parasol

ooo, more tori amos? i saw her show at royce hall tonight, and she did this song, which is the opening track of her new album, the beekeeper (the title track of which may be the one that slayed me the most tonight). it's got a cool "round" feel to it ... and, coincidentally, i just wrote an article about tegan and sara, and sara talked about wanting to write a round-like song, which is the excellent, amazing "walking with a ghost" (soon to be the subject of its own title ... or something). so rounds are practically a thing.

anyway, tori's song is this circle of a thing that involves a painting of a seated woman with a parasol. (which actually exists, i believe.) and the folky poetry of the lyrics and the longing lilt in her voice make me imagine that the singer has gotten a phone call with some momentous news of a change she doesn't want ... and she is staring at the painting and thinking that once she accepts the news, things will change forever. and so she would rather stare at the painting -- she would rather be the painting -- than ever look anywhere else or move again. and i even think there is some bargaining going on, but that's hazier. like, there's a line about how she has no need for a sea view, and maybe it's what she's willing to give up, in order to go on staring at the painting and never having to deal.

so ... i dunno if that's what it's about, but that's what it makes me think of. and i can relate. in any event the song is very full of melodic yearning, which is always a winner in my book. (on the album, however, it is dressed up with some trip-hoppy rhythms and things that suit it well, but live it was simpler, just tori and her keyboards and voice. and, yeah, those actually are three different things.)

plus, parasols are cool, and i want one. and this summer i shall have one. i swear by my nearly 40-year-old skin.