Speaking with Trees

"Speaking with Trees" is a song by American musician Tori Amos, released as the first single from her sixteenth studio album Ocean to Ocean on September 29, 2021.^[1]

"Speaking with Trees"
Single by Tori Amos
from the album Ocean to Ocean
Released	September 29, 2021
Recorded	2021
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	3:56
Label	Decca
Producer(s)	Tori Amos
Tori Amos singles chronology
"Better Angels" (2020) "Speaking with Trees" (2021) "Spies" (2021)

Background

The main inspiration behind the song was Amos’ mother.^[2] Asked about the meaning of the song she stated:

My mother, really, I am hiding her ashes in a treehouse in Florida. That's "Speaking with Trees". Getting out and being able to talk to the trees in Cornwall thinking that they’re the network, the worldwide web that lives under the trees.

Additionally, a press release described the song as being about "the absence of live music during the coronavirus pandemic."^[3]

The track features many of Amos’ frequent collaborators, including bassist Jon Evans and drummer Matt Chamberlain, alongside husband Mark Hawley on guitar and her daughter Natashya Hawley contributing backing vocals.

Reception

"Speaking with Trees", alongside its parent album, received positive reviews from critics. Medium likened the track to Amos’ earlier material, saying it “[partners] painful and sensitive lyrical content with vibrant, offbeat pop hooks."^[4]

Personnel

• Tori Amos – vocals, piano, keyboards
• John Philip Shenale – synthesizer
• Tash – backup vocals
• Jon Evans – bass
• Matt Chamberlain – drums, percussion
• Mark Hawley – guitar, dobro