Tori Amos FAQ

Index

1. Abbreviations
2. Biographical Tori Information
3. Rec.music.tori-amos and other General Questions
4. Tori's Who's Who
5. Y Kan't Tori Read Questions
6. Little Earthquakes Questions
7. Under the Pink Questions
8. Boys for Pele Questions
9. From the Choirgirl Hotel Questions
10. Tori Song List
11. Other Tori Appearances

I. ABBREVIATIONS (aka, Uhh...what's that stand for??)

To save space and typing time, the following abbreviations for albums and songs are used throughout this FAQ, and also crop up frequently on rec.music.tori-amos:

II. BIOGRAPHICAL TORI INFORMATION

TORI TIMELINE compiled by JB Bridge jbbridge@egyptian.net))

For space, the Timeline is now a separate document.

TORI'S FATHER:

• Reverend Edison Amos
• Second Generation Methodist Minister of Scottish decent

TORI'S MOTHER:

• Mary Ellen Amos
• granddaughter of a full-blooded Cherokee man

TORI'S BROTHER:

• Michael Amos
• did some guitar work on 'Baltimore'

TORI'S SISTER:

• Marie Amos
• a "tone-deaf" internist

TORI'S GRANDMOTHER:

• Described as "Victorian"
• used to write young Tori letters with a heroine (named Annie) who was saving her virginity for her husband.
• Also an ordained minister.

TORI'S HUSBAND:

• Mark Hawley, of England
• Tori's sound engineer

(Q) What is Tori Amos's real name?
(A) Myra Ellen Amos

(Q) Where did she get the name 'Tori' from?
(A) There have been several stories and much speculation about the name change.
They go as follows:

• Named herself after the Torrey pine -- a small, crooked, and rare tree which grows in Southern California
• Derived her name from the word 'noTORIous,' for always wearing red leather pants when teaching Sunday School for her father's church
• One of her friend's boyfriends, after hearing her play in a club, said to her "You don't look like an 'Ellen,' you look more like a Tori."

(Q) Where is Tori from?
(A) Tori was born in Newton, North Carolina (near Hickory). She has recently lived in England, New Mexico, and Florida that we know of. We're guessing that she now resides in England with her husband, Mark Hawley.

(Q) Is Tori's hair really that red?
(A) Nope. Pictures of a younger Tori reveal she's actually a brunette. Tori used to use Clairol's Torrids "Torch Crimson" on her hair, but has supposedly changed dyes recently. In a chat on Yahoo, Tori seemed taken aback when a fan asked her what she used these days - she tartly suggested that they might want to tell her what cellulite cream to use next.

(Q) I've heard Tori is a lesbian/bisexual. Is this true?
(A) Nope. Tori is very much heterosexual. However, she has stated that meeting k.d. lang made her stop and think about it for a minute.

(Q) Did Tori really get married? Say it isn't so!
(A) Sorry folks, Tori did in fact get married to her sound engineer Mark Hawley on February 22, 1998. They were married at a small church somewhere in England.

(Q) Does Tori have any kids? Is she pregnant/planning to get pregnant?
(A) Tori has no kids. In an interview prior to the release of her new album, she revealed that she had a miscarriage toward the end of the Dew Drop Inn tour in 1996.

(Q)Where did Tori go to high school?
(A) Ellen Amos graduated in 1981 from:

A foreign language teacher once reminisced in class that she used to annoy everyone by singing all the time.

• Homecoming Queen
• Most Likely to Succeed (female)
• Most Talented (female)
• Best All-Around (female)

III. REC.MUSIC.TORI-AMOS AND OTHER GENERAL QUESTIONS

(Q) What is rec.music.tori-amos?
(A) rec.music.tori-amos is a Usenet newsgroup ostensibly devoted to discussing Tori Amos and her music. In actuality, conversations tend more toward sex, personal issues, books, and all kinds of music *other* than Tori. Tori has referred to herself as the appetizer at a party.

(Q) Does Tori know about rmta? Does she post to the newsgroup?
(A) Tori knows we exist, and even has her own name for her net.fans: "ears with feet." She does not read or post to rmta because she feels it would be an invasion of our privacy. She once posted to an AOL discussion group under the alias "radiccio1" and got no replies.

