In the 2005, WNFX/Boston Phoenix Best Music Poll Amanda Palmer won Best Female Vocalist.
Amanda has performed as a living statue called “The Eight Foot Bride” in Harvard Square as well as in many other locations.
Her solo album entitled “Who Killed Amanda Palmer” was released in September 2008, and was produced by Ben Folds, who also appears on the album. Zoë Keating also appears on several tracks.
In 2009, she pleaded with her label, Roadrunner Records, to drop her from their roster. She has been vocal about this in interviews and in concert, even dedicating a song called "Please Drop Me" that is sung to the tune of "Moon River."
On January 15, 2010, writer Neil Gaiman announced on his official blog that he and Palmer were engaged to be married.
On March 30, 2010, the album "Evelyn Evelyn" was released, as a collaborative work with Jason Webley.
On July 20, 2010, Palmer released a solo EP of Radiohead covers, entitled "Amanda Palmer Performs The Popular Hits of Radiohead On Her Magical Ukulele".
In January of 2011, Palmer and Gaiman announced that they were now legally married. Palmer also released a new studio album, Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under.
On January 21, 2011, Palmer released "Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under, an album with an Antipodean theme featuring songs that Palmer wrote about, or while in, Australia and New Zealand. Artists the album features include The Young Punx, Brian Viglione of The Dresden Dolls, The Jane Austen Argument, Mikelangelo and the Black Sea Gentlemen, and Lance Horne.
In March of 2012, Palmer announced a formation of a new band called "Amanda Palmer and the Grand Theft Orchestra." They first released a cover of Nirvana's song "Polly." In May 2012, she raised over 1 million dollars to fund the release of the band's new album, "Theatre is Evil," via Kickstarter. The album was released in September of 2012.
Have to Drive
Amanda Palmer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I have my reasons, dear
It's cold outside
I hate the seasons here
I suffer mornings most of all
I feel so powerless and small
By ten o'clock I'm back in bed
You learn to drive
It's only natural, dear
You drive all night
We haven't slept in years
We suffer mornings most of all
We saw you lying in the road
We tried to dig a decent grave
But it's still no way to behave
It is a delicate position
Spin the bottle
Pick the victim
Catch a tiger
Switch directions
If he hollers
Break his ankles
To protect him
We'll have to drive
They're getting closer
Just get inside
It's almost over
We will save your brothers
We will save your cousins
We will drive them far away
From streets and lights
From all signs of bad mankind
We suffer mornings most of all
Wake up all bleary eyed and sore
Forgetting everything we saw
(I'll meet you in an hour
At the car)
The song "Have to Drive" speaks to the struggles of dealing with overwhelming feelings of anxiety, depression, and helplessness. The lyrics convey the feeling of being trapped in a situation, where driving is the only way to escape the circumstances. The first verse expresses the need to escape from something, possibly a place or a person. The feelings of being powerless and trapped are highlighted by the mention of cold weather, which can be an unpleasant experience to endure.
The second verse brings in a sense of solidarity with others who are fighting the same battles, specifically against the vulnerability of experiencing anxiety and depression in the morning. The line "We saw you lying in the road" could refer to witnessing someone else's struggles, offering empathy and sympathy for their situation. The bridge of the song introduces the idea of sacrifice and the lengths one might go to protect someone they care about. The final chorus repeats the idea of being haunted by the memories of what was witnessed and facing the struggle of moving on.
Overall, "Have to Drive" is a deeply emotional and introspective song that delves into the struggles of mental health and the coping mechanisms used to escape such hardships.
