Tori Amos - Hereinmyhead.com

so i ran faster
but it caught me here
yes my loyalties turned
like my ankle
in the seventh grade
running after BILLY
running after the rain

these precious things
let them bleed
let them wash away
these precious things
let them break their hold over me

he said you're really an ugly girl
but i like the way you play
and i died
but i thanked him
can you believe that sick sick
holding on to his picture
dressing up every day
i wanna smash the faces
of those beautiful BOYS
those christian boys
so you can make me cum
that doesn't make you jesus

these precious things
let them bleed
let them wash away
these precious things
let them break their hold over me

i remember
yes in my peach party dress
no one dared
no one cared
to tell me where the pretty girls are
those demigods
with their NINE-INCH nails
and little fascist panties
tucked inside the
heart of every nice girl

these precious things
let them bleed
let them wash away
these precious things
let them break
let them wash away
these these precious things
let them bleed now
let them wash away
these these precious things
let them break
their hold over me

precious
precious

© Sword & Stone

(intro & bridge--)
Hurt

(bridge --)
these precious things
let them bleed
let them bleed, i said darling
these precious things
let them bleed
let them bleed, yes
these precious things
let them bleed, i said go on
and wash me clean, i said yes
wash me clean, darling
these precious things
let them bleed, i said go on
and wash me clean, i said yes
wash me clean, daddy

"Precious Things is a song that came to me when I was living behind a church. And I was about 24 years old. I had a roommate that listened to really rawkuss music and it started to take me into flashbacks of my grandmother. And she used to put me in a corner and she would read me something, I think from Leviticus, I can't remember. But um, she was convinced that I was gonna give my soul to God and my body to a man that I would marry. Um, but at five years old I knew that we were enemies, so in my mind I was always trying to find ways to get away from this creature. So I thought of things and my mother thought I was a demon for thinking them. But I think she would smile out of the corner, because I think she felt the same way. So behind this church with this music going on and on in my head. I started to really think that maybe just one day, I could run faster."
-- Tori; VH1 Storytellers

"Heavily into the Sandman comics by now, the nights were late, candles all over the house dripping where they would. Wax is a bit more fun to play with than bubble gum. The doors were open by now. I could resist, but there's always air suction."
-- Tori; Little Earthquakes Songbook

The UK Crucify (Part 2) single includes a live version of Precious Things, recorded April 5th, 1992 in Cambridge, England. While the To Venus And Back: Still Orbiting album contained a different live version of Precious Things, recorded during the Plugged '98 Tour.