Tori Amos — “Jackie’s Strength” (from From the Choirgirl Hotel
For those of my readers who have been wondering (and even taking bets on) how long I could resist using a Tori tune in this particular endeavor, be proud of the fact that I managed to make it seventeen full days without once invoking the goddess’ name. (That’s self-restraint if I ever heard of it, believe that.) This isn’t nearly my all-time favorite among Amos’ individual compositions (nor am I certain it would even make my top ten), but I’ve been shuffling through my iTunes lineup for the past forty minutes or so searching for a song to tickle my fancy, and when this one popped up and I listened to its miraculous opening verse (which sets up the story and the somber mood with brilliant, expert precision), I was reminded anew of its simple, spellbinding majesty. The mundane never sounded this magical.