From : Drum Media (Sydney, Australia) 11/29/94 by Stuart Coupe.

"You should log on," says Amos. "I don't do it but I hear about it all the time. It's a very interesting one I think, compared to others, because people share different books they're reading and different theories about things. It's a big discussion one. A lot of really intelligent geeks are on mine. They have a lot to say and they're really clever.
"They just use me--I think I'm more of an invitation. That's what I'm good for. I'm kind of like those shrimp appetisers at a party. That's me. People are really coming for the liquor."

(Q) What is Tori's email address?
(A) If she has one, she's not giving it out. If anyone close to her knew of one, they wouldn't give it out either, because it would be an invasion of *her* privacy. Tori has said she knows nothing about computers (although she refers to Apple computers in the liner notes for UtP), and after her experience on AOL, isn't really that interested in going online.

(Q) What is ToriCon?
(A) ToriCon is a gathering of people from rmta for a weekend of fun, carousing, and oh yeah, Tori stuff. The first ToriCon was held in December, 1996 in Cincinnati, OH, organized by Aimee and Karen Whyte. ToriCon `97 was held in Denver, CO in early August, and was organized by Aimee and Elusis..

(Q) How can I get more information about ToriCon/register for ToriCon?
(A) Info will be posted at the Toricon webpage.

(Q) How can I get ToriCon to be held in a city near me?
(A) Volunteer. Decisions about location for the next ToriCon are usually made in June and July, so the organizer for the following year can attend the current Con in August and watch to see how that organizer screws up. Locations are *only* considered if there is a committed, trustworthy person willing to sponsor the location and (potentially) do all the legwork themselves if other help isn't forthcoming. This includes lining up a hotel contract, collecting information on modes of travel, deciding on and organizing activities, and planning a Saturday night banquet. It's a lot of work.

(Q) How can I get the rec.music.tori-amos "Newbie Pack"?
(A) Send e-mail to newbie@rmta.org. Most of this info is also located at http://www.rmta.org on the RMTA web site. Much of the information in the Pack is posted bi-weekly to RMTA as the "Survival Guide."

(Q) What does the word 'Toriphile' mean?
(A) The suffix -phile roughly means love, so you attach it to the end of the word to mean a person who loves that certain thing. So, in this case, a Toriphile basically means an avid Tori fan.

(Q) What are "ears with feet?"
(A) Someone asked Tori to record a message to put on the Internet for her fans. She commented that she didn't see us as fans, but "ears with feet."

(Q) What is the Really Deep Thoughts fanzine?
(A) RDT is produced by Melissa and Richard Caldwell, and it has the support of Tori and her management. Subscriptions are $15 per annum ($20 overseas)for four (4) issues. RDT has recently had some problems with getting swamped and being unable to get issues out, but they've apologized for the delay and should be publishing on a regular basis again.

For details, contact Melissa or Richard at:

or check their website at http://www.toriamos.org for more information.

(Q) What is "OkTorifest"?
(A) OKTorifest is an annual party held in Oklahoma by Richard and Melissa Caldwell, editors of "Really Deep Thoughts".

(Q) Are there other fanzines, or a fan club I can join?
(A) Take to the Sky fanzine is published in England. For more information, contact Steve Jenkins at:

*NOTE: There used to be a fan club endorsed by Tori's management called Upside Down. However, due to problems with fan's money being taken and membership items never being sent, Upside Down is no longer sanctioned or recommended.

(Q) Is there a mailing list I can join?
(A) The Internet mailing list is titled Really Deep Thoughts (Right Now). If you would like to subscribe, or want more information, send mail to: seaclaid@torithoughts.com

(Q) What about World Wide Web sites?
(A) There are a bunch of WWW homepages and sites which contain Tori info. Like, hundreds.

(Q) Where can I find the lyrics to _____________?
(A) If it's a song from one of the albums, try looking in the liner notes first. :-) However, you can also go try the lyrics page at White Man Killer: http://stuff.to/tori/lyrics/index.html.

(Q) How can I contact Tori Amos?
(A) You can write to Tori care of here management, Spivak Entertainment.

