Lily is dancing
on the table
We've all been
Pushed
Too far
I guess on days
like this
you know who your
friends are
Just another Dead Fag
to you, that's all
Just another Light missing
on a long taxi ride
taxi ride
And I'm down to
Your last cigarette and
this "We are one" crap
as you're invading
This thing you call
Love - she smiles
way too much but
I'm glad you're
on my side, sure
I'm glad you're on
my side still
You think you deserve
a trust fund
Just because you
Want one
Sure you talk the talk
when you need to
I fear
the whole world is
starting to
Believe you
Just another Dead Fag
to you, that's all
Just another Light missing
in a long taxi line
taxi line
And I'm down to
Your last cigarette and
this "We are one" crap
as you're invading
This thing you call
Love - she smiles
way too much but
I'm glad you're
on my side, sure
I'm glad you're on
my side still
Lily is dancing
on the
table
We've all been pushed
Too far today
Even a glamorous
Bitch can be in
need
this is where you know
the Honey
from the
Killer Bees
and I'm glad you're on
my side
sure
I'm glad you're on
my side
sure
I'm glad you're on
my side still
Got a long taxi ride
Got a long taxi ride
Tori Quotes
Scarlet and Mrs. Jesus part in Chicago, where Scarlet looks up old friends. There she learns of the death of a gay friend and resolves to visit his house in Baton Rouge, before traveling on to New Orleans.
"Taxi Ride" is about how people react to death and the betrayal that can happen even after death. [Scarlet's Walk bio]
Once she gets to Chicago, she's meeting up with people, mostly women, who have lost a gay friend. And in his death, she's kind of seeing what it brings out in people, and who some of these women really are. Not who she thought they were. Disillusionment can um... and in some cases she kind of knew all along that some of them... some of it didn't surprise her. But she's seeing... what, again, what people are really made up of. And, you know, this isn't the outside now, this is not the enemy. The terrorists, you know, the terrorism just happened back in New York City. This is something, these were friends, acquaintances maybe, in some cases. And the betrayal is there. So the idea of betraytal, you know, there are all sorts, there are all kinds of betraytal. And I think she's trying to come to terms with that inside. The betrayal of an outside force, where then you become defensive and nationalistic, and then the betray that, wow, you're completely stripped bare because it's from the inside, it's an inside job. I really liked the idea that Scarlet takes a taxi... all the way, all the way down. Because, let's face it, the people, she doesn't want to hitch a ride with anybody she knows, are you kidding me? I kind of love the idea that all these things can happen in this stranger's car. It's always fascinated me, you know, the things that I say in taxi cabs... over the years, all over the world. So that's a little bit of my own kind of... read on it. [Scarlet Stories]
The odd thing about "Taxi Ride" was that this song was being written before he died, and he even heard that line, "just another dead fag to you." I was writing it as part of another song about a gay guy who was dying of AIDS. He miraculously recovered, and the song didn't get written. It started propelling itself again early this year, and Kevyn and I were having conversations, and I didn't know what was coming. But I knew he was in a lot of pain, and he felt betrayed by people who weren't there when he was in need. Then everybody who shows up in his death can give a statement, but they weren't there in the trenches. His death brought up a lot of things in people -- some lovely and some despicable and disgusting. "Taxi" is for Kevyn. [Out - November 2002]
Live Versions
"Taxi Ride"
April 16, 2003 - Los Angeles, California The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
improv for Kevyn Aucoin / "Taxi Ride"
July 24, 2009 - Grand Prairie, Texas
"Taxi Ride"
October 5, 2012 - New York, New York
"Taxi Ride"
September 14, 2017 - Utrecht, Netherlands
t o r i p h o r i a tori amos digital archive yessaid.com
