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Tori Amos — Silent All These Years
Album: Little Earthquakes
Avg rating:
7

Your rating:
Total ratings: 2316









Released: 1992
Length: 4:05
Plays (last 30 days): 0
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 yelling 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 some screams have gone
I got twenty five 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 looking 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
Comments (214)add comment
 sjccroquet wrote:
"What's so amazing about really deep thoughts?"
Untitled


lol
i must be evolving LOL
i used to HATE tori, but over the last couple of years, i find i really like her stuff.
This album is a true masterpiece, an amazing expression of feelings through art. And it included one song that happened to be catchy pop and it opened up the world to Tori. Good for her! Love it, hate it all you want.
I'm having trouble finding the minus infinity button.  Bill, can you please work on that?
I hear this, one of my all time favorite songs, and I'm always amazed at the poetry Tori produces....
one of my favourite song and artist ever 
My only complaint about RP - way too much Tori Amos. Immediately hit skip button. 
this song is timeless could have been a 2022 release let alone 1992!
 ddbz wrote:

'orange clouds raining in my hand'.....hmmmm?



Her hair falling out?
'orange clouds raining in my hand'.....hmmmm?
Life sucking horribleness.  Please pull back on the Tori.
By far my fav Tori song
My husband introduced me to Tori Amos. I didn't get it at first. He must have had a thing for strong, feminist musicians. He also introduced me to Kate Bush and Shawn Colvin. I wasn't much of a music listener before I met him.  On the other hand, I did introduce him to Ani DiFranco, who is much less mainstream. 
Bleh.  The older I get the less I like this song. I used to like Tori about 25 years ago. These days not so much. She's got talent but my tastes have shifted dramatically. 
Shiver me timbers....her voice goes right to my soul....the beginning of the song also reminds me of Jewel...her voice also haunting. kcar wrote:

Tori Amos polarizes people into love or hate camps but my God she is one of the most distinctive performers in pop music. She reminds a bit of Kate Bush but Tori's more unusual. When she's off, she's cringe-worthy. When she's good, she's amazing...like with this one. 
 

Wow, 28 years ago.  I remember being so turned off by all the coffee house female singer/songwriters of the 90s...then I heard Tori.  She always impressed the hell out of me.  Some really dislike her, and sure, I can see how it is not your type of strong female songwriter, but I still think that she is exceptional. 
One day in '92 I was listening to the  Georgia State student radio station in Atlanta and answered a trivia question, the prize was a CD of this album autographed by Tori. Still love this!
This is one of her best tunes.."8".....
Love it. Love the Amos. An anthem of the liberation of the feminine voice, and the return of the goddess.
"What's so amazing about really deep thoughts?"
Untitled
 khardog145 wrote:
She's fearless.
 

huh?
And NOW... your daily does of garbage.... 
Never gets old...just like when I first heard it. Wow.
yes...and a 90s....actually it's timeless 123heyaho! wrote:
A modern classic.
 

A modern classic.
She has so many great songs in her collection that I'd rather not hear her personal torch song.
I get the excellent writing and poetry....I just have never been able to  tolerate her voice....I know, I know...I'm the 1st to say it's the WORDS that count but if I can't keep from cringing I don't hear anything.......sorry.......I know it's just me....so many love her
"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?"

Ooof!!  But as a man I must say I've always loved an intelligent woman with a gift for snarky comments. 

That said let me also say that over the course of my life I've determined that it's only a person well in touch with their feminine aspect who're capable of such.....witticisms. It has nothing to do with the sex of the person, though being female seems to assist in their snarky development.  Certainly Lady Tori of the Amos clan appears to be such a person. 

Snark usually is thrown by a person who has been deeply hurt in some personal fashion; and who has retreated behind an intelligent shield all while wielding a sharp blade of observational wit for protection. 

Such a person can be beautiful and attractive (to some), but warning.  You get close to such a person you'll have to accept that you're gonna get cut.  It's just an aspect of who they are; and they're just protecting the hopeful child that lays at their core.

Highlow
American Net'Zen  
8
PSD is your friend.
I think I pulled a muscle reaching for the PSD button.
She's fearless.
 RabbitEars wrote:

I always find it odd that people find Kate & Tori similar. ...  I don't have any kind words for Tori's work ...
 
