Carnival (Natalie Merchant song)

"Carnival" is a 1995 song written and produced by singer-songwriter Natalie Merchant and was the lead single from her debut solo album Tigerlily.

The single was released to U.S. airwaves in the summer of 1995 and went straight to the number 10 spot on the Billboard Hot 100, thus becoming her highest-charting solo single. The single received a radio edit cutting the song down from the six-minute LP version.

In the lyrics, the protagonist compares the many colorful sights and sounds of day-to-day life in New York City to a carnival.

The video for the song, directed by Melodie McDaniel, shows scenes of Merchant walking the streets of New York City taking street photographs with a Leica M3.

Uses

In 2000, the song was used in the Xena: Warrior Princess episode "Antony and Cleopatra".
Prior to her execution in 2002, this song was requested by serial killer Aileen Wuornos to be played at her funeral. In 2003, the song was used in Nick Broomfield's documentary Aileen: Life And Death Of A Serial Killer. The song also serves as an entrance theme to a fictional Wuornos in American Horror Story: Hotel, portrayed by Lily Rabe.
In 2010, the song was used in the film The Halves.
The song appeared in the Hindsight episode "Tragic Kingdom".

Track listing

Carnival (edit)
Carnival (LP version)
I May Know the Word

Personnel

Jennifer Turner – Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Vocals (background)
John Holbrook – Organ, Guitar (Electric), Engineer
Katell Keineg – Vocals (background)
Barrie Maguire – Bass, Guitar (12 String)
Natalie Merchant – Vocals, Piano, Organ, Vibraphone
Peter Yanowitz – Percussion, Drums
Matt Henderson – Bass, Guitar (Electric)
Eric Schenkman – Guitar (Electric)

Charts

Peak positions

Chart (1995)^[1]	Peak position
Australian Singles Chart	15
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	10
U.S. Billboard Adult Pop Songs	8
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks	8
U.S. Billboard Pop Songs	6
U.S. Billboard Alternative Songs	12

End of year charts

End of year chart (1995)	Position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100^[2]	60

References

↑ "The Basics: Natalie Merchant". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2012-11-30.
↑ "Billboard Top 100 – 1995". Longboredsurfer.com. Archived from the original on 2009-08-15. Retrieved 2010-08-27.

Natalie Merchant
Studio albums	Tigerlily Ophelia Motherland The House Carpenter's Daughter Leave Your Sleep Natalie Merchant Paradise Is There: The New Tigerlily Recordings
Live albums	Live in Concert
Compilations	Retrospective: 1995–2005
Singles	"Carnival" "Wonder" "Kind & Generous" "Break Your Heart" "Just Can't Last"
Related	Discography 10,000 Maniacs

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