Natalie Merchant Quotes

57 Sourced Quotes

Trouble me
disturb me with all your cares and you worries
trouble me
on the days when you feel spent

Natalie Merchant
Speak to me
don't mislead me, the calm I feel means a storm is swelling
there's no telling where it starts or how it ends

Natalie Merchant
After spending nearly 20 years contracted to a major label, I have mixed feelings about their demise. These companies have profited immensely from your insatiable desire for listening and helped musicians for several decades to reach you. They grew fat and excessive. They exploited and they monopolized. They edited and censured. They've been rapidly losing their means of production, distribution and promotion to the internet. They have been economizing by dropping artists, cutting staff and folding into one another but they can't keep up with the pace of disintegration. You might not have ever heard my name if Elektra Records hadn't made me one of their artists for hire. I'm both grateful and resentful and you probably are too.

Natalie Merchant
Who do you believe?
who will you listen to
who will it be?
it's high time that you decide
in your own mind

Natalie Merchant
There is one tradition in America I am proud to inherit. It is our first freedom and the truest expression of our Americanism: the ability to dissent without fear. It is our right to utter the words, "I disagree." We must feel at liberty to speak those words to our neighbors, our clergy, our educators, our news media, our lawmakers and, above all, to the one among us we elect President.

Natalie Merchant
Who will draw the calvary in
risk his very own precious skin
to make our Angelinia a free and peaceful land again?
Henry
who'll love a poor orphan child?
Henry Darger

Natalie Merchant
Let me
have a look inside these eyes while I'm learning
please don't hide them just because of tears

Natalie Merchant
Doctors have come from distant cities
just to see me
stand over my bed
disbelieving what they're seeing
they say I must be one of the wonders
of god's own creation
and as far as they can see they can offer
no explanation

Natalie Merchant
I saw my first Henry Darger collage/paintings in the early 1980's when the tale of Henry's life was just emerging through rumor and scattered fragments of his book. He lived and died a recluse in Chicago where no one knew of his writings or paintings. There was a folk art gallery in New Orleans that had acquired a small pile of Realms of the Unreal illustrations. I was on tour with REM at the time, Michael Stipe and I visited the gallery where we had a first look at these images of seven little horrified girls pursued by a purple and orange winged cats or evil professors on horseback or resting peacefully under giant sunflowers. I was completely captivated and intrigued.

Natalie Merchant
These days you might feel a shaft of light
make its way across your face
and when you do
you'll know how it was meant to be
see the signs and know their meaning

Natalie Merchant
Have I been blind
have I been lost
inside myself and
my own mind
hypnotized
mesmerized
by what my eyes have seen?

Natalie Merchant
O, I believe
fate smiled and destiny
laughed as she came to my cradle
know this child will be able
laughed as she came to my mother
know this child will not suffer
laughed as my body she lifted
know this child will be gifted
with love, with patience and with faith
she'll make her way

Natalie Merchant
For the time being I am enjoying my chance to enjoy civilian life off the road. If I combined all the months that I have lived out of a van or tour bus it would amount to twelve solid years. That would be twelve years of driving or flying an average of 100 to 400 miles per day and sleeping in a different city every night. It was a very unique lifestyle that I adapted to and even enjoyed with it's surreal pace. It's also a lifestyle that can take a toll on the body and relationships with the people that you are constantly leaving behind.

Natalie Merchant
Ophelia was a bride of god
a novice Carmelite
in sister cells the cloister bells
tolled on her wedding night

Natalie Merchant
They told you life is hard
it's misery from the start
it's dull and slow and painful
I tell you life is sweet
in spite of the misery
there's so much more
be grateful

Natalie Merchant
My drug period was between the age of 17 and 18. That was a time when I was experimenting with a lot of things, I was experimenting with sleep deprivation, fasting. The longest fast I ever did was 12 days. You go that long without food and you hallucinate. I would take this powder made out of guarana seed, my friend Mary would bake it up like cocoa in muffins and leave them on my doorstep. My drinking period was when I was 13, 14. Drugs fascinated me for a short period of time but not any more. A glass of wine puts me in a weird enough state.

Natalie Merchant
It's pretty obvious to everyone that the revolution has happened. The People can now easily cut out a hoard of middlemen (record companies, radio stations, music press and retail shops). With a series of computer strokes they can find the music they want to hear, become informed about the musicians who make it, find other people who share their interest and ultimately either buy, trade or steal that coveted sound.

Natalie Merchant
You'll know it's true, that you are blessed and lucky
it's true, that you are touched by something
that will grow and bloom in you

Natalie Merchant
You've been so kind and generous
I don't know how you keep on giving
for your kindness I'm in debt to you
for your selflessness, my admiration
and for everything you've done
you know I'm bound...
I'm bound to thank you for it

Natalie Merchant
Who'll save the poor little girl?
oh, Henry...
who'll tell the story of her?
Henry Darger

Natalie Merchant
Hey Jack
now for the tricky part
when you were the brightest star
who were the shadows?
of the San Francisco beat boys
you were the favorite
now they sit and rattle their bones
and think of their blood stoned days

Natalie Merchant
These sobering sights I've seen
in the City of Angels
have all been one rude awakening
that was due to me
in this city of fallen angels

Natalie Merchant
I need
a lullaby
a kiss goodnight
angel sweet
love of my life
o, I need this

Natalie Merchant
Once I could love, I could trust, I could not doubt
but that was just about the worst thing that I could do
it was just about the worst thing that I could do

Natalie Merchant
Once I was open, could hope, I had no doubt
but that was the worst thing that I could do

Natalie Merchant
Your face saving promises
whispered like prayers
I don't need them

Natalie Merchant
Talk, talk, talk about it
you talk as if you care
but when your talk is over
tilt that bottle in the air
tossing back more than your share

Natalie Merchant