Little Earthquakes

Little Earthquakes (1991), featuring Me And A Gun, was the solo debut album of singer Tori Amos. It set the groundwork for the success of other female singer/songwriters in the 1990s, itself building on the earlier success of pioneers such as Patti Smith. A heavily journalistic work, it is perhaps the most accessible of her library.

Track list:

1. Crucify (4:58) SAMPLE (147K)
2. Girl (4:06)
3. Silent All These Years (4:10)
4. Precious Things (4:26)
5. Winter (5:40)
6. Happy Phantom (3:12)
7. China (4:58)
8. Leather (3:12)
9. Mother (6:59)
10. Tear in Your Hand (4:38)
11. Me and a Gun (3:44)
12. Little Earthquakes (6:51)

The most striking and well-known song on the album is Me and a Gun, an a capella story about rape. It was inspired by a rape that occured in LA when Amos was 21. After she performed at a bar, a patron asked her if he could have a ride home. She obliged, and was raped at knifepoint. Fortunately, she escaped before being killed. Years later, Amos was inspired to write a song about the experience after watching the movie Thelma and Louise. She wrote it in her head on the way to a concert. It has since become a fixture of her live concerts.

The song brought Amos a lot of response from the rape survivor community, encouraging her to look into avenues for more directly helping survivors. Ultimately, Amos helped found the first US national sexual assault hotline, RAINN.