That would seem to explain why you find it odd.
 kcar wrote:

Tori Amos polarizes people into love or hate camps but my God she is one of the most distinctive performers in pop music. She reminds a bit of Kate Bush but Tori's more unusual. When she's off, she's cringe-worthy. When she's good, she's amazing...like with this one. 

 
I always find it odd that people find Kate & Tori similar. They are women who play the piano and have high vocal ranges. The end. 
Kate is an extraordinary musical genius, David Bowie-like eccentric. She's more prog rock than singer/songwriter, Tori is more singer/songwriter.  I don't have any kind words for Tori's work so I'll leave it at that. 
Always pretentious, always too smart for her audience.
 MrsTom wrote:
I'll take Tori over Joni anytime 

 Good grief....
Don't tell my old college roommate that I just rated a Tori song a "7". He'll consider that a win. (It is.)
Tori always tears on my ears.
 kcar wrote:

Tori Amos polarizes people into love or hate camps but my God she is one of the most distinctive performers in pop music. She reminds a bit of Kate Bush but Tori's more unusual. When she's off, she's cringe-worthy. When she's good, she's amazing...like with this one. 

 
Balanced review; well said.  I agree with you, entirely.
8 says it all: Most Excellent. From an excellent album. pxd
Me likey... 
but what the ache "olzeeJyeerz" mean?
{#No} —> 4 max
Don't much care about Tori's latest songs but this album is divine.
 wrangler wrote:
this might be the worst thing I have ever heard

 
Perhaps you should include her WHOLE catalog....
 greiffenstein wrote:
Please stop with the Tori. She's absolutely horrible.  

 
I keep asking the same and never seem to be rewarded..... all of it is soooo godaweful
 
 God may pardon them yet.

user4176 wrote:

To date, at least 758 people seem to disagree.

 


 greiffenstein wrote:
Please stop with the Tori. She's absolutely horrible.  

 
To date, at least 758 people seem to disagree.
🏰
Disney solo princess song,,,,, i was thinking the same its the mermaid bit lol 🏰

ooh her voice it hurts my ears and i`m not joking.  
Please stop with the Tori. She's absolutely horrible.  
 rfm wrote:
One of very few Tori Amos songs I can take.  This is really nice.

 
Tori Amos polarizes people into love or hate camps but my God she is one of the most distinctive performers in pop music. She reminds a bit of Kate Bush but Tori's more unusual. When she's off, she's cringe-worthy. When she's good, she's amazing...like with this one. 
 SuperWeh wrote:
how to turn vicitimhood (perceived or not) into a career.

 

And your point is. . . .


how to turn vicitimhood (perceived or not) into a career.
Why?  Not a fan.  Whine Whine
I'll take Tori over Joni anytime 
 OHMish wrote:
Man, I dont think I will ever be a fan of Tori Amos
I have tried, oh so many times
If you like it, cool

 
I hear that!  I've tried for more than 20 years and I still don't get it.
 Gryn wrote:
Timeless.  Tori will always be better than most musicians ever to grace RP.  Yes, even better than the Beatles.

 
Hahahahahahaaaaaa.....!!!!!

Right. 
 Jelani wrote:
I'm with you, but I think Cilantro tastes like springtime. :-)

 

Cilantro es cantante,

Cilantro es muy famoso,

Cilantro es el hombre con el queso del diablo.


 rfm wrote:
One of very few Tori Amos songs I can take.  This is really nice.

 
Same here.
And of course "take" doesn't translate (at least in my case) to "like" ... it just doesn't make me want to run for the dial or PSD button. 
One of very few Tori Amos songs I can take.  This is really nice.
Man, I dont think I will ever be a fan of Tori Amos
I have tried, oh so many times
If you like it, cool
Haters gonna hate on Tori!
Being a "singer/songwriter" doesn't mean original by default.

In this case, even Disney solo princess songs are ashamed of this corniness.
this might be the worst thing I have ever heard
Looking forward to see some hip thrusts in Denver, CO!
Whiny drama queen.... {#Wall}
oh good, Tori Amos, now i can get up and go to the bathroom....EARS BLEEDING!

This song is good for the ears...
 
Wonderful artist
Those 21 years went by quickly!
 Gryn wrote:
Timeless.  Tori will always be better than most musicians ever to grace RP.  Yes, even better than the Beatles.

 
Ha ha! That's funny!
The Beatles are Yesterday.
 

Gryn wrote:
Timeless.  Tori will always be better than most musicians ever to grace RP.  Yes, even better than the Beatles.

 


Timeless.  Tori will always be better than most musicians ever to grace RP.  Yes, even better than the Beatles.
 GuiltyFeat wrote:
I took my wife to see Tori Amos in The Shaw Theatre on the Euston Road in London around 1992 after hearing Me and a Gun on the radio. Tickets were 6 quid each. She was fantastic. We saw her again in the London Palladium when she toured the Under The Pink album. It was just as good except that time we were the only people in the audience who weren't 12 year old girls.
 
My wife and I saw her in Warsaw in 2009 and were blown away by her talent and showmanship. A truly great performer. The audience here was more mixed, and I wasn't the only gray-haired guy there.
My God, just what in her life makes her so damn miserable.  Introspective no, whiny..yes.  Please go cry yourself to sleep and leave me out of your poor,woe is me, world.

The lead-in piano music sounds a bit like the Twilight Zone Theme song they just played two songs ago.


I know right? Tease us with being silent and she sadly never was.

SILENCE IS NOT GOLDEN - GOD I LOVE YOU TORI AMOS
 bluecshells wrote:
How's that thought for you? 
 
Love that line.
How's that thought for you? 
Yay Tori!

So you found a girl who thinks really deep thoughts
What's so amazing about really deep thoughts?

I took my wife to see Tori Amos in The Shaw Theatre on the Euston Road in London around 1992 after hearing Me and a Gun on the radio. Tickets were 6 quid each. She was fantastic. We saw her again in the London Palladium when she toured the Under The Pink album. It was just as good except that time we were the only people in the audience who weren't 12 year old girls.
 DaMoGan wrote:

Heh, I thought you were so excited you only photographed half of her, until I realized there was a scroll bar on your post!


 
calypsus_1 wrote:


Tower theater, Upper Darby PA
i was so excited to finally photograph her my hands were shaking
 
 
Just FYI, that's neither his photograph, nor his words.

Ah, this album helped me realize the scope of my car radio's bass capability. Full goosebumps this song has always given me.
 jadewahoo wrote:
If only she would take a cue from the song's title.
 

Well said............Please make it stop Bill
Tori at her very best. This album is classic.

Heh, I thought you were so excited you only photographed half of her, until I realized there was a scroll bar on your post!


 
calypsus_1 wrote:


Tower theater, Upper Darby PA
i was so excited to finally photograph her my hands were shaking
 



Tori Amos5 by ~madelynF
©2008-2010 ~madelynF

Tower theater, Upper Darby PA
i was so excited to finally photograph her my hands were shaking


 Mandible wrote:

one word: GENUIS
 
I don't think"GENUIS" is a word, at least not an English one.
'Mandible', the comments are so random. Didn't want to take up space by pasting your post. She's waaay out there. I'm a big fan, still. Saw her last summer in Toronto with my daughter. First time. Wasn't expecting much. But she killed it that night. A 'huge 'sound' for three of them. Blew me away.
 Jelani wrote:
I'm with you, but I think Cilantro tastes like springtime. :-)

 

Yes, I love Cilantro and hate Tori Amos too!{#Wave}

Alot of people ask me about this song <Silent All These Years>. And um, what I try and explain to them is uh, I was writing it for somebody else actually. Because I was trying to get some of my songs placed with people, I wrote something for Cher. And uh, it got turned down, of course, and then I wrote something for Tina Turner....So finally I needed to like get work. I decided, wow, I met this new person who was really nice to me because um he looked at me and said "You've never had good wine." And I went, "Oh my god! How do you know!" And he was just like, "I can just tell. It like oozes from you, you just don't know it." And I went, "Oh." You know what I mean, you just go..it gets a little nerve-racking. You don't know what you're doing wrong. And so, Al Stewart, um you know (plays a short tune on the piano) took me to a restaurant and showed me wine like I'd never seen wine before. And so I wanted to write a song for him. And I started to do this thing. And I went to Eric, who I was with and who partly produced Little Earthquakes, and he didn't produce this bit so he was totally objective. And he looked at me and said, "You're out of your mind. That's your life story." And I went, "Oh." So needlesstoay, Al Stewart didn't get that song." (Begins playing song)
— Tori; VH1 Storytellers

