1996Released
3:54

Did You Know?

Interesting facts and trivia about Sullen Girl. By Songfacts®.

This song is an account of Apple's life after becoming a victim of rape. The incident occurred the day before Thanksgiving, 1989, when she was 12 years old. The man followed her into the Manhattan apartment complex where Apple was living with her mother, and caught her just as she was trying to unlock her apartment door. Fiona thought she was going to die during the assault; she remembers hearing her dog barking on the other side of the door, and picturing in her mind that the attacker was Jimi Hendrix. Understandably, it changed the course of Apple's life. She spent more time with her father in Los Angeles because she felt safer there. She also poured herself into her music, using it as a kind of therapy. Her first album, Tidal, was released when she was just 18. The songs are very personal and confessional, as they are essentially outcroppings of her journal entries. She credits "Sullen Girl" with giving her strength to move forward.

When Apple did interviews after releasing Tidal, she learned that many listeners thought the song was about a breakup, which is a plausible interpretation: I used to sail the deep and tranquil sea But he washed me ashore and he took my pearl And left an empty shell of me She ended up explaining the song by telling her rape story over and over, often bringing it up to get it out of the way. This was her way of becoming desensitized to it, and also getting her story out there.

Apple came off as sullen and reserved in high school, which explains the title. She didn't fit in, and often pretended to be sick so she could stay home. Music was always her means of expression, but she didn't perform publicly to most people had no idea she had these talents.

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Song Analysis

Key, BPM (tempo) and time signature of Sullen Girl.
AKey
MinorMode
3/4Time Signature
138BPM

Album

The album Sullen Girl is released on.

Released By

The record label that has released Sullen Girl.
Clean Slate/Work
(P) 1996 Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment

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