When you gonna make up your mind/
When you gonna love you as much as I do?

Tori Amos’ “Winter” is a song about a father teaching his young daughter some of the lessons of life because he knows he won’t always be around. It is not necessarily that he is ill; he is simply recognizing his role as a parent is to teach his daughter to function without him. Amos likens that to the first winter of her life.

The lessons taught in “Winter” are simple but touching: love yourself, stand up for yourself, etc. The spring of the daughter’s life comes and with it interest in boys. As we move into the next fall and summer the father begins to get old and dies. She must remember the lessons he taught her and learn to live without him. It is a touching story. The only bit I don’t get is about the white horses. I am sure it is a symbol for something, but I missed it.

You can hear Amos’ unique piano stylings in “Winter”. I think she has one of the more unique styles—in that I could pick out her playing even if I didn’t hear her singing. She plays very lightly. In Winter, the piano notes played during the verses are a unique pattern that is difficult to play and sing at the same time.

She is up there with Elton John in terms of piano ability. Her voice sounds great. She never over-emotes, yet she is able to convey strong emotions with her words. The strings go well with this song, and do a good job of bringing “Winter” to a crescendo at the proper moments. “Winter” might be Tori Amos’ best original song.

Winter Lyrics

Snow can wait, I forgot my mittens,
Wipe my nose, get my new boots on.
I get a little warm in my heart when I think of winter.
I put my hand in my father’s glove.

I run off where the drifts get deeper,
Sleeping beauty trips me with a frown.
I hear a voice “You must learn to stand up for yourself”
“‘Cause I can’t always be around”.

He says when you gonna make up your mind?
When you gonna love you as much as I do?
When you gonna make up your mind?
‘Cause things are gonna change so fast,
All the white horses are still in bed,
I tell you that I’ll always want you near,
You say that things change my dear.

Boys get discovered as winter melts,
Flowers competing for the sun.
Years go by and I’m here still waiting,
Withering where some snowman was.

Mirror mirror where’s the crystal palace?
But I only can see myself.
Skating around the truth who I am,
But I know, dad, the ice is getting thin

When you gonna make up your mind?
When you gonna love you as much as I do?
When you gonna make up your mind?
‘Cause things are gonna change so fast,
All the white horses are still in bed.
I tell you that I’ll always want you near,
You say that things change my dear.

Hair is grey and the fires are burning,
So many dreams on the shelf.
You say I wanted you to be proud,
I always wanted that myself.

When you gonna make up your mind?
When you gonna love you as much as I do?
When you gonna make up your mind?
‘Cause things are gonna change so fast.
All the white horses have gone ahead.
I tell you that I’ll always want you near,
You say that things change my dear.
Never change.
All the white horses…

Songwriters: Tori Amos