I like listening to Tori most, as opposed to reading the lyrics. "Mama's got a squeezebox, daddy never sleeps at night!" Is it papa?

Thanks bush, it's always interresting to see how others interpret songs. It's almost always different from my own view.

Anette

Thanks "MistyLeighToo" for those kind remarks. By the way, in case I haven't already said it, it is really nice to see you back on this site again. You were definitely missed while you were gone.

:)

Your friend-Steve

bush ~ i thought of you and was gonna ask Annette to contact you as well -because I know you have some fine interpretations as well...

Rhine - i like your feeling ... and can see the same... beautifully written.

Lily... i love to see this too... i'm revisiting this song this afternoon.

peace.

--
"long ago so assured that we’re advanced with what we know that our spirit never had time to grow..." ~Floating City

I know this thread is about the lyrics, but I just have add that I love watching Amos perform this song. She uses the two/three keyboards at once. She is so gifted in so many ways.

--
"Last time I checked he came to light the lamp for everyone" Marys of the Seas

Hello bowdowntoannette!

Since being on this site, I have done numerous posts where I have offered my interpretations of many of her songs. Below, I am providing a link to many of them that I have done on this site:

http://www.toriamos.com/node/28568 - Bells For Her (Part-1)

http://www.toriamos.com/node/28570 - Bells For Her (Part-2)

http://www.toriamos.com/node/27648 - Floating City

http://www.toriamos.com/node/26444 - I Can't See New York

http://www.toriamos.com/node/28366 - Mother

http://www.toriamos.com/node/27521 - Winter

http://www.toriamos.com/node/27047 - The Bee Keeper

http://www.toriamos.com/node/7418 - Dark Side Of The Sun & Father's Son
In My Write Up-On Why I'm A Tori Amos Fan

http://www.toriamos.com/node/28218 - The Beauty Of Speed

http://www.toriamos.com/Reply - 1961 - Programmable Soda

Also, if you are interested, I also did an Interpretation of a few songs that were not by Tori Amos:

Those are:

http://www.toriamos.com/node/29712 - Lubbock Or Leave It - By The Dixie Chicks

http://www.toriamos.com/node/29713 - Holiday By Green Day

You will also find a very brief reply regarding the Song entitled "Silent House" By the Dixie Chicks on

http://www.toriamos.com/node/29945

Since you mention having a separate post for this, I will also put this as a NEW Post in the OFF-TOPIC SECTION AS WELL.

:)

Steve B.

"I got a fever above my waist, you got a squeezebox on your knee"

Hi Anette,

Nobody knows for sure what anything means to anybody else, but to me this sentence evokes an atmosphere of intensely pleasant company, in the deepest spiritual sense. In such a circumstance there's sexuality, but almost as an afterthought. I do say almost, mind you.
A fever above my waist is being enthralled by one's company. A few drinks help here, as is referred to elsewhere in the song. You can picture this I'm sure.
I love the song, also the line: "You're the fearcest calm I've been in".
That's royal poetry. No less, and she does it every time.

BDTA,

I cannot say 'you are welcome' because the gift is in the music - it isn't anything I have done - except to state what comes to mind when I hear the music... I share your intrigue with how Tori's music speaks in different languages not of the tongue. The language in the songs, when translated, must mean SOOOO much more - so muchly more deeply to you... and it thrills me to imagine your pursuit and experiences with them. You write beautifully. Your ability to see more than one translation has to be an amazing journey and curious event...

~ See, what i have learned is that the music lives differently in each person... we process it all sometimes alike and differently... so your pursuit is YOUR pursuit... and isn't wrong... it is a journey... and I say this because the emotion and memories in you are yours.

I wish you a great journey... onward with allll the jazz...

Lillytoo - old friend, how have you been? I have since moved into my own home... and my Tori is packed away deep in one of 20 boxes... and there is a fever for her music to be played in my home. So, I visit here to fill up from time to time. I have a patience to see what songs of hers surface in my mind while I unpack and take care of 'life'....

A comic book sounds wonderful. The art is beautiful there - featured on the first page... what do you two think? Or others...of this unfolding?

~misty leigh too

--
"long ago so assured that we’re advanced with what we know that our spirit never had time to grow..." ~Floating City

Thank you very much, misty, that did help a lot. I didn't know concertina was an instrument and squeeze box was an analogy. Even though my english is very good, I don't know everything and if certain slang or expressions aren't explained to me I'll take them in the literal translation and more often than not, my idea of a song lyric can change entirely because of these misenterpretations. Dictionary.com is my best friend and if there is the slightest word I'm not sure of, I look it up. But they don't list slang...

I often get songs stuck in my head that somehow entwine with my current situation but I don't always know how or why. Lately I've been drawn to Concertina and Purple People. But Tori's lyrics are so difficult to enterpret, but somehow my subconciousness knows the meaning but refuses to reveal it to me. With Tori I think I read the feelings of the notes rather than the actual lyrics. Little Earthquakes revealed herself to me in a dream, it's the only song I've ever dreamt of. I won't go into details, but it was very moving,I woke up feeling completely heartbroken and burst into tears.

Anette

Hey MLT...so good to see you are back. I like your interpretation. I believe the 'fever above her waist,' is a pyschological/sexual desire, and the 'squeeze box,' is often used as a slang term for a woman's vagina. Doesn't Amos sing 'I know the truth lies somewhere, in between?' Such a clever lyricist

Bowdowntoannette...a lovely topic. Thanks. I often find myself struck by something Amos writes that I must have heard dozens of times, when all of a sudden I get it. It's a wonderful journey walking through her music, I alway hear something new.

--
"Last time I checked he came to light the lamp for everyone" Marys of the Seas

"Do you ever feel like you walk in a room, and you don't know why, but you're just so uncomfortable you're crawling out of your skin, even though nobody's touched you, physically? That's in Concertina, when you feel like you haven't excavated enough of your different personalities that when one pops up, you're not sure where it came from, and you try to hack it out of yourself. It shocks you that you could have this kind of fault, or that other people could bring it out in you."
-- Tori; A.P. Magazine, Oct 99

Hello. I will give this a shot.

A fever above the waist:
I like to think of her as being a whole person - or striving to be absolute in her expressions to keep the channels open and true - not to linger long in any kind of deception unless to draw from its messages... for her music.... So, when one feels or expresses one thing, as a whole person, s/he feels with all "locations" or "sources" within he/r... and in this case, only half of her is feeling the fever.

The Squeeze box on his knee:
I will give the literal - obvious, a Concertina is a Squeez box... there are several different variations... and each gives distinct bellows... and several different sets of keys - a complicated instrument...

Now, for what crosses my mind- not that it is correct:
A box has been referred to as the woman's vagina. If she is sitting on his knee, then - well, there you have it... the "twat" straddles his knee... BUT - no fever. No desire.

How is that for interpretation?

--
"long ago so assured that we’re advanced with what we know that our spirit never had time to grow..." ~Floating City