Take a walk down memory lane with me
Past a watermelon stand on the way
Thinking I had everything we'd need
on Martha's Foolish Ginger
You were late
How could I forget what you said-
the part about that
"Love taking over your life"
was not in your plan
If those harbour lights had just been a half a mile inland
who knows what I would have done
If those harbour lights had just been a half a mile inland
who knows what I would have done
Through the cliffs
out of the Bay I went
From the starboard side
I could black my visions and my passions-
They keep me awake
If those harbour lights had just been a half a mile inland
who knows what I would have done
If those harbour lights had just been a half a mile inland
who knows what I would have done
A familiar voice
"Hi. Surprise.
I've been searching trying to find you"
I couldn't speak
my hands reached for Martha's Foolish Ginger
We talked until the moon came up
About how life without love
isn't worth very much
Then I played this song
If those harbour lights had just been a half a mile inland
who knows what I would have done
If those harbour lights had just been a half a mile inland
who knows what I would have done
what I would have done
what I would have done
"Memories that we have yet" you said
"To make like our Burning Bed..."
Love, don't mistake that it wasn't safe
on Martha's Foolish Ginger.
Tori Quotes
I've got one song I've just finished which only had a title -- "Martha's Foolish Ginger" -- and a chorus: "If those harbour lights had just been half a mile inland who knows what I would have done." I've actually been working on this song for eight years but couldn't figure out how to finish it. Then I suddenly realized the title was the name of her boat. And with that it was liberated, unlocked and everything came clear." [Word - February 2005]
I started writing this one years ago, when I was close to the water, on tour somewhere. I had only a seed idea of it, but it has stayed with me for a while now. On the Lottapianos Tour during the summer of 2003, when we were in San Francisco, I was by the bay again. The song began to come back to me. Once again I began to understand the female character I needed to embody, I was able to finish the piece, but a real turning point was when I was able to see the character's boat, which she called Martha's Foolish Ginger: sailing out of the bay and into the Pacific Ocean. [Tori Amos: Piece by Piece]
Live Versions
"Martha's Foolish Ginger"
September 25, 2009 - Vienna, Austria
"Martha's Foolish Ginger"
June 9, 2015 - Helsinki, Finland
"Mancunian baby" improv / "Martha's Foolish Ginger"
October 5, 2017 - Manchester, England
"Martha's Foolish Ginger"
July 23, 2023 - San Diego, California
t o r i p h o r i a tori amos digital archive yessaid.com
