Natalie Merchant: Trending quotes (page 3)

“where in hell can you go
far from the things that you know
far from the sprawl of concrete
that keeps crawling its way
about 1,000 miles a day?”

“Ophelia's mind went wandering
you'd wonder where she'd gone
through secret doors
down corridors
she'd wander them alone”

“take a look at my body
look at my hands
there's so much here
that I don't understand”

“let me
have a look inside these eyes while I'm learning
please don't hide them just because of tears”

“where is the halo
that should glow 'round your face
and where are the wings that
should grow from your shoulder blades?”

“motherland cradle me
close my eyes
lullaby me to sleep
keep me safe
lie with me
stay beside me
don't go, don't you go”

“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”

“people ruthless, people cruel
see the damage that some people do
full of hatred, full of pride
it's enough to make you lose your mind”

“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”

“Ophelia was a circus queen
the female cannonball
projected through five flaming hoops
to wild and shocked applause…”

“heaven, is this heaven where we are?”

“threats like, "if you don't mind I will beat on your behind"
"slap you, slap you silly" made me say,
"o, what's the matter here?"”

“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”

“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.”

“have I been blind
have I been lost
inside myself and
my own mind
hypnotized
mesmerized
by what my eyes have seen?”

“see them walking, if you dare
if you call that walking
stumble, stagger, fall and drag themselves
along the streets of heaven”

“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”

“what a cold and rainy day
where on earth is the sun hid away?”

“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.”