The Power of Orange Knickers

Album: The Beekeeper (2005)
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Songfacts®:

  • This Beekeeper track is a duet with Irish folk singer Damien Rice, who is best known for his UK Top Ten hit "Cannonball."
  • During an interview with Uncut magazine, the comment was made that it's interesting that Amos had written a song about sin and sensuality when the biggest moral debates in the US are about abortion and gay rights. She replied: "America is such a land of extremes. On the one hand, you have this puritanical ideology that lots of people have adopted and on the other you have a huge porn industry that exploits everybody and makes lots of money."

    "The thing that's missing from both is sensuality, and I think that's the sign of a damaged society," she continued. "Its not healthy for sex and sexuality to always be portrayed as dirty or depraved and what it takes to turn people on sometimes shocks me."

    "There are a lot of damaged women out there who can't respond unless they take on another character because they haven't been taught they can just be a worker bee," Amos added. "I'm a worker bee and I love being a worker bee."
  • One of the song's lyrics questions "who is this terrorist?" Amos explained: "I've followed the US administration and I genuinely believe they've emotionally blackmailed and manipulated the American people. We're living in a frightening time and I wish people would wake up and realise they're surrendering their civil liberties." >>>
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    DeeTheWriter - Saint Petersburg, Russia Federation, for all above
  • The Beekeeper, Amos' eighth studio album, was her second release with Epic Records. After 15 years, she left her former label, Atlantic Records, for greener pastures at Epic, where she was eager to work with female president Polly Anthony. Unfortunately, Amos was only able to make one album under Anthony's helm - 2002's Scarlet Walk - before Anthony was fired. Compared to her previous tenure, Amos' time at Epic was brief: She left in 2008 not long after the release of her American Doll Posse album.
  • Coming in at #5, this was Amos' fifth album to debut in the Top 10 of the US albums chart.

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