Tear In Your Hand

“Emotionally, all these songs come from experiences that trigger them. I haven’t chosen to talk much about that side of the songwriting - the seed for all these songs. On the technical side, I heard the music as a steady motion, no change really from verse and chorus, only the bridge that leads straight back like a loop to the same toll booth where you threw in some change to go around only to end up surrounded by the place you left. The only difference is by taking the loop ride you can see the place you left exactly as it is; some sadness, a whole lotta corn field, and a puddle.” [Little Earthquakes songbook]

“Scarborough Fair was a big blueprint for Tear in Your Hand. I remember John Lennon talking about listening to songs that he loved, then changing them to make them his own versions. He would say, ‘God, I love this song. I wish I’d written this song.’ Then it would come out totally different. You might not even know what song it is that inspired you to do something, but there is that ingredient. Sometimes I do think that we’re really just rewriting songs. There are only 12 bloody notes, you know.” [Keyboards - November 1994]