So who let Juliette Lewis up on stage? Also, one wonders, has she been to Barbados yet? Seriousy, I know the subject matter of the song is serious, and she is exorcising her demons everytime she sings this song, so please, don't think I'm hating on Tori or anything. Quite the opposite, I have much respect for her.
Many Americans do not want women talking about this sort of stuff, much less getting on stage and rocking the hell out of it. The sentiment will continue to grow as long as elected conservative officials continue to drive this country backwards.
This performance is badass. Anybody who compares it to Kate Bush or Lady Gaga needs to clean out their ears.
I don't like this. Even though this is supposed to be more "intense" than the a capella, I really think the original is much more personal, terrifying, and unnerving than this. There was something about the juxtaposition between the subject matter and the sweet, quiet melody that really made me believe what she was saying and feel what she felt. I don't get that from this version.
This song brings out the *true* aggression that I feel Tori has been holding back on for years and years. She stated she was inspired by watching "Thelma & Louise", which created this song. Her perpetrator held her at knife-point (not gunpoint like many others think, as per her interviews). She was left to die by a roadside (SPARK) . She pissed herself. Geez, who wouldn't? It's ugly, it's horrible, it's desecrating to women *or* men who have ever been in this sexually-brutal situation... and won
It was inspired by a rape that occurred in LA when Amos was 21. After she performed at a bar, a patron asked her if he could have a ride home. She obliged, and he raped her at knifepoint (many journalists mistakenly state she was raped at gunpoint, possibly due to the song's title). She escaped. Years later, in London, Amos saw the film Thelma and Louise and was stirred. On the way to a show, she wrote the song in her head. That night, she performed the song a cappella.
this was before lady ga ga posed with a gun you assholes...tori is one of the most respected female singer song wrighters on this planet and if you cant get her dont take it out o her abviously you too thick to get her, you need to go deeper than britney motherfucker...tori is brilliant and for those who does not know she was pip in this performance a 18 year old hooker wild child dirty girl, but i dont mind a dirty girl, a..d..i..r..t..y..girl, fantastic performance tori love you always!!!!!! x
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Tori Amos is, to say it politely, a hack. Yes, comrades, a hack. She is simply a talentless Britney Spears knockoff. All of her songs have computerized vocals and lame dance beats, making it blatantly obvious that she is desperate to be on MTV. Sorry hun but you'll NEVER be good enough to make it on MTV. Skip this junk and listen to a Britney Spears or Lady GaGa album. PS- "Me and a Gun" is hilarious!!
Disturbing because it's so honest. I'm a bit miffed about the cheering too, I guess they're disconnected from the reality of what she's singing? I guess if you're there you do things in the heat of the moment. Also it's interesting to note that, people like Lady Gaga would pose with a gun to look "cool", but here it has meaning and purpose.
Yup. People can be idiots, especially in a big crowd scene. Add that they're probably drunk. I don't think they intend ill will. Stupidity isn't a crime.
@davandk cheering during this song isnt stupidity, maybe they really love the song, maybe they are cheering for toris voice? maybe they are cheering for her bravery with the song? many different reasons.
Holy F'ing god! I don't know what I would have done if she performed this at a concert I attended. Years ago, she performed M & A G, but nothing like this. So powerful. So emotional. So... I can't even describe.
I think she must be very strong to be able to sing it that way, to go beyond her troma so that the song reaches another meaning, less personnal, more rebelious...
I think because the original version of the song is so moving, seeing this version (such an agressive version if you ask me) is naturally going to be difficult. Tori was playing as Pip though I guess...
This is stunningly brave. I get chills: You can hear the anger and pain simmering in her voice here. In most other versions the anger is very understated, it's almost as if she's just speaking the facts, but here she seems to absolutely eclipse any shred of power he might have held over her emotionally. I love you Tori! Cannnn't for your next album!!! I listen to some of your songs when I'm getting ready to run a race/they relax and empower me.
I think the fact that this song has taken on a new interpetation is a honest portrayl of the emotional reaction humans experience. When something tragic happens to you, be it rape, death, etc., you don't stick with one reaction. In the original version, she was channeling the victimization without pleaing for pity. And here is the flip side: the victim who won't take the shit this man did, the shit she feels any more. A complete opposite, but emotionally honest of the evolution of her feelings.
Someone mentioned earlier that she could be expressing anger which I think is correct. She always sang this song a capella. This performance in Chicago was the first time she sang it with the band. It was in response to a local judge that had ruled that the rape of a prostitute was a "theft of services".
It was inspired by a rape that occurred in LA when Amos was 21. After she performed at a bar, a patron asked her if he could have a ride home. She obliged, and he raped her at knifepoint (many journalists mistakenly state she was raped at gunpoint, possibly due to the song's title). She escaped. Years later, in London, Amos saw the film Thelma and Louise and was stirred. On the way to a show, she wrote the song in her head. That night, she performed the song a cappella.
@Tricialeigh55 Yes I know. :) Powerful emotional song all the more so because it's so personal. My earlier comment was in reference to this specific performance.
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Come on... its just drama what I see...
Just selling some more albums..
She is great! Almost all the time... but this song in particular is just drama... If she had been actually raped she will never dance to that song... never ever... Not even if her lifes goes on it... never...
