I know it's a cliche but, there really is no one like her. Her voice her style and her lyrics. And she is among the most evolved humans. Very empathic and concerned about human issues.
Her dance, my God, in touch with the most natural soul purity. Play this entire video in my funeral, please, cause I want upstair to heaven beside their movements!
I saw her live back in 1996 and it was amazing! She wore a tight light blue shirt and was braless. As she danced her breasts heaved back and forth hypnotically. It was beautiful.
Childhood friendship. Natalie and I grew up, not at the same time, but in the same area, which is Chautauqua County, NY, right next to Lake Erie. Has a couple of modestly-sized cities, but Stockton is one of the tiniest villages in the county. There are miles between houses, and everything in between is vineyards, desolate farms, and what's left of the forest. Couldn't tell you a thing about the friendship she writes about, but she definitely paints a picture of what those rural villages look and feel like.
When Letterman said, "here we go" at the end of introducing them, he knew what he was talking about. Merchant at her best was the very definition of an exciting live performer.
Oh, how much I love Natalie and the 10,000 Maniacs. Look at her! Her voice, her movements, all the bandmembers they all gel so magically. I absolutely love this performance live. My favorite album by them is Our Time In Eden. Noah’s Dove… That song to me is…. Indescribable.
I found this explanation of this song on the Song Meanings Website by a poster by the name of ReactorFour which seems to summarize the meaning very well: "This song references a period from Natalie's childhood. Stockton, New York is in Chautauqua County, near Jamestown where Natalie grew up and attended Jamestown Community College, where 10,000 Maniacs was formed. It tries to evoke a time when here eyes were wide open and she was experiencing everything with a crystal clarity that only a child could achieve. She felt free and uninhibited. There is an intentional ambiguity in the words: In some cases she seems to be referring to another girl, a childhood friend. At other times, she seems to be reflecting on herself, looking back at herself in the past. and marveling at how unrestrained she was as a child. Her lines "how I've learned to hide, how I've locked inside, you'd be surprised if shown" refer to the process of growing up. How as she matured, she had to give up her uninhibited nature, and suppress the exuberant side of herself. It speaks of conforming to society's expectations of demure and proper behavior. But it also touches on the reality of self-doubt and insecurity that everyone feels. That carefree girl would be shocked by the quieter and more restrained adult that she would become. Natalie's onstage presence, her unselfconscious dancing and spinning seem to embody the lyrics of this song."
Thanks for the info! I live less than a half hour from Jamestown and the bassist Steve is a teacher at jcc I met him when I was in high school we had a tech competition up there
The women, and it was 93, and the Maniacs had been around for a decade and more, but yeah, they're super cute...Merchant is amazing, but my dude, come with us to the next century?
Letterman and Leno both seemed to really love Natalie Merchant and 10,000 Maniacs. I think Dave was a little bit reserved at how much he liked the performance because it would make it seem like he didn't like other performers on the show nearly as much. Leno would also try to hide just how much he liked their performances on the Tonight Show.
@@davidsauer5831 Unfortunately I agree. I saw her and the band numerous times in the 1980's. After she went solo O saw her a couple of times too, and she said things "what was the name of that band I was in ?" I cringed
This is Morgan Fichter who briefly played in Camper van Beethoven. Interestingly, some clips of this song also feature Natalie's replacement, Mary Ramsey, on viola.
Love this song, love 10,000 Maniacs, and I love the sound of Natalie's voice, but, just gonna say it, she has some of the worst mush-mouth I have ever heard in this performance. The second verse is almost incomprehensible, and it sucks. Fun fact: the girl in the bucket hat visible over Natalie's shoulder who's playing the viola is Mary Ramsey, who replaced Natalie on lead vocals after she went solo.
This probably gave her the crap idea that she could just hire some studio hacks for her backing band to replace the Maniacs. Although Rob Buck seems like a real drag behind her happy energy.
Duncan...absolutely love the original band...played In my Tribe over and over from Vermont to Minnesota and back - And have really liked a lot of Merchant's solo work...not liked others- But - have never heard her or seen her perform with studio hacks as you put it...she is a perfectionist like most great artists
![Warhammer 40k: Space Marine 2 | เพื่อจักรพรรดิ ! [ตอนเดียวจบ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4M0ckYMA4-U/mqdefault.jpg)
She is magical. No wonder she's been doing this for 40 years. We're all richer for having heard her sing.
I know it's a cliche but, there really is no one like her. Her voice her style and her lyrics. And she is among the most evolved humans. Very empathic and concerned about human issues.
And the more I listen to this song, the more I think that she's looking back at herself as a young woman, and singing about herself.
This period was the peak of 10,000 Maniacs
where the hell was I in 93 , thank God I have I have found the real talent of the day ... her voice , her voice ...
