Tigerlily

Tigerlily
Studio album by Natalie Merchant
Released	June 20, 1995
Recorded	December 1994-March 1995 at Bearsville Studios, Bearsville, NY
Genre	Alternative
Length	52:06
Label	Elektra
Producer	Natalie Merchant
Natalie Merchant chronology
Tigerlily (1995) Ophelia (1998)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Entertainment Weekly	B+[2]
Los Angeles Times	[3]
Mojo	(favorable)[4]
Musician Magazine	(favorable)[5]
Q
Robert Christgau	[6]
Rolling Stone	[7]

Tigerlily is an album written, produced, and performed by Natalie Merchant, released on June 20, 1995 (see 1995 in music). It is her first solo album after splitting from the 10,000 Maniacs. Some reviews of the album praised Merchant's confessional writing style while others criticized the same for undue sentimentality.

Tigerlily peaked at #13 on Billboard's Top 200 album chart. It contained three pop hits, "Carnival" (#10), "Wonder" (#20), and "Jealousy" (#23).

Re-releases

Tigerlily was re-released in 1999 as a 2-CD set, with the second CD containing a remix of the song "Jealousy" and live cuts from her tour.

In December 2015, the album was redone and released as Paradise Is There: The New Tigerlily Recordings as a part of the 20th anniversary of the original record.^[8]

About the songs

The song "River" is a tribute to River Phoenix.

Aileen Wuornos had requested that Natalie Merchant's song "Carnival" be played at her funeral. Natalie Merchant commented on this when asked why her song was run during the credits of the documentary Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer.

"When director Nick Broomfield sent a working edit of the film, I was so disturbed by the subject matter that I couldn't even watch it. Aileen Wuornos led a tortured, torturing life that is beyond my worst nightmares. It wasn't until I was told that Aileen spent many hours listening to my album Tigerlily while on death row and requested "Carnival" be played at her funeral that I gave permission for the use of the song. It's very odd to think of the places my music can go once it leaves my hands. If it gave her some solace, I have to be grateful."^[9]

Track listing

All songs written by Natalie Merchant.

CD 1

1. San Andreas Fault – 3:57
2. Wonder – 4:26
3. Beloved Wife – 5:03
4. River – 5:32
5. Carnival – 5:59
6. I May Know the Word – 8:07
7. The Letter – 2:12
8. Cowboy Romance – 4:39
9. Jealousy – 2:41
10. Where I Go – 3:59
11. Seven Years – 5:31

1999 Bonus CD

1. "Jealousy" (Remix Edit) – 2:44
2. "Sympathy for The Devil" (Live) – 5:17
3. "Baby I Love You/Son of A Preacher Man (Medley)" (Live) – 5:54
4. "Take a Look" (Live) – 3:45
5. "The Work Song" (Live) – 3:52

Personnel

• John Holbrook – Organ, Electric Guitar, Engineer
• Katell Keineg – Background Vocals
• Barrie Maguire – Bass, 12 String Guitar
• Natalie Merchant – Vocals, Piano, Organ, Vibraphone
• Jay Ungar – Violin
• Peter Yanowitz – Percussion, Drums
• Michelle Kinney – Cello
• Matt Henderson – Bass, Electric Guitar
• Eric Schenkman – Electric Guitar
• Adrian Lopez Guevarra – Percussion
• Jennifer Turner – Acoustic & Electric Guitar, Background Vocals

Charting singles

Singles

Notes