I know she wasnt... the man just tried to, but couldnt... that's why she shouldn't talk (or sing) as if she knows... she was no idea!
my interpetation is besides feeling fear and shame witch is associated with being violated sexually there comes ANGER and i think shes expressing that and shes also expressing the hugeness of such an event and how she has to make herself larger than that evil i totally think she crushes him here
Because since 1992 it has always been sung a cappela - no piano, no drums, no props. It was short, simple, and heartbreaking. This version makes me think that she's harnassing the anger and humiliation of rape and turning it into something even more powerful, a hint that she won't take it anymore. Especially with the gun aiming thing at the end, because though the song says "Me and a gun" in one interview a long time ago she said it was actually a knife the guy threatened her with.
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hmm, not what I thought it would be. She's trying TOO hard to make the song sound more emotional. She's doing that with a lot of songs lately. I must say, she was far more intense just on the piano or in case of Me and A Gun: acapella. What's wrong with doing it acapella, Tori? It suits you best... It suits the song best!
I just don't think these are the emotions Tori wanted to expose when she wrote the song 20 years ago. These aren't real emotions anymore, this is acting (according to me that is, I invite everyone to disagree (in a polite way lol)). I love Me & a Gun when it's merely about the emotions and not about trying to shock people more than the lyrics would. This song doesn't need more emotions, it doesn't need stage-acting. I believe this version is overcharged as in "dishonest".
samke11 the woman was raped, she can express that any god damned fucking way she pleases! if she wants to sing me & a gun in a barney suit while jumping on a trampoline that's her damn choice!!!! you don't have to know whats going through her head, nobody who has never been raped would EVER understand. you do shit that seems right to YOU when you heal through your art. trying too hard? How the hell do you TRY HARD to show the emotion in something that really happened. just shut the fuck up.
Of course she can perform as she pleases.Did I ever say she couldn't? Writing to me means closure. Like Alanis, I dont revisit pain when performing, I revisit it when writing. Afterwards the songs help to reminisce. Btw: No need to insult me for giving my point of view. Theres also no need in measuring pain,as in: you cant talk about it if you havent been through it. Not true, you dont know what other things I mightve been through. Pain is pain, there r no degrees, no scales and no levels!
This track is available in the US itunes store along with the rest of the concert, but unfortunately not in the UK store. I would love to have this version as an audio file. Would someone from the US be willing to buy the track for me and email me it and I will pay for it via paypal or buy a track that they want and send it to them?
I know its an odd request but I can't think of another way.
Does anyone know what made her do this on this day, in chicago? I wonder if Nov. 6th was the day the horrible incident occured, or if maybe someone told her a story that provoked her to do this, or if it had been planned for the tour??
The vic is a very seedy place...It also is very intimate...when I saw her perform this it was like she was peforming in your living room. The vic just has a certain vibe to it that is perfect for this song. Tori has often said that is one of her favorite places to perform.
Notice how she takes the knife and puts it down to her private area where a penis would be on the man that raped her. Also, notice how she's sort-of saying that this instrument or body-part that can show love in a loving relationship, acted in a cutting way to her spirit like a knife would to the body. I found the symbolism really powerful. She uses her story to speak out and help others. Thanks Tori.
thanks for the comment. I was speaking at first about the knife just in the beginning. She also uses a gun, but I think I saw a knife just at the start. Could be mistaken though.
actually it is strange. I watched it again and at first it looks like a shiny knife, but then it's a gun. Oh well....a dramatic performance nonetheless.
i was at this show. me and my friends just thought she fucking owned that night. i kinda think the reason she did it in chicago at the vic theatre. was
1. she loves chicago and we always loved her more.
2.the vic is kinda a grungy rock and roll theatre...very low key and dark..so i thinked it matched this perfectly!
I could only watch this once when it first came out. I tried a second time, but had to stop. It just brought so much of my fury back up it made me sick. I couldn't handle it. She just brings every real emotion something like that can give you. I can listen to it easier now. She is an amazing woman with an amazing mission!!!
Haha, I love the controversy this video has sparked. That's sort of the point: to get people talking about something they don't like to talk about!
Sorry this was a one-and-only; I would have cut off a limb to witness this performance. As it was, I got Pip in Seattle, and she was BRILLIANT! Anyone who has been abused, in any way, can take comfort in the warrior who responds to Rabbit's howl. Pip's take on every song she sings is nothing short of transcendent!
OMG I am speechless!! I never thought she'd do this to this song... I couldn't be more sad to have missed getting to see this version live. THANK YOU so much for sharing!!
Wow. Holy f'n Shit. This gave me chills. I think this is very empowering. My interpretation is that this exemplifies her taking the body memories of having the knife at her throat and re-associating them with something that SHE has control over. Instead of it being a place where she feels powerless, she now has the power of the situation. She's a genious. And as triggering as this video can be, it's also very healing. Thank you once again Tori. You rock....
I totally agree with you. I think the people that put the thumbs down have never experienced this type of violence. You are getting a thumbs up from me! I understand what the meaning of this is.
So I pretty much think that Tori Amos is the sexiest thing ever, and I don't find this to be sexy at all. If anything, it's INCREDIBLY intense and passionate, and I admire her for being able to tell her story with that level of emotion.
I think feminism is about being able to express who you are without fear of judgement or the need to adhere to ANY stereotype. Tori Amos is a great spokeswoman for modern feminists
I dont think she is trying to be sexy she is telling about what happened to her I see it as being more dark then anything. I applaude her for being able to express something that is so personal publicaly.
I may be all wrong in my interpretation of this performance, but I didn't think she was trying to be sexy at all. I think she's angry and taking charge of a situation where she found herself powerless. I think it's beautiful that she's moved from where she was, to this point. I can certainly relate.
Apparently other people agree with your interpretation and can relate if your comment has +10 next to it! :-)
Which is probably why so many Tori fans are Ani fans as well. How cool would it be if Ani and Pip toured together...though it would have to last much longer than 5 1/2 weeks.