Line by Line Meaning
I have to drive
I must get behind the wheel and travel
I have my reasons, dear
There are motives for my action, my darling
It's cold outside
The temperature outdoors is low
I hate the seasons here
I have a strong dislike for this part of the year in this place
I suffer mornings most of all
I find the early part of the day most challenging
I feel so powerless and small
I sense a lack of control and insignificance
By ten o'clock I'm back in bed
I return to bed around 10 AM
Fighting the jury in my head
Struggling with inner thoughts that are like a jury
You learn to drive
Driving is a skill that you acquire
It's only natural, dear
It's quite normal, my darling
You drive all night
You operate a vehicle throughout the night
We haven't slept in years
We have not had any rest for years
We suffer mornings most of all
The early part of the day is our most challenging time
We saw you lying in the road
We witnessed you in a prone position on the street
We tried to dig a decent grave
We attempted to make a respectable hole in the ground
But it's still no way to behave
However, it is not the way to conduct oneself
It is a delicate position
This is a fragile and precarious situation
Spin the bottle
Rotate the container
Pick the victim
Choose the target
Catch a tiger
Seize a tiger
Switch directions
Alter course
If he hollers
If he shouts
Break his ankles
Cause damage to his ankles
To protect him
In order to safeguard him
We'll have to drive
We must operate a vehicle
They're getting closer
They are approaching
Just get inside
Simply enter the vehicle
It's almost over
It is nearly finished
We will save your brothers
We shall preserve your siblings
We will save your cousins
We shall protect your relatives
We will drive them far away
We shall transport them to a distant location
From streets and lights
Away from the roads and illumination
From all signs of bad mankind
From any indications of evil people
Wake up all bleary-eyed and sore
Get up looking tired and in pain
Forgetting everything we saw
Disregarding anything that we witnessed
(I'll meet you in an hour
At the car)
(I will see you at the vehicle in sixty minutes)
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Amanda Palmer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Dovleyartist
I have to drive
I have my reasons, dear
It's cold outside
I hate the seasons here
I suffer mornings most of all
I feel so powerless and small
By 10 o'clock I'm back in bed
Fighting the jury in my head
We learn to drive
It's only natural, dear
We drive all night
We haven't slept in years
We suffer mornings most of all
We saw you lying in the road
We tried to dig a decent grave
But it's still no way to behave
It is a delicate position
Spin the bottle, pick the victim
Catch a tiger, switch directions
If he hollers, break his ankles to protect him
We'll have to drive
They're getting closer
Just get inside
It's almost over
We will save your brothers
We will save your cousins
We will drive them
Far away from streets and signs
From all signs of mad mankind
We suffer mornings most of all
Wake up all bleary-eyed and sore
Forgetting everything we saw
[Whispered:]
I'll meet you in an hour
At the car
@hannahfreedman8295
This was the first song I heard after learning a coworker/friend of mine had been killed. His car was having problems so he approached a stranger to ask for help. The stranger shot him in the chest. I heard the news at school and had to be pulled from classes for the day because I was so upset. Sitting in the back of my mom's car with my little iPod shuffle, this was the song that came on. I don't think I've ever had such a purely cathartic cry since then.
Still can't listen to anything that sounds even remotely like the opening piano notes without being put in a really somber headspace.
@sherrysink3177
Whenever this one comes on, I have to play it more than once in a row. It's just SO achingly beautiful. I think watching the video of your performance with the interpretative dancers (I think it came with the CD?) was what really sold this song for me. I already liked the song itself, but watching that performance made me sob. I wasn't even expecting it. There was just a moment near the end when the music builds up and swells at the same time the woman leaps up into the man's arms, and it was just this powerfully intense emotional moment. Really beautiful. Now whenever I hear the song, I picture that dance performance and I'm transported. It's a gorgeous song, Amanda. Really well done. :)
@daltonchiarioni
The world definitively needs more artists like Amanda.
@PhobicGamer
I grieved to this song. This album saved my life that year. Thank you
@Myslexia
+PhobicGamer I'm with you there.
@WormyLeWorm
Saves me to this day.
@edwarddobbins9186
Yo.. I'm so with you. Amanda literally saved my life from hopeless junkie to back to life
@emmasmitten9735
my cousin was killed by a drunk driver, was left lying in the road. this song fucking kills me. I usually skip it. love to you all xx
@TheGabbaGhoul666
This is the song on the album that I listened to at the lowest low of the year after my ex and I split, this song and the whole album really kept me living and powering through.
@davidnye7687
Same here, first college relationship ended around the time this album came out. Such an amazing lyricist.