain

Quotes

“My heart goes out to where that song [Northern Lad] comes from. It’s very much about thinking you were loved for who you were, and realizing you weren’t and realizing maybe you don’t love yourself. The line, I guess you go too far/when pianos try to be guitars is just about never being enough. I felt that with my instrument sometimes, wanting to be Jimmy Page. You can only be you. A lot of times it’s never enough for people.”

Tori said there was one thing that has been kept out of the media, and she can only thank her girlfriends (and some boyfriends) that have been loyal to her. In between her Sylvia Plath and heavy classics and non-fiction, she used to have books like The Flames of Love, etc. Trashy romance novels. She felt ashamed, but was so hooked on them. But one day she was talking to Beenie and was reminded how she used to always read them but not anymore, and why was that? “Because I met this guy, he’s no white knight, but I wrote this for him.” and went into Northern Lad. After she finished, she told us, “I’m really not supposed to talk about him, see we made a deal; I married him.”

At this point, there was a problem with one of the lights, so everything stopped while Kevyn gave Tori a “Lip Gloss Boost” and then asked if the person with the last question wanted to ask it now during the break. Chris stood up and told her back in ’96, he was one of about 8 people at this radio station and she had played a new song, that is now Never Seen Blue. He wanted to know where it had come from. Tori was a bit surprised; “I did? I sang that? Oh shit. See, it’s about the same guy that I’m not supposed to talk about about and I lied about Northern Lad and I don’t have another lie.” And she played it. So beautiful.
– an account of VH1 Storytellers on October 24, 1998 by Beth Coulter via The Dent