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All imma say is this. As a security guard at the Vic that night and many other nites, its things like this that hurt people. Because people taking taking video on their digital cameras, they will no longer be allowed at the Vic.
I agree with you. i feel like the song is about rape so why is she makin it sexy and moaning? People are whistling while she sings about rape...it makes me sad. I think watching what's happening to Tori is like watching what's happened to women's rights in general over the past 10 years. now everybody will hate on me and -1 my comment i'm sure, but i still dont' think rape is sexy...
Shes not trying to make it sexy, she is telling her story... anyone that can take an experience like that channel it in form of a song or poem is brilliant.
I just rad the lyrics and now I understand the song. This sound like she's not the victim anymore, but taking it out and becoming bitter and angry at the situation, rather sounding lonely and scared in the original. Great
Yeah i was raped with a knife and thought this performance was inspirational....Im sorry if some rape victims feel it is....But i thought Tori was amazing
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I do not like this take on ME AND A GUN at all. If it is healing to Tori, then good for her, but she never was sexually raped, she was emotionally and mentally raped. Also, it was not a gun, it was a knife. This does not lessen the pain, the trauma, or the effects of her experience, nor am I saying it should. I have been a victim of sexual assault and it is horrible. This darker version of ME AND A GUN is interesting, but as I said, I do not like it.
She was emotionally and mentally raped at knife point? I've never heard of such a thing. Hmm...I don't think you know what you're talking about. Read "Piece by Piece" or "All These Years" and then get back with me on that.
It's a known fact that Tori was raped by a "fan" who wanted a ride. I have read both those books you mention kittenmow. And in PBP she doesn't mention it- i just think at some point in the beginning of the book she says something like "i went to l.a. and we all know how that ended up". In all these years it IS mentioned she was raped.
ok i apologize to you kittenmow. I was stressing the rape fact and didn't notice the mentally and emotionally raped part. Yes it's silly. Ofcourse she was physically raped! To say she was mentally and emotionally raped is a joke.
She was sexually raped actually. It was by an acquaintance of sorts... I believe it was a man fan in the early stages of her career, when she was playing in bars, and he came to watch her play often. I'm pretty sure what happened is that she offered him a ride home after the show, and he attacked her... That's the story as I know it anyway.
That doesn't make any damned sense! I'm going to meet her tomorrow do you want me to ask her and video tape it for you and put it on here? Damn! She was PHYSICALLY RAPED! WHy the hell would someone "emotionally rape you" at knife point??????
Can you tell her that there is this girl named shanna and that she is a composer and she adores your music and hopefully she will be making an album and she has t get it.
I would have told her, if I had gotten this message before I drove down to Orlando. Yet, even still, I don't know if I would have remembered. I was slightly nervous. I forgot most of what I wanted to tell her and there, sadly, wasn't much time. She was very sweet. I actually gave her some original music of mine! It's cool you compose too!
you misunderstand me. but sorry, maybe i expressed it not so good. i know that she was physically raped. i`m a fan of tori since 1991 and so i know that. i`ve only wrote my opinion to a comment here. it`s awful to be raped; the same happened to me long time ago. but it`s also awful to be metally raped i tihink. i don`t wanted to hurt anybodys feelings!
I can understand that you prefer "Me and a gun" a capella, with no music. It's your appretiation, and it's ok; probably the words are so powerful that they don't need music.
Now, if you say that you didn't like because she was not sexually raped, and because it was not a gun... so girl, you should to go back to therapy NOW.
Thank you all for your replies. I was not insulting Tori in any way. I was merely pointing out that it was NOT a gun and she is using a gun as a prop. If this helps her, ROCK ON SISTA! I do think it comes across as fake, but as I said, if it helps her (and did not say: anyone else) then ROCK ON SISTA!
Am I the only one who finds this outrageous, especially for her own relationship with the song's subject matter?
LukeSuspended 7 months ago
So who let Juliette Lewis up on stage? Also, one wonders, has she been to Barbados yet? Seriousy, I know the subject matter of the song is serious, and she is exorcising her demons everytime she sings this song, so please, don't think I'm hating on Tori or anything. Quite the opposite, I have much respect for her.
hazelbays 8 months ago
Comment removed
hazelbays 8 months ago
Haters gonna hate.
Many Americans do not want women talking about this sort of stuff, much less getting on stage and rocking the hell out of it. The sentiment will continue to grow as long as elected conservative officials continue to drive this country backwards.
This performance is badass. Anybody who compares it to Kate Bush or Lady Gaga needs to clean out their ears.
pumpkinpjays 8 months ago 3
@pumpkinpjays Or Britney Spears. Good God, people. If you mistake bubblegum for talent, Tori Amos probably isn't for you.
pumpkinpjays 8 months ago
wow this song was really creepy without the instrumentation
now it's lost it's bite
also a britney spears knockoff?
everyone knows that Tori is a Kate Bush knockoff
cosmicbirds 11 months ago
WAR
EnemyCombatant74 1 year ago
I don't like this. Even though this is supposed to be more "intense" than the a capella, I really think the original is much more personal, terrifying, and unnerving than this. There was something about the juxtaposition between the subject matter and the sweet, quiet melody that really made me believe what she was saying and feel what she felt. I don't get that from this version.
sickofwaitingtables 1 year ago 3
@sickofwaitingtables Agreed. It loses its intensity with the distraction of the band and the cheering fans. This isn't a song you cheer for.
fumbler8 1 year ago
This song brings out the *true* aggression that I feel Tori has been holding back on for years and years. She stated she was inspired by watching "Thelma & Louise", which created this song. Her perpetrator held her at knife-point (not gunpoint like many others think, as per her interviews). She was left to die by a roadside (SPARK) . She pissed herself. Geez, who wouldn't? It's ugly, it's horrible, it's desecrating to women *or* men who have ever been in this sexually-brutal situation... and won
Spinny78 1 year ago 3
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It was inspired by a rape that occurred in LA when Amos was 21. After she performed at a bar, a patron asked her if he could have a ride home. She obliged, and he raped her at knifepoint (many journalists mistakenly state she was raped at gunpoint, possibly due to the song's title). She escaped. Years later, in London, Amos saw the film Thelma and Louise and was stirred. On the way to a show, she wrote the song in her head. That night, she performed the song a cappella.