The address is:

Tori gets far too much mail to read and answer it all. She used to read everything she was sent, but as her popularity has increased with each album, so has her fan mail. Upside Down used to be in charge of opening her mail and sending on really special letters directly to her, but since they're no longer sanctioned, we don't know how mail gets to her. The best you can do is write care of Spivak.

(Q) But I really have to tell her about (how she changed my life/my dog Fluffy/this great chili recipe/ _______________)!
(A) Your best bet is to wait until she tours again. In the past, Tori has taken time to visit with fans before her sound check at each venue. Depending on the size of the mob awaiting her, her attentions have ranged from giving signatures and taking pictures with each fan, to simply talking to a few people and accepting all the gifts people hand her. If you have something you just have to tell her, write her a note and give it to her or Joel and Steve, her bodyguards, at sound check. *Please, please, please* don't go to sound check and try to tell her the story of your entire life. There are other people there who would like to get a hug from Tori also, and they can't do that if one person monopolizes her time. Plus you'll piss off Joel and Steve.

(Q) I heard she wrote some songs for her boyfriend Eric. What happened to them?
(A) For a long time after their breakup, Tori chose not to perform the songs she wrote for Eric. However, on the Dew Drop Inn tour (1996), she performed "Song for Eric" several times. "Song for Eric" is available as a bonus track on some of the YKTR bootlegs.

(Q) Which album is the best?
(A) Most Toriphiles have decided that the albums are different enough to not try to compare them. Each is somewhat different in style although they are all still piano-based. Your best bet is to go to a store that lets you listen before you buy, or to download song clips from one of the Tori web sites. We predict you'll want to get all of the albums eventually, though, so why worry?

(Q) So when's the next album coming out?
(A) May 5, 1998. See the section on "From the Choirgirl Hotel," below.

(Q) Didn't she just do some songs for a movie?
(A) A new Tori song, "Siren," is available on the "Great Expectations" soundtrack.

(Q) Isn't Tori doing the soundtrack to the "Sandman" audio series?
(A) Unfortunately, that project was shelved, probably permanently.

(Q) Why wasn't Tori in Lilith Fair/Will Tori be in Lilith Fair this year?
(A) Tori wrapped up a year-long tour in November, 1996. Other than the RAINN concert in January 1997, Tori took a well-deserved rest from live performance. Plus she had to have some time to record this new album! There are rumors that Tori has been asked to do Lilith Fair this year, but there is no hard evidence one way or the other. Since she's doing a short US tour in April/May, spending some time playing Europe after that, and then probably returning to the US for a full-on tour after *that*, when would she have the time?

(Q) What Tori Amos bootlegs are out there and how can I get one?
(A) A bootleg is a live concert recording of a music artist. These are almost *always* illegal, but that doesn't mean they're impossible to find. Bootlegs are recorded via audience members, soundboard hook up, or FM broadcast, among other methods. For a comprehensive list of Tori bootlegs, go to Jason Bilsky's bootleg discography at http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/alley/4370/tabdnew.html As far as trading or buying them, ask around on rec.music.tori-amos - there are usually people willing to trade, or suggest stores.

*NOTE: This FAQ is not here to endorse or condemn the existence of bootlegs. This FAQ is also not here to recommend for and against particular stores. *However*, two stores which are frequently mentioned are Intergalactic Garage (IGG) and Rainy Day Records. For a history of people's experiences with these stores, ask on rmta or go to DejaNews (http://www.dejanews.com) and do a search on IGG and Rainy Day.

Bootlegs can also be traded on tapes or DATs, rather than commercially-produced CDs. Ask on rmta and see if anyone is willing to trade with you.

(Q) What is RAINN?
(A) RAINN is the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network, of which Tori is the founder. It is a toll-free number which serves as a clearinghouse for connecting people with local resources to help them recover from sexual abuse and trauma. The phone number is 800-656-HOPE.

(Q) How is RAINN funded?
(A) A lot of different ways. Tori did a concert to benefit RAINN in January of 1997, and proceeds from the video of that concert also go to RAINN. All ToriCons thus far have donated a portion of their registration fees to RAINN, and ToriCon 97 featured an auction which raised about $2000 for RAINN. WNNX in Atlanta produced a disc of live songs where the proceeds went to RAINN, and that raised around $85,000. Individual donations are also welcomed - call their 800# to find out how you can donate.

