Mother Lyrics
Go, go, go, go, now
Out of the nest, it's time
Go, go, go, now
Circus girl without a safety net
Here, here, now, don't cry
You raised your hand for the assignment
Tuck those ribbons under
Your helmet, be a good soldier
[Pre-Chorus]
First my left foot
Then my right behind the other
Pantyhose running in the cold
[Chorus]
Mother, the car is here
Somebody leave the light on
Green limousine for the redhead
Dancing, dancing girl
And when I dance for him
Somebody leave the light on
Just in, just in case I like the dancing
I can remember where I come from
[Verse 2]
I walked into your dream
And now I've forgotten
How to dream my own dream
You are the clever one, aren't you?
Brides in veils for you
We told you all of our secrets
All but one, now don't you even try
The phone has been disconnected
Dripping with blood
And with time and with your advice
Poison me against the moon
[Chorus]
Mother, the car is here
Somebody leave the light on
Black Chariot for the redhead
Dancing, dancing girl
He's gonna change my name
Maybe he'll leave the light on
Just in, just in case I like the dancing
I can remember where I come from
[Bridge]
I escape into, your escape into
Our very favorite fearscape
It's across the sky
And across my heart
And I cross my legs
Oh my God
[Pre-Chorus]
First my left foot
Then my right behind the other
Breadcrumbs lost under the snow
Mother
Mother, the car is here
Here, maybe, maybe he'll leave the light on
For the, for the, for the dancing girl
He's gonna change my name
Maybe he'll leave the light
Just in case I like the dancing
I can remember where I come, come from
[Outro]
Mother, mother, mother
About
This song, written during one of Tori’s strongly feminist periods as a songwriter, depicts the relationship between a girl and her mother as the younger woman makes her way from girlhood to adulthood. It emphasizes the strong pull of patriarchal values, which Tori was outspoken about at the time. She comments,
“I love that song. Mother. It’s not just a song about a mother-daughter relationship, it’s so much more… The way you can split up yourself, which means the way you judge a certain part of yourself… The deluge/flood had to do with judgements. Some kind of energy is taking power over you when you start blaming yourself and condemn yourself. ” [Oor – March 7, 1992]
The “Mother” of this song represents not only the flesh and blood mother of the character, but women throughout time and even “Mother Earth” itself.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning