Jackie’s Strength
Music and Lyrics by: Tori Amos
Instrumentation: Strings, drums, bass, guitar, Bose, vocals
Brief Summary: Jackie is, of course, Jacqueline Bouvier Onassis Kennedy, one of the country’s only ever revered first ladies. Jackie’s strength is whatever courage and and tenacity it must have taken to witness her husband’s murder. Tori draws upon this strength as she is faced with a life changing decision: Marry, don’t marry. Marry, don’t marry. As a child and a young woman she had always dreamed of her wedding day and the song is set back in this time. But modern Tori knows that there are very few fairytale endings in life and is having a hard time deciding what she wants. She doesn’t know if this guy is right for her…and we never do find out what she decides. It is her thought process that is so interesting, not the outcome.
Tori’s Comments: “This wonderful boy had asked me to marry him and, of course, I said yes. But I was shocked. You know, there was a part of me who had sworn that would never happen. You fantasize about what it would be like on that day, and then you fantasize about never having that day. Then you’re a vigilante and you will never have it. The, all of a sudden, there it is…”
Fan Comments/Interpretations: Fans get with the whole Jackie O’ theme–that Tori Amos suggests calling upon the strength of this magnificent woman in times of tragedy and when it comes down to making difficult decisions (i.e. should I marry or not?). Some take a more general stance and view Jackie’s Strength as an ode to disillusionment–how we see things one way (the real thing) and then they end up being something completely different, as if by “black magic.” This is a feeling and experience that creeps up during our coming of age years, hence the reason Tori chose to depict this time period in her video.
China2Ny’s Comments: Tori has never looked more beautiful to me than she does in the Jackie’s Strength video.
First - Jackie’s full name is Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis. You’re also missing a major chunk of the song’s depth. Jackie was an acceptable choice for JFK because she was “pure” and virginal, a “Bouvier til her wedding day” - that’s the most important part of the song it’s then reflected again toward the end with the “virgins always get backstage no matter what they’ve got to say.”
While clearly Jackie was in love with Jack, it seems at times to many of those who followed America’s “royals” that Jack really did pick Jackie because she fit the image. She was class and elegance personified. He, at times, was nothing more then a cad. It’s even rumoured that Jack told Jackie he would never be faithful to her. Still she chose to marry him based on her feelings. She wanted to be “the real thing.”
The speaker in the song is hoping she can have the same fortitude that Jackie had in order to survive not only JFK’s assassination but just in being married to the Kennedy’s.
She also doesn’t know whether to get lost in the love that the speaker is set to marry, or to run away completely.
She wonders - is he trust-worthy? Does he know that he can not only “turn [her] into the real thing” but he can also crush her to pieces? That’s the power that this man has over the speaker.
Thanks Adam…your comment really fleshes out this page. Although I hadn’t thought of it before, the connection you make is perfect. Thanks for sharing. I will change Ms. Kennedy’s name now…I agree…it would be more respectful for me to use her entire name.
China2Ny