RIP Rob Buck, guitars. You are sorely missed. Heaven must be happy with your music up there!
How could they be that good? This is art.
+trysometruth Knocked it out of the park.
She may have been one of the most mesmerizing female vocalists ever.
She still is.
God I love her dancing, her singing of course is out of this world
I could watch her dance and listen to her sing, for the rest of my life.
Her dance, my God, in touch with the most natural soul purity. Play this entire video in my funeral, please, cause I want upstair to heaven beside their movements!
I'm learning it for open mic for fun (I sing and play guitar) and as I dial in the music and lyrics, I'm also looking at her moves and showpersonship.
Ooh, by far my fave 10,000 Maniacs song when performed live.
Or, as I refer to them post-1993, as "9,999 Maniacs". They got rid of the best one! :)
Starting at minute 3:00, it may be one of the best live music moments of band and singer I have ever seen. Unbelievable blend of musicianship.
I’ve seen this about a dozen times and still get chills
I agree completely.
The pure energy this woman is gifting on stage, live, is something I few times saw. Unbelievable.
I saw her live back in 1996 and it was amazing! She wore a tight light blue shirt and was braless. As she danced her breasts heaved back and forth hypnotically. It was beautiful.
And that dance
My Grandpa had a farm and 300 acres in Stockton NY. Going to Stockton Gala Days was highlight of summer. So many memories! TY 10,000 Maniacs!
"Violet serene like none I have seen/apart from dreams that escape me" is still one of my favorite lines in any song ever.
For me as well. I once had a dream I was in Stockton at street fair and meet a girl with purple hair.
This is one of those songs that I have no idea what it’s about but I absolutely love it.
Childhood friendship. Natalie and I grew up, not at the same time, but in the same area, which is Chautauqua County, NY, right next to Lake Erie. Has a couple of modestly-sized cities, but Stockton is one of the tiniest villages in the county. There are miles between houses, and everything in between is vineyards, desolate farms, and what's left of the forest. Couldn't tell you a thing about the friendship she writes about, but she definitely paints a picture of what those rural villages look and feel like.
The lyrics and Natalie's voice are magic. And the violin is absolutely amazing, watching this makes me wish I could play it decently!
Rob and Natalie were pure perfection
Timeless it's just so good.
What a find -- this is my new favorite version of this song.
Stunning, four minutes of pure joy!
Their best song to hear live in concert.
people like natalie make being alive much better
Yes! Her music brings me such joy!
That live version on MTV Unplugged was epic
Ditto, my good man.
Probably the best unplugged performance
This is great, but, the Unplugged instrumentation was cracking
Spectacular!!!!
I still get the shivers and goosebumps when I hear her voice!
She makes my skin tingle. So beautiful at 29 yo.
I was 34 and in love with a woman her age who looked so much like her.
When Letterman said, "here we go" at the end of introducing them, he knew what he was talking about. Merchant at her best was the very definition of an exciting live performer.
Agreed. Dave realized that he was in the presence of greatness.
Mean fiddler and Merchant on great form. Saw these in Manchester UK 1990 ish. Excellent band.
Damn, this is a fabulous song.
Mtv unplugged, wow, this album was phenomenal. Live music is God. PURE JOY thank you so very much.
"PURE JOY" ~ exactly!
the 80's and 90's were awesome
One of the best songs ever written
Brilliant
Oh, how much I love Natalie and the 10,000 Maniacs. Look at her! Her voice, her movements, all the bandmembers they all gel so magically. I absolutely love this performance live. My favorite album by them is Our Time In Eden. Noah’s Dove… That song to me is…. Indescribable.
RIP Robert, and thank you. I truly hope you are at peace now.
A wonderful band. Natalie’s voice is amazing, no one quite like her.
I lost track of music in the past, I can't tell you how much it is good to hear you ,you are a fine band and what vocals
Oh man, I hav always had the hots for Natalie Merchant. What an attractive woman!
From the immediate post-80s when life still made sense... what a perfect moment perfectly captured, especially 3:00!
I found this explanation of this song on the Song Meanings Website by a poster by the name of ReactorFour which seems to summarize the meaning very well:
"This song references a period from Natalie's childhood. Stockton, New York is in Chautauqua County, near Jamestown where Natalie grew up and attended Jamestown Community College, where 10,000 Maniacs was formed.
It tries to evoke a time when here eyes were wide open and she was experiencing everything with a crystal clarity that only a child could achieve. She felt free and uninhibited. There is an intentional ambiguity in the words: In some cases she seems to be referring to another girl, a childhood friend. At other times, she seems to be reflecting on herself, looking back at herself in the past. and marveling at how unrestrained she was as a child.
