CHINA: HOW TORI AMOS GLUES THE CRACKS TOGETHER

by Joe Tennis

Background Info

The song "China" by Tori Amos was released on her first solo album, "Little Earthquakes." This is her second LP, but the first to feature her alone with her piano. (Although the album does not only consist of Tori and her piano, they are the fulcrum for the LP.) Copyrighted in 1991, "Little Earthquakes" put "China" into the ears of her soon-to-be devoted fans. She subsequently released several maxi singles based on "Little Earthquakes," and one was titled "China." This maxi has three other previously unreleased tracks that are loosely related to the theme "China" addresses: a close personal relationship. The maxi was released in England, but made in Germany and copyrighted in 1992.

"China" is a song that deconstructs its title and relates that to the deconstruction of a close personal relationship. Whether or not Tori has read Derrida, her lyrics show that deconsrcution, as a theoretical engine for our postmodern culture, has permeated our discourse. (As I have told my friends: "My mom's hair is postmodern!")

"China" is an example of deconstruction in popular music. Tori takes one word, "China"--a word with two distinct (not necessarily opposite)meanings--and plays with those meanings. This play is not solely playful, however, but is a metaphorical microscope used to describe the experience and the feelings associated with a relationship. She also plays with the word "distance," sometimes employing the customary meaning, but sometimes twisting the word to expand its meanings.

For more on Tori's play with the words "China" and "distance," click here.