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The Rosie O'Donnell Show (US, TV)
January 24, 1997

Tori Amos interview and live performance

"Silent All These Years" / interview



transcript

Rosie: Last night our next guest did a very special performance at Madison Square Garden to support an organization called RAINN. Please welcome the amazing Tori Amos.

(Audience applauds, and Tori performs 'Silent All These Years' solo.)

Rosie: You're the best. Come over here. I love you!

(Rosie and Tori share a hug and sit down for the interview. Tori is wearing a green and black short-sleeved dress and heels.)

Rosie: Now you know I'm a huge fan of yours because I'm always at all your concerts.

Tori: Yeah.

Rosie: And I annoyed you a couple times backstage. (Audience laughs)

Tori: You didn't annoy me...

Rosie: I scared you a little?

Tori: No, because you don't hang out long enough so we can like go out and have a margarita later, you know. You [toodle] off and it's like we need to go out and be girls and talk about things...

Rosie: Yeah but I felt embarrassed like, 'Duh I like ya, I always see ya, you know.'

Tori: Why are you embarrassed?

Rosie: I don't know, I thought you might think 'she's a wacko' or something. Cause I know all your songs like some of my favorites...(turns on a snippet of 'Cornflake Girl' and sings).

Tori: (Big smiles).

Rosie: Wanna know my favorite part? (Plays 'this is not really happening' part of 'Cornflake Girl' and sings along). See? I know every song you ever wrote.

Tori: You know it better than I do. Because I, I always forget my songs so I think you should come...(Rosie laughs). No really, I forget them all the time. Do you forget like what your going to say? I forget what I'm gonna say.

Rosie: I forget mine, but I don't forget lyrics because you know, especially your lyrics are so profound. They're like poetry and they all tell a story - very poignant all of them. It's you know...

Tori: Well maybe you'll come with me to my shows because I, I can't remember my lyrics...

Rosie: Okay, what do you need? Just give me...

Tori: Ahhhh, I know... (Looks up.)

Rosie: 'Crucify?' I know it. (Plays a snippet of 'Crucify' and sings along.)

Tori: (Laughs.)

Rosie: (Stops music.) You know, whenever I have somebody I love like you on, I don't even ask them questions. I just sing to them.

Tori: (Laughs, grabs Rosie's hand, and throws head backward.)

Rosie: It annoys the people at home. They say 'why didn't you talk to Tori Amos? Why did you keep singing? I'm like, 'shut up...(Plays snippet of 'Tear In Your Hand' and sings along.)

Tori: (Hugs Rosie.)

Rosie: I know, I love ya. I think your great. I want to tell them about your organization. It's called RAINN, and it's the rape, abuse, incest national network. And Calvin Klein came in and saved it from going bankrupt - an organization you started (points to Tori). I know a cause that you are passionate about, as we all should be. And if you buy this t-shirt at the Calvin Klein stores, fifty percent of the proceeds go to this cause.

Tori: Yeah, and what it is, it's a hotline. So the idea, it's, well it's actually a number that connects you with rape crisis centers...

Rosie: In your local community...

Tori: Yeah, and there are like six hundred across the country so when you call, um, you don't pay for the call, and it's kept confidential. And it gives the, you know...

Rosie: Tori, good for you for doing that because it is well-needed, and we applaud you for that. Don't go away, we'll be back after this. (Commercial break.)

Rosie: Hey tomorrow on the show, Anthony [Gearing] is going to be here. Tori Amos in concert, Lifetime for RAINN - tonight. Watch it. Lifetime at 9:00. Tori Amos. Thank you, love ya.

Tori: Thank you.

[transcribed by Ruth Borg]


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