Summersization 1 year ago
wow....CHILLS. fear, anger,and defiance all in the same performance.
FireStarr2 1 year ago 2
this was before lady ga ga posed with a gun you assholes...tori is one of the most respected female singer song wrighters on this planet and if you cant get her dont take it out o her abviously you too thick to get her, you need to go deeper than britney motherfucker...tori is brilliant and for those who does not know she was pip in this performance a 18 year old hooker wild child dirty girl, but i dont mind a dirty girl, a..d..i..r..t..y..girl, fantastic performance tori love you always!!!!!! x
placebointemposhark 1 year ago
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Tori Amos is, to say it politely, a hack. Yes, comrades, a hack. She is simply a talentless Britney Spears knockoff. All of her songs have computerized vocals and lame dance beats, making it blatantly obvious that she is desperate to be on MTV. Sorry hun but you'll NEVER be good enough to make it on MTV. Skip this junk and listen to a Britney Spears or Lady GaGa album. PS- "Me and a Gun" is hilarious!!
robinzhooded 1 year ago
Disturbing because it's so honest. I'm a bit miffed about the cheering too, I guess they're disconnected from the reality of what she's singing? I guess if you're there you do things in the heat of the moment. Also it's interesting to note that, people like Lady Gaga would pose with a gun to look "cool", but here it has meaning and purpose.
kevvie100 1 year ago 2
People love the violence she portrays in her rape.
aristrocatic 1 year ago
Yup. People can be idiots, especially in a big crowd scene. Add that they're probably drunk. I don't think they intend ill will. Stupidity isn't a crime.
davandk 2 years ago
@davandk cheering during this song isnt stupidity, maybe they really love the song, maybe they are cheering for toris voice? maybe they are cheering for her bravery with the song? many different reasons.
giannaluva65 1 year ago 3
Very powerful. You can tell she puts her all into it.
Not sure why people are cheering during the song though..
nikkii949 2 years ago 4
agreed, it's her most personal song, not to mention a song about rape...i don't understand why people are cheering
vm46 2 years ago
Holy F'ing god! I don't know what I would have done if she performed this at a concert I attended. Years ago, she performed M & A G, but nothing like this. So powerful. So emotional. So... I can't even describe.
FireThought 2 years ago
this is what hooked me-her brutal honesty
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this new ultra widescreen thing-YT is preparing to rent/show movies. ...not gonna catch on, i think
but if they would bump the mid-rez sound (44k) up to 48k that would be good
gennx30 2 years ago
fantastic,moves me to the core
PinkWerewolf1 2 years ago 2
this song is awesome
famousgogi 2 years ago
I think she must be very strong to be able to sing it that way, to go beyond her troma so that the song reaches another meaning, less personnal, more rebelious...
Typiquesasu 2 years ago 2
i love this song.
i am a victim, and im not afraid to say it anymore because i heard this song. she helped me get strong.
xPURPLExKILLERx 2 years ago 5
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LOL @ U! HAHAHAHAHAH!!!
revolutionday1 2 years ago
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wtf?
xPURPLExKILLERx 2 years ago
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she is a total fraud. she will even make up being raped to sell records.
she is a third rate kate bush wannabe.
JewishVegan 2 years ago
You're just too mature for life.
ChoirgirlHotel08 2 years ago
my god...
a defining moment for tori and me as well.
i loved the anger and passion in this song.
i like how she uses the knife to represent her attackers pain he caused her. and the gun element as well.
i wish i could've been there to feel the electricity going down my spine.
hunters116 2 years ago
i missed this tour. the 1st since 92. this song saved my life. thank you.
welcome2england 2 years ago
why it saved ur life?
lilkkka 2 years ago
She wrote it after she got raped at knife point.
OhNoPaypal 2 years ago
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She was totally "askin' for it"....
revolutionday1 2 years ago
How so?
OhNoPaypal 2 years ago
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Uhmmm...she had a vagina?? *SHRUG*
revolutionday1 2 years ago
So do you.
OhNoPaypal 2 years ago
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So does your dad, you sniveling bitch.
revolutionday1 2 years ago
I think I preffered a capella version. But still...
joasia989 2 years ago
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I love hot redhead chicks and guns. But this song sucks.
SaigaSlayer308 2 years ago
i know this feeling
seraphoftreason3 2 years ago 2
its so angry and agressive because this song expresses the anger after the rape
kunamuka 2 years ago 3
I think because the original version of the song is so moving, seeing this version (such an agressive version if you ask me) is naturally going to be difficult. Tori was playing as Pip though I guess...
HotFuss 2 years ago
i agree it's aggressive, this song is always so difficult to hear (the original version) but when i hear this version, i feel less like a victim. ?
wyguy3 2 years ago 2
i think this interpretation is a bit too forced. The gun at the end is a bit of an overkill. I guess she was in the moment....
who knows?
amphibian24 2 years ago
guess what yeayeayea, neither was tori!
koolaidnhemlock 2 years ago
"You see that, Trent Reznor? Women can be as brooding, dark, and angry as you, douchebag!"
