Song Discussion: Alamo

Today's pick is Alamo

So, this is a song I’ll have to rely on other People to explain to me, I fear. It’s not that I don’t like the song. I think it sounds really beautiful both in terms of lyrics and music. It’s just that it hasn’t grabbed me the way most other Tori songs have. Maybe I just lack that personal connection with this one.

Overall, I’ve always interpreted this song as being about not getting over an ex.

What I like best about this song are definitely the Lyrics. There are so many beautiful and evocative lines in this song. "Whish I could do what Gold does", "A Hand with two Queens of Spades", "Son't think I'll be going as fast as I came" and "alter that Altar"

My favourite lyric is “Someone invent the Telephone Line”. It’s very Tori in that it is both absurd and devastating. To me it’s a reference to Hey Jupiter’s “No one’s picking up the Phone” and basically means that she’s trying to communicate/connect with the person that she seems to have broken up with, but she can’t. In fact, it appears as impossible as it would be if the Telephone had not been invented yet. But she really, really wants to re-establish that connection so she’s begging for someone to invent it – to create some way to reach this person.

My favourite version this time is not a Live Version but the Remastered one on the BFP reissue that has the base added. I think that provides an important counterpoint to the piano.

I think what’s kinda not working for me with this song is that it is so meandering. Most of the Tori songs that I love have pretty epic changes in pace and or melody between the verses, choruses and bridge, but Alamo just kinda stays the same throughout. I’ll reiterate that it still sounds beautiful.