(Q) Is there an "Ode to the Banana King - Part 2"?
(A) (From an interview posted to RDT, by Anthony Horan):

"Pretty Good Year" is really part two of "Ode to the Banana King." "Ode to the Banana King" is part one - as you see, Lucy reoccurs. That's part two, "Pretty Good Year." So I'll probably write part three.

(Q) How many videos does Tori have, and what songs are they for?
(A) For home video, there are two videos available: LE and "Live from NY" (available in Europe and Canada, no US release yet!)

For individual music videos:

Crucify
SATY
China
Winter
CfG {two versions, US and UK}
God
PGY
Past the Mission
CaLS
Talula
Hey Jupiter
PW {a mish-mash of other videos, not really a video in its own right}
Spark

(Q) Why does Tori sing about food so much?
(A) Tori admits that she is a total food-lover.

"Tori is a foody," her assistant Kerri manuell, has told me. "And it's true."
"I know the finest chefs. I do! i've had a few propose marriage and everything! " -Tori

"You know it's me, because someone's cooking in the kitchen and it smells wonderful."

"My lipgloss. My husband. A picnic basket with olive oil."

(Q) Crunchy or creamy peanut butter?
(A) Creamy. However, it was evidently creamy peanut butter stuck in her throat that caused her problems during an Under the Pink concert in Madison, Wisconsin, show on 10/04/94, so her feelings on the subject may have changed.

(Q) What is her favorite drink?
(A) We don't know, but during the DDI tour, she made frequent comments about being really drunk on margaritas when she wrote "Frog on My Toe," a b-side from BfP.

(Q) Where can I get information not found in this FAQ?
(A) You can try:

http://www.btinternet.com/~lianne.macdonald/ ToriAmosDiscography.htm

posted regularly to RMTA
http://www.rmta.org/rmt-a/resource.html

http://www.rmta.org/rmt-a/price.html

http://www.rmta.org/rmt-a/toricon.html

http://waitress.rmta.org/~saken/misc/sa.html

IV. TORI'S WHO'S WHO

(Q) Who is this Kate Bush person people keep comparing Tori to?
(A) Kate Bush is an unconventional English singer/songwriter, who, like Tori, is something of a piano prodigy. When LE was released, a lot of reviewers compared Tori to Kate, as both are female, both make different-sounding music, etc. With the release of UtP, people still feel the need to compare Tori to Kate.

Tori has also been compared to Joni Mitchell a lot. Tori did cover Joni's song "A Case of You."

(Q) Who is Eric Rosse?
(A) Eric Rosse was Tori's boyfriend for eight years, and helped produce both LE and UtP. Supposedly, they "separated as friends."

(Q) So who is Tori dating now?
(A) There have been rumors as to who Tori has dated, including Michael Stipe of REM (who's shown up at some of her concerts), and Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails (who is, in fact, a good friend of Tori's, although they've supposedly grown apart of late). However, we have it on good authority that now that she's married to her sound engineer Mark Hawley, she's not dating anyone. :)

(Q) Who is Neil?
(A) Neil is Neil Gaiman, the author of the very popular DC/Vertigo comic "Sandman" (unfortunately now defunct, but still available as trade paperbacks). Rantz, a friend of Tori's from LA, was visiting her one time, and introduced her to Sandman by giving her issue #17, "Calliope."

When writing "Tear in Your Hand," she included a reference to Neil and the Dream King (aka Morpheus, the "Sandman" of the title). She was worried Neil might not like the idea, so Rantz passed along a demo of LE to Neil while at a comic convention. Both Neil and Tori live in England, so when he got back he contacted her, and the two have become good friends.

Tori has also included references to Neil in "Space Dog" ("where's Neil when you need him?") and "Horses" ("will you find me if Neil makes me a tree?"). She also mentioned Neil in the credits for LE and UtP.

Neil has done his own little Tori references as well. In addition to writing the text for the BfP tour book (which was designed by Rantz), there are several instances of Tori music or posters appearing in issues of Sandman. In his new comic series "Stardust," Neil plans to include a "Tori tree" (thus the "Horses" reference).