Gregrg7 3 years ago
... What?
SilverSalvia 2 years ago 3
"Why would people cheer during/for this song?"
probably because they like the song.
if she didn't want people to cheer she didn't need to write the song and sell record.
largemoose 3 years ago
This is stunningly brave. I get chills: You can hear the anger and pain simmering in her voice here. In most other versions the anger is very understated, it's almost as if she's just speaking the facts, but here she seems to absolutely eclipse any shred of power he might have held over her emotionally. I love you Tori! Cannnn't for your next album!!! I listen to some of your songs when I'm getting ready to run a race/they relax and empower me.
notsosoft1 3 years ago 9
I agree! I got goosebumps the first time I heard this.. I do like this version a little more since you can feel the anger coming off of her.
razorslipped 3 years ago
I think the fact that this song has taken on a new interpetation is a honest portrayl of the emotional reaction humans experience. When something tragic happens to you, be it rape, death, etc., you don't stick with one reaction. In the original version, she was channeling the victimization without pleaing for pity. And here is the flip side: the victim who won't take the shit this man did, the shit she feels any more. A complete opposite, but emotionally honest of the evolution of her feelings.
bottlesbottles 3 years ago 4
Someone mentioned earlier that she could be expressing anger which I think is correct. She always sang this song a capella. This performance in Chicago was the first time she sang it with the band. It was in response to a local judge that had ruled that the rape of a prostitute was a "theft of services".
dineeze 3 years ago 29
Wow! Are you serious? "Theft of services" jesus christ...
Existantia 2 years ago
It was inspired by a rape that occurred in LA when Amos was 21. After she performed at a bar, a patron asked her if he could have a ride home. She obliged, and he raped her at knifepoint (many journalists mistakenly state she was raped at gunpoint, possibly due to the song's title). She escaped. Years later, in London, Amos saw the film Thelma and Louise and was stirred. On the way to a show, she wrote the song in her head. That night, she performed the song a cappella.
Summersization 1 year ago
@dineeze Thanks for the info! :) ... I love to know that kind of details, because you get a bigger more complete sense of what she's expressing.
janotosinnumeros 1 year ago
@dineeze fuckinEHrightis she was expressing anger! what a fucking brilliant~Beatuful Job She Gave TOO!
JustSomeGuy741 5 months ago
@dineeze It was actually Tori's account of her own rape at knife point..
Tricialeigh55 2 months ago
@Tricialeigh55 Yes I know. :) Powerful emotional song all the more so because it's so personal. My earlier comment was in reference to this specific performance.
dineeze 2 months ago
wow, "kool," like the misspelling of your name suggests, you're not only ignorant, but obviously not a victim of rape
yeahyeahyeahblah 3 years ago
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ugh.. jump goes the shark. another lame attempt to stay "relevant". just take the wig off, sit at the g-damn piano and sing pretty songs.
koolaidnhemlock 3 years ago
Nela Shut you fucking face, You know nothing about what Tori did or did not go threw, She can sing about it because she knows it.
mediawhoring 3 years ago 2
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Come on... its just drama what I see...
Just selling some more albums..
She is great! Almost all the time... but this song in particular is just drama... If she had been actually raped she will never dance to that song... never ever... Not even if her lifes goes on it... never...
I know she wasnt... the man just tried to, but couldnt... that's why she shouldn't talk (or sing) as if she knows... she was no idea!
Nela4 3 years ago
People have different emotions.
Not everyone reacts the same.
The rape was a long time ago. Don't act like you know her, because you don't.
GenieBella 3 years ago 3
And the same goes for you.
ChoirgirlHotel08 2 years ago
my interpetation is besides feeling fear and shame witch is associated with being violated sexually there comes ANGER and i think shes expressing that and shes also expressing the hugeness of such an event and how she has to make herself larger than that evil i totally think she crushes him here
avalon9276 3 years ago 2
fucking amazing now this is performance ART !!! GOOO PIP !!
avalon9276 3 years ago
Why would people cheer during/for this song?
LostinKashmir 3 years ago 6
Because since 1992 it has always been sung a cappela - no piano, no drums, no props. It was short, simple, and heartbreaking. This version makes me think that she's harnassing the anger and humiliation of rape and turning it into something even more powerful, a hint that she won't take it anymore. Especially with the gun aiming thing at the end, because though the song says "Me and a gun" in one interview a long time ago she said it was actually a knife the guy threatened her with.
hmihok 3 years ago 3
I think it makes it more theatrical
It's an emotional song that can be taken so many ways, Either fragile, or empowering, I think shes just trying to show both sides.
pumpkinxhead 3 years ago 3
This comment has received too many negative votes show
hmm, not what I thought it would be. She's trying TOO hard to make the song sound more emotional. She's doing that with a lot of songs lately. I must say, she was far more intense just on the piano or in case of Me and A Gun: acapella. What's wrong with doing it acapella, Tori? It suits you best... It suits the song best!
Samke11 3 years ago
too hard??? she wrote this song because she was raped and held at knife point by a junkie. wouldnt YOU be emotional???
butadujo 3 years ago 2
I just don't think these are the emotions Tori wanted to expose when she wrote the song 20 years ago. These aren't real emotions anymore, this is acting (according to me that is, I invite everyone to disagree (in a polite way lol)). I love Me & a Gun when it's merely about the emotions and not about trying to shock people more than the lyrics would. This song doesn't need more emotions, it doesn't need stage-acting. I believe this version is overcharged as in "dishonest".
