Aimee Mann

Aimee Mann (born September 8, 1960) is an American rock guitarist, bassist, singer, and songwriter, who became famous as the songwriter and vocalist for the new wave band 'Til Tuesday. She began her solo career in the early 1990s and won further acclaim through her work on original songs for the soundtrack to the film Magnolia. She is currently collaborating and touring with Ted Leo in their joint project The Both.

With 'Til Tuesday

• In the dark, I like to read his mind
  But I'm frightened of the things I might find.
  • "Voices Carry" · Official video · Live 1985 performance

• When I tell him that Im falling in love
  Why does he say
  "Hush, hush, keep it down now.
  Voices carry"?
  • "Voices Carry"

• I try so hard not to get upset
  Because I know all the trouble Ill get
  Oh, he tells me tears are something to hide
  And something to fear
  And I try so hard to keep it inside
  So no one can hear.
  • "Voices Carry"

• He wants me,
  but only part of the time.
  He wants me
  if he can keep me in line.
  • "Voices Carry"

• I look in your eyes
  I realize what you've sold me
  is love in a vacuum.
  Love in a vacuum.
  • "Love In A Vacuum" · Official video

With 'Til Tuesday

• Living on silence,
  Living by the book.
  You get it to a science
  Of living on one good look.
  So put out all the fires
  And blow away the smoke.
  I'm getting pretty tired
  Of living on hope.
  • "What About Love"

• Coming up close
  Everything sounds like welcome home.
  Come home and oh, by the way,
  Don't you know that I could make a dream that's barely half-awake come true?
  I wanted to say — but anything I could have said I felt somehow that you already knew.
  • "Coming up Close"

With 'Til Tuesday

• There's always something that's smoldering somewhere
  I know it don't make a difference to you
  But oh! It sure made a difference to me
  You'll see me off in the distance, I hope
  At the other end
  At the other end of the telescope.
  • "The Other End (of the Telescope)" (co-written with Elvis Costello)

• I should've known
  It was coming down to this.
  I should've known
  You would betray me but without the kiss.
  I should've known
  The kind of set-up it is.
  • "I Should've Known"

• I don't know how to break the news, but
  It's pretty clear you'll be asked to choose between
  What you lack and what you excuse
  In this tug of war
  You can't say that they didn't warn you
  Though you'd rather that they just ignore you
  Cause your devices are not working for you anymore

  What you want, you don't know
  You're with stupid now

  • "You're With Stupid Now" · 2008 performance

• Though you pay for the hands they're shaking
  The speeches and the mistakes they're making
  As they struggle with the undertaking
  Of simple thought

  What you want, you don't know
  You're with stupid now
  What you know, you don't want to know
  You're with stupid now.

  • "You're With Stupid Now"

• In our endeavor we are never seeing eye to eye;
  No guts to sever so forever may we wave goodbye.
  And you're always telling me that it's my turn to move,
  When I wonder what could make the needle jump the groove.
  I won't fall for the oldest trick in the book,
  So don't sit there and think you're off of the hook.
  By saying there is no use changing 'cause

  That's just what you are.
  That's just what you are.

  • "That's Just What You Are" · Video

Songs by Mann used in Magnolia (1999)

• Oh, for the sake of momentum
  I've allowed my fears to get larger than life.
  And it's brought me to my current agendum
  Whereupon I deny fulfillment has yet to arrive.

  And I know life is getting shorter,
  I can't bring myself to set the scene.
  Even when it's approaching torture,
  I've got my routine.

  • "Momentum"

• Now that I've met you,
  Would you object to
  Never seeing each other again?
  'Cause I can't afford to
  Climb aboard you.
  No one's got that much ego to spend.

  So don't work your stuff,
  Because I've got troubles enough.
  No, don't pick on me
  When one act of kindness could be
  Deathly,
  Deathly,
  Definitely.

  • "Deathly"

• The sex you're trading up for
  What you hope is love
  Is just another thing that
  He'll be careless of.
  But though there are caveats galore,
  You've only got to love him more —
  And you do;
  You really do.
  Even when it's all too clear.
  • "You Do"

• You're sure
  There's a cure.
  And you have finally found it.
  You think
  One drink
  Will shrink you 'til you're underground
  And living down.
  But it's not going to stop.
  It's not going to stop.
  It's not going to stop
  'Til you wise up.
  • "Wise Up" Clip from Magnolia of performances by Mann and cast members · Live at St. Ann's Warehouse

• You look like a perfect fit
  For a girl in need of a tourniquet.
  • "Save Me" · Performance at the White House (11 May 2011)

• You struck me dumb, Like radium
  Like Peter Pan, or Superman,
  You have come... to save me.
  Come on and save me...
  Why don't you save me?
  If you could save me,
  From the ranks of the freaks,
  Who suspect they could never love anyone,
  Except the freaks,
  Who suspect they could never love anyone,
  Except the freaks,
  Who could never love anyone.
  • "Save Me"

• I can't do it, I can't conceive
  You're everything you're trying to make me believe

  'Cause this show is too well designed
  Too well to be held with only me in mind

  And how, how am I different?
  How, how am I different?

