Natalie Merchant Quotes & Trivia

Quotes

Be true to yourself, and, um, don't worry about some large companies' quarterly profit index.

I don't want to live in a culture of despair. I'd like to live in a culture of hope.

I would say I'd rather dig a ditch, you know, do hard, manual labor than write lyrics.

I'm on this search trying to figure out exactly who I am and what I have to say to people.

It's funny, I remember doing the Johnny Carson show, and, uh, I couldn't afford my rent.

Trivia

Natalie wrote the song "Carnival" that is featured on the documentary Aileen: Life & Death Of A Serial Killer, the story of Aileen Wuornos.

Natalie dropped out of high school at the age of sixteen. She went on to attend Jamestown Community College, to earn her an Associate's Degree, instead of a GED.

Natalie turned down a recurring role on "The Larry Sanders Show" that Gary Shandling had offered her himself in 1992.

Natalie provides postcards with her art on them for the Rape Abuse and Incest National Network charity.

Natalie is most embarassed of writing the song "Groove Dub", feeling that she was just spewing garbage. She is most proud of her song Dust Bowl.

Natalie left Elektra Records in 2003 and released The House Carpenter's Daughter on her own label, Myth America Records.

Natalie released Tigerlily in 1995 which had three top 40 singles in the United States: 'Jealousy', 'Carnival', and 'Wonder'.

Natalie was the lead singer for the group 10,000 Maniacs starting in 1981.

Natalie would like to see Oona O'Neil Chapman play her in a film adaptation of herself.

Natalie most admires the Brazilian photographer Sebastio Salgado. Salgado travels the world documenting the lives of refugees, migrants, victims of famine and war, manual laborers, and landless peasants.