Samke11 3 years ago
samke11 the woman was raped, she can express that any god damned fucking way she pleases! if she wants to sing me & a gun in a barney suit while jumping on a trampoline that's her damn choice!!!! you don't have to know whats going through her head, nobody who has never been raped would EVER understand. you do shit that seems right to YOU when you heal through your art. trying too hard? How the hell do you TRY HARD to show the emotion in something that really happened. just shut the fuck up.
failuretoupload 3 years ago 6
Of course she can perform as she pleases.Did I ever say she couldn't? Writing to me means closure. Like Alanis, I dont revisit pain when performing, I revisit it when writing. Afterwards the songs help to reminisce. Btw: No need to insult me for giving my point of view. Theres also no need in measuring pain,as in: you cant talk about it if you havent been through it. Not true, you dont know what other things I mightve been through. Pain is pain, there r no degrees, no scales and no levels!
Samke11 3 years ago
Wow! So intense!
This is what a true artist and performer is!
she gave her song a whole new meaning and blew everyone's mind ince again sining a song that gave us the chills 16 years ago.
neptuneorbit 3 years ago
This track is available in the US itunes store along with the rest of the concert, but unfortunately not in the UK store. I would love to have this version as an audio file. Would someone from the US be willing to buy the track for me and email me it and I will pay for it via paypal or buy a track that they want and send it to them?
I know its an odd request but I can't think of another way.
martianboy 3 years ago
Whoa, this song has a bar of 5/4 every 8th measure. Neat.
ShinerCCC 3 years ago
Does anyone know what made her do this on this day, in chicago? I wonder if Nov. 6th was the day the horrible incident occured, or if maybe someone told her a story that provoked her to do this, or if it had been planned for the tour??
bigblonde26 3 years ago
The vic is a very seedy place...It also is very intimate...when I saw her perform this it was like she was peforming in your living room. The vic just has a certain vibe to it that is perfect for this song. Tori has often said that is one of her favorite places to perform.
chair110 3 years ago
Oh my...what a haunting performance of Me and a Gun.
hillbillyprofane 3 years ago 2
Is there a way to get this but just as a song?
razorslipped 3 years ago
Download Audacity and record using "Stereo Mix" as the input while watching this video. Easy.
ShinerCCC 3 years ago
aaaaah.
I hope the new album will be this amazing and innovative and meotional...
GDGspire 3 years ago
If I see this live, my life would be complete,
I'd have some type of heart attack I bet.
depolarized 3 years ago 4
When I saw her perform this I was shaking and almost passed out. IT was so intense.
chair110 3 years ago
you're so lucky.
everything about this performance is so intense and fucking flawless.
depolarized 3 years ago
I love this different take on the song. It's so eerie and dark.. gives me goosebumps.
razorslipped 3 years ago 3
i agree with iheartrespekt you are an ass
januarygrl79 3 years ago
You are a terrible bastard.
iheartrespekt 3 years ago 2
Very intense an brilliant performance.
halfmind 3 years ago 17
Pip for president.
lipglossboost71 4 years ago 8
I like Isabel, too. Perhaps she could be her running mate...they certainly balance each other out, except that neither shies away from controversy!
pumpkinpjays 4 years ago
Notice how she takes the knife and puts it down to her private area where a penis would be on the man that raped her. Also, notice how she's sort-of saying that this instrument or body-part that can show love in a loving relationship, acted in a cutting way to her spirit like a knife would to the body. I found the symbolism really powerful. She uses her story to speak out and help others. Thanks Tori.
SheIsRisen13 4 years ago 6
I think it's actually a gun. It's hard t tell n this one, but in the other shorter ones from the same show, it's a large prop gun.
I think you observation still works either way, but at the end it is her taking power over the gun, no longer a victim of it.
VidBint 4 years ago
thanks for the comment. I was speaking at first about the knife just in the beginning. She also uses a gun, but I think I saw a knife just at the start. Could be mistaken though.
SheIsRisen13 4 years ago
actually it is strange. I watched it again and at first it looks like a shiny knife, but then it's a gun. Oh well....a dramatic performance nonetheless.
SheIsRisen13 4 years ago
I was there, and it was a knife at first, but then she dropped the knife and picked up a gun. Just so you know.
kalelian 3 years ago 2
yay!...thanks for helping us solve the puzzle. It was awesome you could be there.
SheIsRisen13 3 years ago
Yep. You're right. I was there too. Like five people away. Amazing show.
gbnewdle 3 years ago
it's a knife then a gun.
depolarized 3 years ago 2
i was at this show. me and my friends just thought she fucking owned that night. i kinda think the reason she did it in chicago at the vic theatre. was
1. she loves chicago and we always loved her more.
2.the vic is kinda a grungy rock and roll theatre...very low key and dark..so i thinked it matched this perfectly!
demon658 4 years ago 3
I could only watch this once when it first came out. I tried a second time, but had to stop. It just brought so much of my fury back up it made me sick. I couldn't handle it. She just brings every real emotion something like that can give you. I can listen to it easier now. She is an amazing woman with an amazing mission!!!
PreciousEarthquakes2 4 years ago 9
Haha, I love the controversy this video has sparked. That's sort of the point: to get people talking about something they don't like to talk about!
Sorry this was a one-and-only; I would have cut off a limb to witness this performance. As it was, I got Pip in Seattle, and she was BRILLIANT! Anyone who has been abused, in any way, can take comfort in the warrior who responds to Rabbit's howl. Pip's take on every song she sings is nothing short of transcendent!
pumpkinpjays 4 years ago 8
Wow.. I haven't thought about that Rabbit book for a while.