People are always asking whether the character of Delirium from Sandman is based on Tori. The answer is a firm "no," since Del existed before Neil knew Tori. *However,* if one pointed out that Del often spouts things that sound like Tori-isms, and if Del started to look an awful lot like Tori in the "Brief Lives" series, one wouldn't be thought way off base. Tori has said she feels a lot closer to Death than Delirium, though.

(Q) Who is Cindy Palmano?
(A) Cindy was the main Art Director and Photographer for LE, UtP, and BfP, and various singles. She also directed the videos "Silent all these Years," "Winter," "China," and "Pretty Good Year." The Bee Sides songbook lists Cindy Palmano as the photographer for the front and back covers.

(Q) Who is Trent?
(A) Trent is Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. Tori and Trent are friends, and much speculation has ensued about the nature of their relationship and whether there are hidden references to one another in their music. Trent stated in a 1996 Spin interview that Courtney Love had somehow interfered in the Tori/Trent friendship. A number of people insisted that CALS was about Trent, but there doesn't seem to be any evidence for this assumption. Trent *did* supply supporting vocals for "Past the Mission" on UtP.

Angela Reid ( abreid@email.unc.edu) has graciously compiled an enormous amount of interview information about Tori and Trent, since their relationship gets asked about frequently. You can obtain this information by emailing her.

(Q) Who is Greg? [ "Greg he writes letters and burns his CDs...", PGY ]
(A) This is what Tori says:

"Like "Pretty Good Year," for example, I got a letter from a guy named Greg in England. This one got to me -- it missed getting to me for, like,three months. But it just got passed around to different people, and finally somebody just -- I was walking through the record label in between the tour up in England, and somebody put it in my bag. They just said, "You know what, Tori? This has been sitting around here. Just take it."
"And I took this letter, and I opened my bag two days later, and I read it. It was a picture of him he had drawn himself. It was a pencil drawing. Greg has kind of scrawny hair and glasses, and he's very skinny and he held this great big flower. Greg is 23, lives in the north of England, and his life is over, in his mind.
"The tragedy of that for me, just seeing that over and over again, got to me so much that I wrote "Pretty Good Year." You don't really know what my role is. Am I Lucy, or am I that eight bars of grunge that comes out near the end where I express, and then nothing, everything else is Greg's story? I found that kind of really fun. The emotion is coming from somebody else's story. And yet it touched me so much that I could sing it."

(Q) Who is scrumpy?
(A) Scrumpy is the dog that Tori rescued while she was recording UtP in new Mexico. The dog lived a few months, and then died from injuries received earlier.

(Q) Okay, if the dog is Scrumpy, who's Stimpy?
(A) Stimpy is Tori's nickname for Trent Reznor.

(Q) Who is Skeeter, then?
(A) "Skeeter" is carved on a tree in the video for "Spark." Tori said repeatedly in an appearance on MTV Live that the reference was "personal," and politeness would require that we end speculation there, yes?

(Q) Then who's Beenie? (Beene?)*****
(A) Beenie is Nancy Shanks, Tori's friend. She provided some backing vocals on BfP.

(Q) Who is Caton?
(A) Caton is Steve Caton, who has played guitar on at least one track from every Tori album, including YKTR. He toured with her on the Dew Drop Inn tour and also performed with her during the RAINN benefit concert. He is also joining her on the "Plugged" tour for FtCH, along with drummer Matt Chamberlain and bassist John Evans.

(Q) What is Y Kant Tori Read?
(A) Before making Little Earthquakes, Tori was in an LA-based rock band called Y Kant Tori Read. They produced a self-titled album in 1988 which was a critical and commercial failure. Opinions on this album are divided: some of people consider it to be just a mediocre radio-oriented rock album, while others think that there is some good music underneath all the production. Tori herself dislikes this album, partly because it holds bad memories for her, and has described it as like "Madonna and Kate Bush in a head-on collision after eating bad mushrooms."

Original copies of it are extremely rare, since it only sold 7000 copies when it was released, and usually sell for between $100 and $300. However, there are 5 known bootlegs of this album out there, possibly more.

