In My Tribe. Merchant joined 10,000 Maniacs at the age of 17 and became the band's driving artistic force. After a pair of successful independent releases, they signed to Elektra in 1985 and briefly became one of the most popular acts in alternative rock, shooting into the Top 40 with 1987's In My Tribe and charting even higher with their follow-up effort, Blind Man's Zoo. Merchant's desire to launch a solo career increased alongside the band's growing reputation, however, and by the time the group sat down to record 1992's Our Time in Eden, she gave her bandmates two years' notice. Following the release of MTV Unplugged in 1994, she publicly announced she was leaving the group's ranks.
OpheliaMerchant made her solo debut with 1995's Tigerlily, a self-produced album that debuted at number 13 and scored a Top Ten single with "Carnival." Two additional singles, "Wonder" and "Jealousy," also cracked the Top 40, prompting Tigerlily to sell over five million copies in the U.S. alone. It was followed in 1998 by Ophelia, another platinum-selling effort that was supported by Merchant's inclusion in the second Lilith Fair tour. Live in Concert, recorded at New York's Neil Simon Theatre, appeared a year later. A prominent social activist, Merchant also drew notice by campaigning in the name of such hot-button issues as animal rights, domestic violence, and homelessness.
MotherlandMerchant launched a folk tour in 2000, with members of progressive folk band the Horse Flies joining her on the road. She then returned to her solo career with Motherland. Two years later, Merchant left Elektra's roster and formed her own independent label, Myth America, in order to issue House Carpenter's Daughter, a collection of traditional and contemporary folk music inspired by the 2000 tour. A long period of silence followed, during which a pair of greatest-hits releases -- the 10,000 Maniacs collection Campfire Songs and Merchant's own Retrospective: 1995-2005 -- kept fans relatively sated. As the decade drew to a close, though, Merchant signed with Nonesuch Records and began making plans for a new album, which eventually arrived in the form of the ambitious, double-disc neo-children's album, 2010's Leave Your Sleep. Merchant returned to straight-ahead pop music with a self-titled album in May 2014.
The Letter
Natalie Merchant Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The pages I could write
But I don't know where to send it
You have vanished
Heaven knows where you live
Heaven only knows
If I ever write this letter
Just and unrequited lover
Wishing she had never
Spoken your name
Had never known your name
But if I ever write this letter
The truth it would reveal
Knowing you brought me pleasure
How I'll often treasure
Moments that we knew
The precious, the few
In "The Letter," Natalie Merchant sings about a letter she contemplates sending to a former lover, but ultimately decides not to. The lyrics explore the conflicting emotions that she feels towards this person, from bitterness and regret to fond memories and nostalgia. She reflects on the pain and heartache that he caused her, but also acknowledges the pleasure and joy that their relationship brought her.
The first verse establishes the context of the song - Merchant has someone in mind to address in a letter, but she doesn't know where to send it. The second verse suggests that if she were to write the letter, it would be a scathing message full of bitter words, reflecting the hurt that she still feels. Finally, in the third verse, she admits that the letter would also reveal the positive emotions that she associates with that person - moments of pleasure and happiness that she will always treasure.
The song captures the complexity of romantic relationships and the often-contradictory emotions that they can elicit. Merchant's lyrics are evocative and introspective, providing listeners with a glimpse into the inner workings of her emotional world.
Line by Line Meaning
If I ever write this letter
The singer is discussing writing a letter.
The pages I could write
The singer has a lot to express in the letter.
But I don't know where to send it
The singer is unsure who should receive the letter.
You have vanished
The recipient of the letter is no longer present in the singer's life.
Heaven knows where you live
The singer has no idea where the recipient currently resides.
Heaven only knows
No one, not even the singer, knows where the recipient is located.
If I ever write this letter
The singer is discussing writing a letter again.
Bitter words it would contain
The singer's letter would be filled with negative emotions.
Just and unrequited lover
The singer is an unrequited lover.
Wishing she had never
The singer regrets ever having met the recipient.
Spoken your name
The singer wishes she had never gotten involved with the recipient.
Had never known your name
The singer wishes she had never even met the recipient.
But if I ever write this letter
The singer is discussing writing the letter once more.
The truth it would reveal
The singer would express her true feelings if she were to write the letter.
Knowing you brought me pleasure
The recipient brought the singer happiness at some point in time.
How I'll often treasure
The singer appreciates the joyful moments she shared with the recipient.
Moments that we knew
The singer and the recipient shared both good and bad times together, but the singer still values those memories.
The precious, the few
The happy moments shared with the recipient were rare and special.
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: NATALIE A MERCHANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind