NATALIE MERCHANT - TIGERLILY
I was turned onto Natalie Merchant because she was in 10,000 Maniacs and I was into 10,000 Maniacs because of REM. Her distinctive voice and lyrics make me think of the arty girl who liked literature and performed in the most intense school plays. (I only ever did the cheesy musicals) I met a girl like this recently when I was on teaching rounds. Instead of presenting a speech to the class on what she’d learned about the depression, this 14yo got up and did a 10 minute monologue as a weathered single mother who prostitutes herself to get by. What teenager does that? I just stood there mesmerized. Girls in the class snickered through it but she drowned them out and continued. That's an artist.
I haven't always loved Natalie Merchant as a teenager in love with and obsessed with Michael Stipe I was insanely jealous of her. I read anecdotally that she was his girlfriend early on before he made the transition to men. I don’t believe I’m the woman to turn a man away from being gay (there more fun gay anyway) but I was 15 and I would eat sleep and dream REM. So I saw this bitch as competition! It only really lasted until I listened to my first Maniacs album and then I figured we could be friends after all.
Tigerlily is warm comfort on a cold autumn day. I always think of my albums as seasons because its probably when I bought the record. Tigerlily reminds me of cooking vegetable soup and my duffle coat - not at the same time though. Carnival is brilliant, everything on this album is brilliant. It taught me things too. Like what a fault line was from the song San Andreas Fault. Merchants tour in 1998 was one of the many gigs I bought a ticket attend solo. I was excited about being able to sit down throughout the whole thing. (not much has changed) so imagine my surprise when I rocked up to find ‘show cancelled due to illness’ stickers all over the venue with a lone security guard on the door to set you straight if the posters weren't enough. I got a refund on my ticket, went back home and used the money to get my belly button pierced. Probably one of the dumbest things I had pierced. I have an outtie...jewelry kind of loses its effect when it has to fight for space next to the remnants of an umbilical cord.
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