1. YKTR only- recorded on a Gold Recordable CD.

2. YKTR only- a German bootleg of the CD. It is easily distinguishable by the spine which is WHITE on BLACK lettering. It also carries the incorrect catalog number 81845-1. In addition, the artwork suffered from quite a bit of crosshatching when it was scanned; the colors just don't look right" (Tori's hair color on the cover is WAAAAAAY off), and it is obvious that some scan retouching has been done on the cover where the promo sticker used to be. (directly to the right of Tori's face.)

   (Yes, I know this one says "Atlantic Records" all over it. IT IS NOT LEGITIMATE!!! The bootlegger just wanted to try extra hard to make it seem real, and to make his tracks unfollowable.

3. YKTR plus rarities- The bonus tracks are a dead giveaway that this one is bogus, as is the CD booklet that is a tiny bit too big to fit in the jewel box.

4. YKTR plus rarities, mark 2- Apparently identical to #3, with the "Red Robin" logo added to the back.

5. Ultra rare Tori- Very obviously a bootleg. Awful sound quality, plus extra tracks, also of poor quality. Doesn't even pretend to be a legit YKTR.

(Q) How can I get Y Kant Tori Read?
(A) Interest in this album has been revitalized since LE. Since it's been deleted for some time now, and very unlikely to be re-released, it is now very difficult to come by. You can, always, ask someone who has a copy of YKTR to make you a copy. We all know dubbing is a no-no, but since the album is no longer available, more people are willing to make copies.

You can also obtain a bootleg copy from stores which carry boots. See the "What Tori bootlegs are out there and how can I get one" question in Section III.

(Q) So has anyone else from YKTR made it big, like Tori?
(A) Yes. The drummer for YKTR was Matt Sorum, who is the current drummer for the band Guns 'n' Roses. Vinnie Coliauta also played drums for YKTR (in 'Etienne'), and currently plays as part of Sting's band. Also, Steve Farris played guitar for YKTR and later went on to play for the group Mr. Mister.

(Q) Where can I get more information about YKTR?
(A) Go to the YKTR FAQ, at http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/alley/4370/yktrfaq.html

VI. LITTLE EARTHQUAKES QUESTIONS

(Q) What is that noise at the end of "Happy Phantom"?
(A) If you listen closely enough, near the very end of HP, you can hear Tori say "oops." Since the vocal and musical parts are recorded differently (a mike for her, a mike for her piano ... you get the idea), it has been said that this part was just accidently forgotten about, and didn't get cut before the final version. On a CD player, it should show up around 3:10.

(Q) What is this about a different back cover for LE?
(A) It seems the original back cover for LE was changed for some reason. It was a painting done by Dave McKean, an artist who often works with Neil Gaiman. No one seems to know what this painting was of, or why it was replaced by the mushrooms.

(Q) Was Tori raped? I hear this is where 'Me and a Gun' came from.
(A) Tori was abducted after a show by a fan who threatened to rape her but didn't complete the act. She kept it bottled up for quite some time, then when she saw the film "Thelma and Louise," she found the courage to begin talking about her experience, which led to writing MaaG and the rest of the songs on LE.

Some fans are split on whether or not Tori's experience should be equated with actual physical sexual assault. Tori calls the experience a rape. There is more information available on Mikewhy's Dent at That page is at http://www.aye.net/~mikewhy/rape.html

(Q) What is with the capitalized words in the LE lyrics booklet?
(A) From an interview with Cindy Palmano, art director for LE:

RDT : What about the capital letters?

Cindy: Oh, I just picked out the ones I thought would look good in capital letters. (laughs) In fact, we did it over the telephone. I asked Tori to sing it so that it if somebody was trying to follow it, it would help them relate. Then I'm afraid I moved it around a bit, according to where it came typographically. Where there was an emphasis on the word, or a word that you really heard... it really does work.

VII. UNDER THE PINK QUESTIONS

(Q) Where was UtP recorded?
(A) It was recorded at a hacienda in New Mexico. A hacienda is a style of adobe house, not the Mexican restaurant chain.

(Q) What does Under the Pink mean, anyhow?
(A) 'Under the Pink' refers to the dealing with topics and subjects about women. Pink is a color usually associated with the female sex, and Tori has said that this is her "girl album."

(Q) What is a 'Nishiki'?
(A) A type of bicycle.

Tori : "What does Borneo make you feel?"

Rick [interviewer]: "Stormy, I think.."

Tori : "Hot and wet. Something I'd like to be sometime. *laugh*"

Apparently it *is* about Borneo the geographical location.

(Q) What was the inspiration for "Cornflake Girl"?
(A) Tori says that reading the Alice Walker book "Possessing the Secret of Joy" inspired this song, which is about the ways women conspire to harm each other. The book is about a young African woman who chooses to undergo female circumcision, a traditional ritual in which the clitoris and inner labia are cut away with a knife or sharp stone without anesthesia in order to eliminate sexual desire and keep women faithful to their husbands. This ritual is usually performed by an elder woman of the village.

(Q) What are the overlapping lyrics in "Space Dog?"
(A) They are as follows:

So sure those girls now are in the Navy
Those bombs our friends can't even hurt you now
And hold those tears cause their still on your side
Don't hear the dogs barking
Don't say you know we've gone
Andromeda stood with those girls before
The hair in pairs it just got nasty
And now those girls are gone

(Q) What is that at the end of "Yes, Anastasia?"
(A) " The knock on wood is the sound of the dampers in the piano returning to their resting places on the strings when Tori releases the sustaining pedal.

(Q) Who is Anastasia? What's this about Tori seeing a ghost?
(A) Tori has said that she was visited by the ghostly presence of Anastasia Romanov, who wanted her story told in a song. It had happened in October 1992, she said, just before a concert in Richmond, Virginia. She had food poisoning at the time which she later credited to bad oysters.

"I was feeling so sick that I wanted to be put out of my misery. And then I get this presence. It's like a light, a blueish-greyish light . . . The message was, `You need to learn something out of writing my story'.

Czar Nicholas II and his family are said to have been executed in July of 1918, but a young woman showed up in 1920 claiming to be Anastasia. She said that a Polish soldier had helped her escape the massacre. It is still unknown whether the actual Anastasia, and perhaps one of her brothers, survived. For a cheesy version of this story, see the Fox movie of the same name.

(Q) What is Tori saying in "God" around 2:25 which is hard to make out?
(A) The quote is from the Bible, Proverbs 31:3: "Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings."

(Q) I read in the liner notes in Under the Pink that Trent Reznor sang backup on Past The Mission. Is this the same Trent Reznor who heads Nine Inch Nails?
(A) Yep, they are one and the same. As a matter of fact, Tori had to go to the house where Trent was recording "Down the Spiral" (this happened to also be the place where the Manson cult murders took place) to talk him into it. She tried to cook him a chicken dinner to help persuade him, but she says it wouldn't come out right. Her mother, when told about the disaster, replied that since the heiress to the Folger's fortune was murdered there, "nothing food in that house will come out right."

(Q) What did they do to the piano used in Bells for Her?
(A) The technique is called using a "prepared piano," and was pioneered by postmodern musician John Cage. They took an ordinary upright piano and de-tuned it down an octave, and modified it by adding things like paper or wires to the strings. Another piano, treated in the same fashion, toured with her on the UtP tour.

(Q) Tell me more about "Space Dog".
(A) "Space Dog" is dedicated to Patti Smith. It's interesting to note that Tori sings "so sure we were on something" and in the credits for the song, it says Rantz and Zane provided "something." Hmmmmm.....

(Q) "Space Dog" sounds like a drug trip. Does Tori take drugs?
(A) Tori has talked about partaking of a South American hallucinogen made from a vine called ayuhuasca or yage (William S. Burroughs also writes about having taken yage). It evidently produces a "trip" that can last several days, but makes you very ill if it's not prepared exactly right by tribal elders who know the formula. Tori has also joked about mushrooms at concerts, and some research on Deja News shows the following:

Robb McAffree once posted that

>> Tori was quoted once as saying "I think she (Kate Bush) smokes a bit
>> more weed than I do."

>Considering tori CANNOT smoke (or be even AROUND smoke, when I'm with her,
>it means upwards of 10 hours of nic fits on my part) due to the fact that
>it makes her lose her voice, I would say that if Kate smoked once a year,
>she'd still smoke more pot than tori...