  • "How Am I Different" (co-written with Jon Brion) · Video

• I can't do it, and as for you
  Can you in good conscience even ask me to?

  'Cause what do you care about the great divide
  As long as you come down on the winner's side?

  • "How Am I Different"

• They're all still on their honeymoon,
  Just read the dialogue balloon.
  Everyone loves you —
  Why should they not?
  And I'm the only one who knows
  That Disneyland's about to close.
  I don't suppose you'd give it a shot
  Knowing all that you've got

  Are cigarettes and Red Vines.
  Just close your eyes, 'cause, baby —
  You never do know.
  And I'll be on the sidelines,
  With my hands tied,
  Watching the show.

  • "Red Vines"

• He's a serious mister
  Shake his hand and he'll twist your arm.
  With Monopoly money
  We'll be buying the funny farm.

  So I'll do flips, and get paid in chips
  From a diamond as big as the Ritz —
  Then I'm calling it quits.

  • "Calling It Quits" · Video at YouTube

• I'll tell you a secret I don't even know.
  Baby, there's something wrong with me
  Baby, there's something wrong with me
  Baby, there's something wrong with me
  That I can't see.
  • "King of the Jailhouse"

• Tell me why I feel so bad, honey
  Fighting left me plenty of money
  But didn't keep the promise of memory lapses
  Like a building that's been slated for blasting
  I'm the proof that nothing is lasting
  Counting to eleven as it collapses
  • "Video" · Video

• You know it
  I know it
  Why don't you
  Just show it
  You got a lot of money but you can't afford the freeway
  • "Freeway" · Video

• I thought my life would be different somehow
  I thought my life would be better by now
  But it's not, and I don't know where to turn
  • "31 Today" · Video

• Little tornado
  You and the hurricane
  Close your eyes and go campaign
  Make it go faster
  Baby go faster
  Make it go twice the speed of you and me
  • "Little Tornado"

• When you’re a charmer
  people respond
  they can’t see the hidden agenda
  you got going on
  • "Charmer" · Video

• When you’re a charmer
  the world applauds
  they don’t know that secretly charmers
  feel like they’re frauds

  When you’re a charmer
  you hate yourself
  a victim of sideshow hypnosis
  like everyone else.

  • "Charmer"

• You lie so well
  I could never even tell
  what were facts in your artful rearranging

  But I came back for more
  and you laughed in my face and you rubbed it in
  cause I’m a Labrador
  and I run
  when the gun
  drops the dove again

  • "Labrador" · Video (a shot for shot recreation of scenarios from her first hit video with 'Til Tuesday, "Voices Carry")

• When we first met
  I was glad to be your pet
  like a Lab I once had that we called Maisie
  but fetching sticks
  was the best I had for tricks
  you got bored
  you got mad then you got crazy
  • "Labrador"

• I could almost shed a tear
  but let’s shine in the time we have remaining
  you’re a tough old gal
  but a dog is just a pal
  and believe me, my dear,
  I’m not complaining
  • "Labrador"

• Everybody’s got their differences
  too bad
  here’s a circumstance in which the stakes are high
  everybody’s got their secrets out
  so sad
  go around the room and see who doesn’t cry

  Soon enough
  you’ll be free to write it off
  you don’t know enough
  to call a bluff
  and the one who does
  will never ever tell

  • "Soon Enough" · Video

• Soon enough
  you can say we made it up
  just for fun I guess
  to make a mess
  cause what’s more fun
  than other people’s hell
  • "Soon Enough"

Collaborations with Ted Leo

• You can tell
  By the laugh in the dark
  at the sound of the bell
  You can tell
  It's the nucleus burning
  inside of the cell…
  • "Milwaukee" · YouTube video

• Aimee Mann (official site)
• Aimee Mann's official Myspace page
• Encyclopedia of Popular Music Entry on Mann
• Aimee Mann media and articles at Rolling Stone
• Aimee Mann's discography at Discogs
• Super Ego Records YouTube Channel
• "The Making of Voices Carry by Mike Thorne
• The Both: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert (7 April 2014)