"With this record, a song like Silent All These Years has a certain story line going on musically that's really the antithesis of what's going on verbally. It's counterpoint, pure and simple. But instead of French horns and cellos or something, it's words and music. And I find it very exciting when an acoustic instrument has its knife out. It can take on these different roles. The idea of being a woman ... you come over to my house and I'm serving a fruit plate. That's not always going to happen. Especially if somebody isn't being polite, or if somebody's being a dick. Then I'm going to put the peelings on the floor and watch you trip, and giggle. And that's the same with the acoustic instrument. It's not always just about, 'I'm vulnerable, I'm sad.' There are many different sides, and the beauty comes in exploring them."
— Tori; interview by Greg Rule

"So um, i never liked my grandmother. she was pretty me—she was actually very mean person. not all grandmothers are nice, you know pllbtt.. so um, the town where she comes from - it's really makes kinda sense that she wouldn't play, she wouldn't be into this anyway, but they wouldn't play this song. they said it, they quoted, they said...it's shit. so it gives me great pleasure to always play this song as much as I possibly can. thank you."
— Tori; Festival du Jazz de Montreux 1992

"Some things haven't changed, which is my relationship with my grandmother. she's on the 'other side'...hi grandma!. we didn't get on very well - i hated her. the interesting thing about my grandmother is uh...she loved virgins. now you know the thing is that if that's your choice, i totally respect that. and that was my choice...for a while. and uh..but i knew that there was something else in store — i was six. so she and i just didn't work this one out very well. you know, she'd see a picture of Jim Morrison and it just...she didn't get it. so um...naturally i was sent to pray in the corner. i said all the psalms and all...the whole thing. and i'd spit in her jello when she wasn't looking. and so this went on and on and on. and she died. long time ago. now i got a letter this year. one letter from a town. they all got together - true! - in America! - "Land of the free". and they wrote me a letter. now they don't know that my grandmother's from there. made no mention of it. and they can't possibly know that she was born there. anyway, it just went "nininini" (to the tune of Twilight Zone) - It makes total sense. 'Dear Miss Amos we're very sorry we can't play this song in our town. But in our opinion, it is shit.' —- Actually "perfect"!, you know...so there you go."
— Tori; Toronto, Canada 1993, l'affaire d'amoreuse bootleg

"The bumble bee piano tinkle came first. This one evolved slowly but it stayed an obsession until it was finished. I entered boxer occupation - part of me not wanting to hear what 'I' was saying, the other part fighting off 'The Brain Drain.' I finally distracted The brain Drain with the task of filing chocolate cake recipes."
— Tori; Little Earthquakes Songbook


 Boston_Ed wrote:

There's no denying this is a superb album...even if you are not a Tori fan. 


 

Oh, yes you can deny it...feh.
Totally barking, bonkers,....in a good way.
I remember liking this song when it came out. Then, I found her voice intriguing. Now, I have to say that I mostly just find it shrill and borderline unpleasant.
rosedraws wrote:
I give Tori Amos a 1 not because I think she's sucko-barfo, but I simply can not stand her singing. It's completely unbearable to me. Unbearable. I think my repulsion is genetic... like a phobia, or how some of us think cilantro tastes like soap.

I'm with you, but I think Cilantro tastes like springtime. :-)

definitely one of my favorites from her
She is playing in Montreal next week and I am regrettably going to miss her because I am going to be on a week long canoe camping trip.   Bad timing - she is one of my favourite artists that I have yet to see. {#Headache} 

Maybe she'll fall off her stool and be silent for good?
I give Tori Amos a 1 not because I think she's sucko-barfo, but I simply can not stand her singing.  It's completely unbearable to me.  Unbearable.  I think my repulsion is genetic... like a phobia, or how some of us think cilantro tastes like soap.
Thank you for playing this {#Notworthy}
Not silent quite long enough  {#Puke}
 Danimal174 wrote:
I know others will disagree with me on RP, but this, to me, is one of the best albums of the 90's...definitely Top 10. Some of Tori's later albums contained lyrics that were a little too out there for me, but her early work (along with a couple of her newest releases) are absolutely amazing.

