Mother
Amos Tori Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Out of the nest it's time
Go go go now
Circus girl without a safety net
Here here here now don't cry
You raised your hand for the assignment
Tuck those ribbons under your helmet
Be a good soldier
Pantyhose running in the cold
Mother the car is here
Somebody leave the light on
Green limousine for the redhead dancing dancing girl
And when I dance for him
Somebody leave the light on
Just in just in case I like the dancing I can remember where I come from
I walked into your dream
And now I've forgotten how to dream my own dream
You are the clever one aren't you
Brides in veils for you
We told you all of our secrets
All but one
And don't you even try
The phone has been disconnected
Dripping with blood and with time and with your advice
Poison me against the moon
Mother the car is here
Somebody leave the light on
Black chariot for the redhead dancing dancing girl
He's gonna change my name
Maybe you'll leave the light on
Just in just in case I like the dancing I can remember where I come from
I escape into your escape into our very favorite fearscape
It's across the sky and across my heart and I cross my legs oh my God
First my left foot then my right behind the other
Breadcrumbs lost under the snow
Oo who mother
Oo mother the car is here
Maybe maybe you'll leave the light on for the for the for the dancing girl
He's gonna change my name
Maybe you'll leave the light
Just in case I like the dancing I can remember where I come come from
Mother mother mother
The lyrics to Amos Tori's song "Mother" are complex and open to interpretation. The song seems to be about a young woman leaving the safety of her mother's home to pursue her dreams, possibly as a dancer in a traveling circus. The first verse encourages her to leave, with the mother telling her to be a good soldier and keep moving forward. The second verse describes a vivid dream that the young woman has entered, and how she is struggling to remember her own dreams. The mother is presented as a figure of knowledge and power, with brides veiled for her and secrets told to her. However, there is an undercurrent of tension and danger, with references to poison, blood, and lost breadcrumbs.
The chorus, "Mother the car is here, Somebody leave the light on," seems to be the woman addressing her mother, asking her to keep a light burning so that she can find her way back home if needed. The "green limousine" and "black chariot" mentioned in the chorus may represent the glamorous but dangerous lifestyles the young woman is drawn to, while the "redhead dancing dancing girl" could be a reference to the young woman herself.
Line by Line Meaning
Go go go go now
It's time to leave and move on
Out of the nest it's time
Time to leave home
Go go go now
It's time to move forward and not look back
Circus girl without a safety net
Taking risks without any safety precautions
Here here here now don't cry
Stay strong, don't give up or cry
You raised your hand for the assignment
You volunteered for this situation and must face it head-on
Tuck those ribbons under your helmet
Prepare yourself and get ready for the challenge ahead
Be a good soldier
Stay focused and disciplined to complete the task assigned to you
First my left foot then my right behind the other
Take it step by step
Pantyhose running in the cold
A metaphor for vulnerability in a harsh environment
Mother the car is here
A call for help and support
Somebody leave the light on
A request to be saved and not left alone in the darkness
Green limousine for the redhead dancing dancing girl
Possibly referring to the music industry and its temptations
And when I dance for him
Succumbing to the pressure and expectations of others
Just in just in case I like the dancing I can remember where I come from
Reminding oneself of their roots and origins
You are the clever one aren't you
Acknowledging someone's intelligence and cleverness
Brides in veils for you
Possibly referring to a groom or a husband
We told you all of our secrets
Someone has confided everything in another person
All but one
There is still one secret that hasn't been shared
And don't you even try
Don't even attempt to find out that secret
The phone has been disconnected
Cutting off all communication and contact
Dripping with blood and with time and with your advice
Advice given in the past has influenced current events and actions
Poison me against the moon
Avoiding and distrusting anything mystical or supernatural
Black chariot for the redhead dancing dancing girl
A metaphor for a powerful vehicle
He's gonna change my name
A sign of a new beginning or a fresh start
Maybe you'll leave the light on
A hope that someone will be there to offer support and guidance
I escape into your escape into our very favorite fearscape
Finding consolation in someone else's coping mechanism
It's across the sky and across my heart and I cross my legs oh my God
An allusion to prayer and the search for comfort
Breadcrumbs lost under the snow
Symbolizes being lost and not having a path to follow
Oo who mother
A cry for attention
Maybe maybe you'll leave the light on for the for the for the dancing girl
Asking for someone to watch over and protect
Just in case I like the dancing I can remember where I come come from
Holding onto one's identity for security and stability
Mother mother mother
Repeatedly asking for help and support
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: TORI ELLEN AMOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gina Berry
I saw her in '96 and when she played this song I wept the whole time. I was in the 6th row and she looked over and gave me a little nod. It was a moment and a performance I will treasure for the rest of my life
Matt Jones
I'm not at all jealous. Nope. Not one bit.
* jealous*
Melissa B
That's awesome. She is amazing live. She's a phenom, esp. live. I'm glad you got that nod. I've seen her many times live, once with a broken leg. lol
Sarah Pedro
I saw her in sioux city in 2002. She saved my life. I literally wanted to die from the time I was 10. Tori gave me the strength to tell the world to get fucked.
Sarah Pedro
I saw her in 2002. I cried through almost the whole concert. Almost everyone did.... It was transcendent..
RacerX
@Gina Berry ❤️ I completely believe you. Sounds exactly like something she would do. 😁Glad u had that moment.
Her music has gotten me thru some dark periods. 🙏 All good tho’. ❤️ Peace to u & yours!✌️☘️
teagan blackburn
Spring of 8th grade - got the cassette tape home after listening to the first side in the car with my parents on the way home from the mall. It was the first and the only song I cried to during the very first listen. I knew this was going to be a special song for me for the rest of my life. I'm an only child and I could only imagine how much like mourning it would be when I became an adult and the day of leaving would arrive. It came. Then time whipped forward, my mother got sick with Parkinson's and is still here but in many ways long gone. The breadcrumbs are lost indeed, my whole past life in another state is long over and gone, now I am in this new life. I still have my parents but I rue the day when I must say goodbye.
Lesley Stocks
One of my favourite songs . Here for it may 2022 ❤️
Liz
I loved this song a a teen now i’m 36 and decided to listen to Tori. I’m nearly bawling now that I experienced life . 😢
Thiago J
Absolutely beautiful, tori amos.
I'm leaving the light on for my sister just in case