Her lines "how I've learned to hide, how I've locked inside, you'd be surprised if shown" refer to the process of growing up. How as she matured, she had to give up her uninhibited nature, and suppress the exuberant side of herself. It speaks of conforming to society's expectations of demure and proper behavior. But it also touches on the reality of self-doubt and insecurity that everyone feels. That carefree girl would be shocked by the quieter and more restrained adult that she would become.
Natalie's onstage presence, her unselfconscious dancing and spinning seem to embody the lyrics of this song."
In the song she all but says, “This is about a youthful lesbian fling,” Captain Obvious.
Thanks for the info! I live less than a half hour from Jamestown and the bassist Steve is a teacher at jcc I met him when I was in high school we had a tech competition up there
Exactly tommy, I've also heard that was what the song was about. A college fling with a dorm mate who was female.
Jakob Rodoski You are lucky to meet one of the band. 👍
tommylehman I must admit that what I thought as well.
So young and beautiful
there is no voice as hers she is an angel
I like the outfits the girls are wearing, so 90's. Natalie you are amazing.
The women, and it was 93, and the Maniacs had been around for a decade and more, but yeah, they're super cute...Merchant is amazing, but my dude, come with us to the next century?
All from my home- Chautauqua County NY!
This was the 2nd to last musical performance on the Letterman NBC show.
Springsteen was the last one.
I love that Jerry is casually playing the tambourine and observing while Anton Fig jams to his drum part. Classy.
I noticed that too, just straight out class.
Natalie simplesmente perfeita!
Their MTV Unplugged crack at this one is my jam
Dave's a lucky man, Natalie gave him full on hug (both arms) at the end. For this Letterman you get at "A"
Sexy, beautiful, flawless, gorgeous, insanely talented. THIS IS MUSIC!!!!!!!!!!
This songs brings back a bunch o mixed memories yo my hart, makes my skin Shriver!!!
zo mooi!!!!
They really hit a home run that night.
Letterman and Leno both seemed to really love Natalie Merchant and 10,000 Maniacs. I think Dave was a little bit reserved at how much he liked the performance because it would make it seem like he didn't like other performers on the show nearly as much. Leno would also try to hide just how much he liked their performances on the Tonight Show.
I love 10,000 maniacs
The MTV unplugged version is the BEST
I like this one the best...get more of Natalie dancing and the solo on the fiddle is amazing!
@@debbiebrown8297 The fiddle player (Morgan Fichter) is improvising aswell. There's rehearsal footage and she plays the solo different every time!
Four and a half minutes es of pure heaven ❤.
Aw man... I've been love with Morgan Fichter since Camper Van Beethoven's Key Lime Pie came out.
No tats or skank look. Just feminine and talented
Natalie will be going on tour soon, friends!
Natalie Merchant. Y love you.
so beautiful looking she is.
+David Allen Man, she looks like a $1.0 million.
@@davidsauer5831 Unfortunately I agree. I saw her and the band numerous times in the 1980's. After she went solo O saw her a couple of times too, and she said things "what was the name of that band I was in ?" I cringed
Was Jerome Augustiniak not on drums for this one?
Looks like someone else and looks like him on percussion?
😂😂😂😊😊😊
Who is the viola player?
This is Morgan Fichter who briefly played in Camper van Beethoven. Interestingly, some clips of this song also feature Natalie's replacement, Mary Ramsey, on viola.
TMary Ramsay on the violin
Mary was playing with them by this point but this clip actually features Morgan Fichter on viola.
You just do not ever hear lyrics like this
Ladies & gentleman, the female Michael Hutchence!
Could argue Scott Weiland also
But what does that even mean?
Natalie probably made Michael Stipe turn gay. After dating her, every other woman is a downgrade!
Idiot.
Right? Probably inappropriate these days..... But still funny! How can anyone let her get away!
Great comment, no doubt. Natalie was SO hot and sexy. Naturally woman, 100%
Love this song, love 10,000 Maniacs, and I love the sound of Natalie's voice, but, just gonna say it, she has some of the worst mush-mouth I have ever heard in this performance. The second verse is almost incomprehensible, and it sucks. Fun fact: the girl in the bucket hat visible over Natalie's shoulder who's playing the viola is Mary Ramsey, who replaced Natalie on lead vocals after she went solo.
This probably gave her the crap idea that she could just hire some studio hacks for her backing band to replace the Maniacs. Although Rob Buck seems like a real drag behind her happy energy.
Duncan...absolutely love the original band...played In my Tribe over and over from Vermont to Minnesota and back - And have really liked a lot of Merchant's solo work...not liked others- But - have never heard her or seen her perform with studio hacks as you put it...she is a perfectionist like most great artists
Rob Buck was as instrumental as she was in this band with his writing and playing
That girl guitar players she used on her first solo album was incredible.
@@marshalmagooo3899 Moreso.
Owen Andrew well Said!
Such longing, sadness.
Rob Buck RIP