Tag Archives: Chelsea

Tori Amos, “God” (Under the Pink, 1994)

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By Chelsea Ives

Tori Amos’s song, “God” from her 1994 album Under the Pink, opens with funky electronic sounds that could be the interlude music between a 90’s sitcom cut – just picture the music between cuts in Friends and I think you get the idea. Although the album’s themes are as far from happy-go-lucky as you can get. Amos faces serious issues like rape, feminism, and religion head-on throughout Under the Pink.

The theme of “God” is an everyday truth for women: “You got your 9’9 iron in the back seat just in case […]”, Amos sings ironically acknowledging women’s necessity for arming ourselves with make-shift weapons in case we are ever attacked at our cars late at night.  Amos achieved a song which laments and condemns the position of women in 1994 – a sound and position which still resonates in 2019. The line, “a few witches burning,” can hardly be ignored when considering the way women are treated, even now in the 21st century. Too often have women been used as scapegoats for men’s violent tendencies – as if we both ask for it and are the reason for it.

The song quotes the book of Proverbs from the new Testament: “Give not thy strength unto women nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings”. In an interview with WHFS Press, Amos describes how she was trying to represent the oppression of women and minorities in the bible in her music, and how her Methodist-minister father could not conceive of the oppression, “[…] it was very interesting to me how my father … just can’t acknowledge the way that the church has treated not just women, but people in other cultures […]”. No doubt this was all the proof Amos needed towards the importance of her musical activism.

Overall, the song fits perfectly in the setup of the album, which begins by laying out the plight of women with strong and ironic vocals from Amos, leading in to the second half of the album which rejoices in hopefulness for women taking back the control over their own lives and bodies.

Official Music video for Tori Amos’ song, “God”

Sharon Van Etten, “Comeback Kid” (Remind Me Tomorrow, 2019)

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Album cover for Sharon Van Etten’s, Remind Me Tomorrow.

By Chelsea Ives

Funky Electronica foregrounded by the folksy, haunting, but powerful vocals of Sharon Van Etten permeate “Comeback Kid” the fourth song on her newest album, Remind Me Tomorrow. “Comeback Kid” is also one of three of her newest songs to be released with a music video featuring her. The song seems to be meant as universal and individual all at once. “I’m recovering,” as SVE wraps her arms around herself in the video and looks away from the camera, the viewer is left with the sense that you are witnessing a private and intimate moment, as the video behind her sometimes shows flashes of her face. Although the moments seem individualized (especially in the video) the lyrics encompass more general ideas of the kinds of people you meet in your life – the hardly stays, the slips away, the turn arounds.

The video is a visual representation of the story SVE was trying to capture in the song, as she sings in front of screen which continuously plays clips of videos, lights, and abstract shapes which kaleidoscope together in a hypnotically confusing way. In a statement in Rolling Stone, SVE described her process for the song, “As the lyrics for ‘Comeback Kid’ unfolded, I realized I was talking about many selves: The kid, the adult, the sibling, the friend, the neighbor. I imagined a projector streaming over me of memories, unclear if they are mine or someone else’s, confronted by the disorientation of time and perspective […]”.

The final “comeback kid, come back,” which closes the song gives a cliff-hanger-like ending, suggesting that the stories of all these different “selves” are yet to be finished. Overall, the song has hopeful vibes which resonates with all – most of us being a sibling, friend, neighbor, and kid at heart.

Sharon Van Etten’s, “Comeback Kid” (2019).

The Tragically Hip, “Grace, Too” (Day for Night, 1994)

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By Chelsea Ives

Grace, Too by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip shows how seamlessly poetry and music work together to create something otherworldly. The smooth guitar riffs and drum beats make up the basis of the background while lead singer Gord Downie’s unique and iconic voice projects each word with a fervour and freedom that’s sure to leave the listener in awe. The song is from the groups 1994 album titled Day For Night. The song is a classic of the band’s, and a favourite of true ‘Hip fans.

Interestingly, lead singer Gord Downie is known to have frequently altered the lyrics of his songs while performing live. Especially this song, which I can vouch from personal experience. The first line of the song, “He said, ‘I’m fabulously rich’, ” was often changed during their live performances to, “We are The Tragically Hip,” and the same was true when I saw them perform. As I watched Gord Downie, suffering from terminal brain cancer, perform his fourth-to-last show in Toronto in August of 2016, I could not recall a man who looked more emotionally raw than Gord did while singing this song. It was the final song they played (the last after three encores) and as he opened with, “we are the Tragically Hip” and the whole Air Canada Centre (as it was at the time) erupted into a frenzy of emotional cheers for a beloved Canadian band whom, we all understood, would never perform together again.

Thanks, Chelsea.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJjmYa16kVk
This video is The Tragically Hip at their 1999 Woodstock show, and it is an example of Downie changing the lyrics to Grace, Too.