ScaryMints 4 years ago
Haha.
Tori is amazing but some of your comments are FUNNY.
BRCampbell21 4 years ago
pure raw sexual rage.
Her miscarraige probably retriggered memories of her rape.
I wish the best for her.
gennx30 4 years ago 5
Wait! She had another miscarraige after Tash?!
Or are you referring to a previous one?
PreciousEarthquakes2 4 years ago
ive known about the latter for a while-the former recently-so-no 2nd MC.
gennx30 4 years ago
actually she had a total of three miscarriages before she finally had her daughter.
ciararavenblaze 4 years ago
Oh. I see. Cause knew she had 3, but I thought you meant there was another one, after Tash. It made me even sadder then before!
PreciousEarthquakes2 4 years ago
I am shocked to see so much power. She totally owns the stage.
ellenamos 4 years ago 4
i heard she wouldnt do this song again because she felt she had gotten past the experience. its interesting how she changed it...
glitterdream 4 years ago
She feels it as she sings as you can see. Go Tori!!!
mobbyplay 4 years ago 2
OMG I am speechless!! I never thought she'd do this to this song... I couldn't be more sad to have missed getting to see this version live. THANK YOU so much for sharing!!
Adora2420 4 years ago
mhmmmmmmmmm
connyx 4 years ago
what tour is this from?
Beatbox84 4 years ago
American Doll Posse tour. 11-06-07
MrFyodor 4 years ago
this is completely stunning
nalafud 4 years ago
oh, i just realised allisonsbloomers said that already. lol. duh
SloppyCheeseFinger 4 years ago
this song is dark. it kinda hurts me watching it, just because of the hurt surrounding the subject.
but then look deeper and it's empowering. I think she used the props to show how she has taken control of what happened.
Some of the older comments on this vid are unbelievable.
SloppyCheeseFinger 4 years ago 2
HOLLY SHIT! I would've sold my organs to see this
luiscueto 4 years ago 7
Wow. Holy f'n Shit. This gave me chills. I think this is very empowering. My interpretation is that this exemplifies her taking the body memories of having the knife at her throat and re-associating them with something that SHE has control over. Instead of it being a place where she feels powerless, she now has the power of the situation. She's a genious. And as triggering as this video can be, it's also very healing. Thank you once again Tori. You rock....
allisonsbloomers 4 years ago 11
I totally agree with you. I think the people that put the thumbs down have never experienced this type of violence. You are getting a thumbs up from me! I understand what the meaning of this is.
italndiva 4 years ago
it's an ancient tale... i like how she's reinvented it
terrellbrinlee 4 years ago 3
I Fu**ing love you tori saw you here in Minneapolis in Nov and you were terrific. All hail tori
Drewtinski 4 years ago 3
So I pretty much think that Tori Amos is the sexiest thing ever, and I don't find this to be sexy at all. If anything, it's INCREDIBLY intense and passionate, and I admire her for being able to tell her story with that level of emotion.
CarrieVeronica 4 years ago 5
I think feminism is about being able to express who you are without fear of judgement or the need to adhere to ANY stereotype. Tori Amos is a great spokeswoman for modern feminists
leisleigh 4 years ago 7
I dont think she is trying to be sexy she is telling about what happened to her I see it as being more dark then anything. I applaude her for being able to express something that is so personal publicaly.
leisleigh 4 years ago 8
I may be all wrong in my interpretation of this performance, but I didn't think she was trying to be sexy at all. I think she's angry and taking charge of a situation where she found herself powerless. I think it's beautiful that she's moved from where she was, to this point. I can certainly relate.
NotAPrettyGirl85 4 years ago 13
Apparently other people agree with your interpretation and can relate if your comment has +10 next to it! :-)
Which is probably why so many Tori fans are Ani fans as well. How cool would it be if Ani and Pip toured together...though it would have to last much longer than 5 1/2 weeks.
...i am not an angry girl
but it seems like i've got everyone fooled
every time i say something
they find hard to hear
they chalk it up to my anger,
never to their own fear...
pumpkinpjays 3 years ago
wow. that gave me chills. i think it's interesting to see how she expresses that song these days.
of course, it's her song, her story...she can tell it how she wants to tell it. i think it was brilliant.
indiethought 4 years ago 2
holy shit that was amazing and kind of disturbing.
myporchlight 4 years ago
don't feed the troll, everyone
GDGspire 4 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
tori amos was never raped. period
toriwasneverraped 4 years ago
How do you know?
ScaryMints 4 years ago 2
This comment has received too many negative votes show
wtf?
toriwasneverraped 4 years ago
absolutely brilliant
genius
pyrec 4 years ago 2
I love Tori Amos.
apenek 4 years ago 4
This comment has received too many negative votes show
All imma say is this. As a security guard at the Vic that night and many other nites, its things like this that hurt people. Because people taking taking video on their digital cameras, they will no longer be allowed at the Vic.
freakzilla99 4 years ago
take the pole out of your ass
jinzing 4 years ago 3
I had your screen name back in the 90's when it was cool. Oh wait it wasn't cool anymore after that guy from Newsradio said it was his.
ScaryMints 4 years ago
i don't like it :(
tRUebLUegOd 4 years ago
I agree with you. i feel like the song is about rape so why is she makin it sexy and moaning? People are whistling while she sings about rape...it makes me sad. I think watching what's happening to Tori is like watching what's happened to women's rights in general over the past 10 years. now everybody will hate on me and -1 my comment i'm sure, but i still dont' think rape is sexy...
natashaclaire 4 years ago 2
Shes not trying to make it sexy, she is telling her story... anyone that can take an experience like that channel it in form of a song or poem is brilliant.
