from No Boundaries
released on June 15, 1999
(first released in April 1998 as a free download
with pre-orders of from the choirgirl hotel)
Lyrics
Go to bed
the priests are dead
Now no one can call you bad
Go to bed
the priests are dead
Finally you're on peppermint land
He's a merman
He doesn't need your voice
He's a merman
Go to bed
Dream instead
And you will find him
He's a merman to the knee
And doesn't need something you're not willing to give
He's a merman
Doesn't need your voice to cross his land of ice
Go to bed
the priests are dead
Now no one can call you bad
Go to bed
the priests are dead
Finally you've found it
let it out
Who could ever say you're not simply wonderful?
Who could ever harm you?
Sleep now
You're my little goat
Go to bed
the priests are dead
Go and sing it on again
Go to bed
Past the apple orchard and you'll feel nice
Two can play
I said, two can play
Tori Quotes
It's inspired by a man with integrity, such deep integrity that I married him. It's about having someone heal your whole life. I'm talking about the times when lines have been crossed by men. Men can be dangerous, like in the song "Datura" about how sometimes they can bring you gold and sometimes they can be the bearer of poison. The plant Datura is a hallucinogen and it's like men. If you get the right amount you'll walk into the garden and become a woman, but if too much seeps in in the wrong way and at the wrong time -- it'll kill you. So yeah, "Merman" is that. When I was touring last year and Matthew Shepard got murdered I was dedicating it to him. A lot of guys were asking me to sing it for him and it just kinda took a life on of its own. [Attitude - November 1999]
Live Versions
"Merman"
September 24, 1999 - Las Vegas, Nevada
"Thank Heaven" / "Merman"
October 7, 2001 - Washington, DC
"Merman"
September 14, 2017 - Utrecht, Netherlands
t o r i p h o r i a tori amos digital archive yessaid.com
