This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
No one would have expected Tori Amos to have written a song that could be appropriated by the NRA, but this chilling song from Amos' debut album could be interpreted as a reasonable argument for lax gun-control laws.
Amos' song showcases not only her stunning vibrato but also a good example of how the red-headed pianist-singer interweaves the abstract and concrete when addressing a painful period from her past. Amos might gave strayed from the path in past years, but ger first three albums are all consistently melodic while interestingly confrontational, and for years I told myself I shouldn't like her because I was a metalhead. But how can you deny the power of this song, done without instrumentation and apology.
And I have been to Barbados — my first out-of-the-country port call when I was in the Coast Guard — so I can see how those who haven't been there can use just a small reason to make the choice she makes in the song.