Boobalopbop 4 years ago 8
o so cool my name is tori too
hottiealert911roxy 4 years ago
I just rad the lyrics and now I understand the song. This sound like she's not the victim anymore, but taking it out and becoming bitter and angry at the situation, rather sounding lonely and scared in the original. Great
izakteaz 4 years ago 3
Are you not a fan of Tori? i think thats a really cool comment from someone who doesnt know the song :)
belthecraziac 4 years ago 4
She's not Myra Ellen, not even Tori. She is Pip, that's important.The other woman she had almost without her noticing. Almost.
mobbyplay 4 years ago 3
great perfomance, maybe a bit hard.
but great as always.
MIK
michelemoricci 4 years ago 2
Yeah i was raped with a knife and thought this performance was inspirational....Im sorry if some rape victims feel it is....But i thought Tori was amazing
belthecraziac 4 years ago 3
This comment has received too many negative votes show
I do not like this take on ME AND A GUN at all. If it is healing to Tori, then good for her, but she never was sexually raped, she was emotionally and mentally raped. Also, it was not a gun, it was a knife. This does not lessen the pain, the trauma, or the effects of her experience, nor am I saying it should. I have been a victim of sexual assault and it is horrible. This darker version of ME AND A GUN is interesting, but as I said, I do not like it.
jigaboojew 4 years ago
She was emotionally and mentally raped at knife point? I've never heard of such a thing. Hmm...I don't think you know what you're talking about. Read "Piece by Piece" or "All These Years" and then get back with me on that.
kittenmow 4 years ago 4
It's a known fact that Tori was raped by a "fan" who wanted a ride. I have read both those books you mention kittenmow. And in PBP she doesn't mention it- i just think at some point in the beginning of the book she says something like "i went to l.a. and we all know how that ended up". In all these years it IS mentioned she was raped.
raz1980 4 years ago
ok i apologize to you kittenmow. I was stressing the rape fact and didn't notice the mentally and emotionally raped part. Yes it's silly. Ofcourse she was physically raped! To say she was mentally and emotionally raped is a joke.
Again apologies to kittenmow
raz1980 4 years ago
It's okay :o) Wuvs and hugs Tori fan to Tori fan.
kittenmow 4 years ago 2
right back at ya "ear with feet".:-)
raz1980 4 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
but she never was sexually raped, she was emotionally and mentally raped
what`s the different? it doesn`t matter, i think...
tacailja 4 years ago
She was sexually raped actually. It was by an acquaintance of sorts... I believe it was a man fan in the early stages of her career, when she was playing in bars, and he came to watch her play often. I'm pretty sure what happened is that she offered him a ride home after the show, and he attacked her... That's the story as I know it anyway.
firebug089 4 years ago 3
That doesn't make any damned sense! I'm going to meet her tomorrow do you want me to ask her and video tape it for you and put it on here? Damn! She was PHYSICALLY RAPED! WHy the hell would someone "emotionally rape you" at knife point??????
kittenmow 4 years ago
WHAT
YOUR MEETING HER
OMG OH MY GOD!
HreNmyhead 4 years ago
Yes :o) I paid for a VIP ticket to do so but, it's well worth it. YAY!!
kittenmow 4 years ago
omg, your so lucky. Isnt that in Carolina or Texas Or something.
HreNmyhead 4 years ago
No, it's in Orlando, FL. :o) I'm excited!
kittenmow 4 years ago
Can you tell her that there is this girl named shanna and that she is a composer and she adores your music and hopefully she will be making an album and she has t get it.
I love you, omg i wanna see her
HreNmyhead 4 years ago
ah, sorry that was a pretty difficult favor of you. You dont need to. lol
HreNmyhead 4 years ago
I would have told her, if I had gotten this message before I drove down to Orlando. Yet, even still, I don't know if I would have remembered. I was slightly nervous. I forgot most of what I wanted to tell her and there, sadly, wasn't much time. She was very sweet. I actually gave her some original music of mine! It's cool you compose too!
kittenmow 4 years ago
oh my god. your so lucky. you compose too thats so awesome.
woww. If I met her I would have died the next day happily
did you actually get to have a conversation with her
and do you have an screen name for AIM cuase im commenting too much on this one clip. lol
HreNmyhead 4 years ago
hi kittenmow,
you misunderstand me. but sorry, maybe i expressed it not so good. i know that she was physically raped. i`m a fan of tori since 1991 and so i know that. i`ve only wrote my opinion to a comment here. it`s awful to be raped; the same happened to me long time ago. but it`s also awful to be metally raped i tihink. i don`t wanted to hurt anybodys feelings!
tacailja 4 years ago 2
What do you mean not sexually raped? Of course she was physically abused at knife point.
bommelbot 4 years ago
I can understand that you prefer "Me and a gun" a capella, with no music. It's your appretiation, and it's ok; probably the words are so powerful that they don't need music.
Now, if you say that you didn't like because she was not sexually raped, and because it was not a gun... so girl, you should to go back to therapy NOW.
waitressboy 4 years ago
Thank you all for your replies. I was not insulting Tori in any way. I was merely pointing out that it was NOT a gun and she is using a gun as a prop. If this helps her, ROCK ON SISTA! I do think it comes across as fake, but as I said, if it helps her (and did not say: anyone else) then ROCK ON SISTA!
PS - I am a male.
jigaboojew 4 years ago
A