The Song That Changed My Life: Aimee Mann

19th November 2021

The Song That Changed My Life is a segment that gives us the chance to talk with some of our favorite artists about the music that made them who they are today. This time around, we’re joined by Aimee Mann. Aimee is a singer-songwriter whose career dates back to the 80s when she sang in the new wave band Til Tuesday. However, odds are you know Aimee for her solo career. She recently released a record called Queens of the Summer Hotel. The songs on the record started when Aimee was working on a stage version of the book Girl, Interrupted. The stage show hasn’t happened, but the record is out now. It’s somber, delicate and beautiful. When we asked Aimee about the song that changed her life, she took us back to 1972, to the first time she ever listened – really listened – to lyrics in a pop song. The song was Gilbert O’Sullivan’s Alone Again (Naturally).

Episode notes

(Photo: Eugene Gologursky / Getty Images for The New Yorker)

Content Warning: This segment contains some talk around the topic of suicide. Nothing graphic, but an acknowledgement of it. If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

Aimee Mann on Gilbert O’Sullivan’s Alone Again (Naturally)

The Song That Changed My Life is a segment that gives us the chance to talk with some of our favorite artists about the music that made them who they are today. This time around, we’re joined by Aimee Mann. 

Aimee is a singer-songwriter whose career dates back to the 80s when she sang in the new wave band Til Tuesday. However, odds are you know Aimee for her solo career. She earned an Academy Award nomination for her work scoring Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia. She’s also won two Grammy awards, including one for best folk album for her 2018 record Mental Illness.

Aimee has recently followed up Mental Illness with a very different record called Queens of the Summer Hotel. The songs on the record started when Aimee was working on a stage version of the book Girl, Interrupted. The stage show hasn’t happened, but the record is out now. It’s somber, delicate and beautiful. 

When we asked Aimee about the song that changed her life, she took us back to 1972, to the first time she ever listened – really listened – to lyrics in a pop song. The song was Gilbert O’Sullivan’s Alone Again (Naturally).

In this episode...

Senior Producer
Producer
Maximum Fun Producer
Maximum Fun Production Fellow
Video Editor

Guests

  • Aimee Mann

About the show

Bullseye is a celebration of the best of arts and culture in public radio form. Host Jesse Thorn sifts the wheat from the chaff to bring you in-depth interviews with the most revered and revolutionary minds in our culture.

Bullseye has been featured in Time, The New York Times, GQ and McSweeney’s, which called it “the kind of show people listen to in a more perfect world.” Since April 2013, the show has been distributed by NPR.

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Senior Producer

Producer

Maximum Fun Producer

Maximum Fun Production Fellow

Video Editor

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