My friends never got her music, either, or my fascination with it, but, to me, this album was just as important as Nevermind, Ten, Fumbling Towards Ecstacy, and the other great albums that came out during my college years.
 
Also a big fan of this album. The music was gorgeous. But to say she went off the lyrical deep end years ago would imply she was ever anywhere else. The obscurity and constant pronoun switching is interesting, but I can't take seriously mixing of random objects, jarring adjectives, cryptic metaphors, pagan gods, this or that numb or bleeding thing, etc. Leaves me not knowing what planet I'm on.

I know others will disagree with me on RP, but this, to me, is one of the best albums of the 90's...definitely Top 10. Some of Tori's later albums contained lyrics that were a little too out there for me, but her early work (along with a couple of her newest releases) are absolutely amazing.

My friends never got her music, either, or my fascination with it, but, to me, this album was just as important as Nevermind, Ten, Fumbling Towards Ecstacy, and the other great albums that came out during my college years.
 Mandible wrote:

one word: GENUIS
 

I second, third, and fourth that. The one and only Tori. :)

one word: GENIUS

One of my favorite recordings of all time.  It's a compilation, you need to hear the whole thing to fully appreciate this song.


EXACTLY... this exactly how she strikes me.  That being said, ya gotta love that line...

Boy, you best pray that I bleed real soon

That, and I always loved the vague-ness of "I can't believe you're leaving 'cause me and Charles Manson like the same ice cream".  I always figured that was either serious disbelief or a crazy-eyed threat.  Funnier to conflate the two.  Seriously, I loved this whole album, with "Tear in Your Hand" the very most (when she hits the piano pedal in the tacet it ALWAYS raises goosebumps for me for some reason).  Edit: I think my subconcious mind was trying to hint to me that I had that lyric mixed... the ice cream thing is in Tear in Your Hand.

 mandolin wrote:

...nice segue from no one said it would be easy - tori at her best, too...

No one who saw Tori play live in the '90s could argue about her amazing musicianship, showwomanship, and talent.

...honestly, i can't stand her live performances - her stage mannerisms creep me out and make everything come across disingenuous...

 

If only she would take a cue from the song's title.
eh.
But that's what I think of most of her stuff
 

There's no denying this is a superb album...even if you are not a Tori fan. 


 pixalman wrote:


No one who saw Tori play live in the '90s could argue about her amazing musicianship, showwomanship, and talent.
 

Living in a god forsaken place, Tori only played here for the first time last year. Brilliant performer!

In every sense of the number...


...nice segue from no one said it would be easy - tori at her best, too...

No one who saw Tori play live in the '90s could argue about her amazing musicianship, showwomanship, and talent.

...honestly, i can't stand her live performances - her stage mannerisms creep me out and make everything come across disingenuous...

number6 wrote:
Easily one of the most eye-opening CDs I have ever purchased. And like some of you, it was the MTV video that did it. I saw only about 1/2 of it, and on the way home from class the very next day I bought it, and have never looked back. Also had the luck to be seated just a few rows away from her in Champaign-Urbana (was it '94?) for one of best concerts I have ever attended. Amazing. Just amazing.
No one who saw Tori play live in the '90s could argue about her amazing musicianship, showwomanship, and talent. This is the song and video which introduced me to Tori as well. Although it took her performance on David Letterman (in blue velour pants) to get me to the record store (remember those, stores where they sold music on CDs).
gandalfbmg wrote:
I'm pretty sure this song was in the library before the LRC even existed... and LRC 'passing' does not get you onto the playlist automatically... It's just a gimmick... B&R reserve the right to put something through regardless of low LRC rating, or to not put something on despite high LRC rating... least last time I heard, it was still their station and not a democracy...
Yeah, well my real point is that despite her detractors, a lot of people seem to like her... including B&R. And I like B&R's benevolent despotism.
Marr wrote:
Let's see...... nearly 400 recorded ratings for this song and it has a 7.5 average. That suggests to me that your opinion is somewhat in the minority. Maybe it got through the LRC because a significant majority liked it.
I'm pretty sure this song was in the library before the LRC even existed... and LRC 'passing' does not get you onto the playlist automatically... It's just a gimmick... B&R reserve the right to put something through regardless of low LRC rating, or to not put something on despite high LRC rating... least last time I heard, it was still their station and not a democracy...
I like most of Tori's stuff