30 years on and this still sounds fantastic. Tanya Donnelly wrote a lot of brilliant songs. She doesn't really get the recogntion she deserves and should be recognised as one of the 90s greats
A high schooler (I'm a substitute teacher) turned me onto this! She wasn't even born when it came out, and I just listened to it for the first time. OMG! There are so many good songs from the 90's and it's soooo cool that some of the teens I know have such exceptional taste in music...
Saw Belly in college in 1993 when they came to town with Radiohead. Belly was the headliner! I wish I could go back and experience as my 20-year old self again
I saw them in Boston in 2018. It was an amazing show with perfect sequencing of songs from Dove, King, and Star. The crowd was 40 and 50 year olds and, occasionally, their kids. When they played Feed the Tree, I swear every single person sang every single word. I went alone to the show, but singling along with everyone else I felt las if I were connected with an organic community.
I definitely had a time like that last month. Went to a Toadies concert alone. The crowd was similar to what you described. A whole group of folks as happy and excited to watch them play as I was.
Saw a video here on the Tube of that show... You're right, a bunch of 40-50 yr olds in the crowd. Wonder what the band was thinking when looking out into the crowd during the show. Tanya sounded pretty good, but really didn't need Gail filling in/singing rhythm on some of the songs from the first album. That's no slight to Gail, just like to hear the song sung like it was on the album.
Nice!!! On my way to see Bono from U2 talking singing bout his new book this nov 4 2022 in boston. Im going solo too. Hoping to meet some cool people as well!
Man I mean. This one brings me way back to much happier and simpler times. Tanya and all the rest of Belly have demonstrated nothing but unequivocal genius over the years.
"Feed the Tree" was one of the ~50 songs that came free on the 2001 iMac. I listened to this song over & over again in Mrs. Davis's middle school gifted room when I was 13. We didn't do shit in there but did have free rein over the iMac with no logging in, security, or content filters. Was truly another time. This was the best song on that computer, I committed the title to memory so I could download on Limewire at home.
almost a quarter century since this song was recorded. unreal how quickly time passed. for we gen X'ers our youth is gone. nonetheless a gem. one of the best songs of the 90s.
Fuck me. I often forget how old I am and how many years it's been since a song was first released. Still really good shit, though, that I can always appreciate.
youth is a mental state. i've seen boomers in the pit, and i work with Gen Xrs that "come out of retirement" for certain artists. you're never to old to be a kid, you're never too young to be a rabble rouser. if you grew old and had a kid and only look back in nostalgia, that's your fault man. the rest of us are still on a quest for blood, we're still gonna die young, we're still gonna look pretty doing nothing other than what we do best. rock n roll.
Oh man, instant nostalgia. I’m back in my little 3 door Hyundai Excel, stick shift with no AC, windows down with this blasting. It’s summer song, absolutely. Did we ever find out what she was feeding said tree? My 25 year old son asked me that the other day when this came on Lithium, which I’m proud to say is his favorite channel. 😂🖤
I'll remember this song forever. Me and my buddy were tripping acid all night and this video played while the sun was coming up. Height of the covid shutdowns.
Every time I hear this song, I think of summer. Walking through the woods and looking up to the top of the forest where the sun rays slip past the leaves and branches. Just appreciating nature and the warmth of the season.
Thanks to Tanya, Chris and Tom for making this song that will forever encapsulate my adolescence. The vocals and melody have an eerie remenescent quality. Amazing amazing amazing to be able to create music that does that for someone, or for a generation. Thanks guys!!!!
my favorite band ever...and tanya is my all-time favorite musician. we need a 90's revival tour with belly, juliana hatfield, the lemonheads...who else?
Breeders, Mazzy Star, Veruca Salt, PJ Harvey, Lush, the list really is endless, and shit I'm just listing the ladies here, so, Pixies, Bunch of "grunge" bands, Nick Cave, various manchester bands, various dunedin bands, the 90s where a glorious time on planet earth.
I posted this on an unofficial Feed the Tree video last year, and just thought of the song again, still blows me away: It's probably been 15 years since I heard this song. For whatever reason, it popped into my head this weekend, and I couldn't stop singing it to myself. Really awesome tune.
If you know where to listen, these years are amazing for music. In fact, the 90's sound is very alive right now. Listen to Soccer Mommy, Beabadoobee, Best Coast, Snail Mail...
National Cat Herder Day (Dec 15) I was picking at my belly-button lint (blue) and some lady walked by, looked just like Tanya. 'Twasn't her... just like
Great song for great times. I think I'll probably always be stuck in the 90s because it was such a great time to be alive with all of the great bands and music. Everything after was and has been watered-down or copied. I'm so glad I was born in the 70s and got to live then. To me the 70s and 90s put out the best music. Gosh time goes by so quick
My thoughts exactly. I’m a product of ‘75. When I started taking notice of music the oldies were still on the radio regularly which was a lot of 60’s and 70’s and maybe during the 80’s I was a bit young for Paul Young, Duran Duran but I came into my own in the 90’s….
@@leakyjeep5.9 As a Gen-Xr that has oodles of nostalgia for the '80's and '90's, I am loving that you hear a lot of music from that era in public places now days. Belly and Throwing Muses were fantastic bands. Really miss that music and those times.
I'll be 24 this year, first stumbled upon this song in late middle school/early high school era of my life, loved it so much!!! Glad to have stumbled upon it again
Thank you all "Belly", long time fan saw you all years ago at the WHFSTival, maybe you remember RFK in DC, how are you all? Well as you all may know, it's almost time, you know, "to make like a tree and get outa here", in Lord Jesus is the Christs' name though, not in Babylon. Amen?
I like playing along to this on my Telecaster and reflecting on the fact that somehow, I've grown into the old man. I played Star to death back in the day. Thanks for the memories
I was scrolling on a page when this song came on, how could I forget this classic tune. Really gets you dancing and sing out loud just like I did when I was in my 20s
I was working with WZRH in New Orleans in the 90s, and we had a promotion to give away a Jackson guitar from my shop, that was signed by every alternative bane that toured through the city that year. Tanya Donelly pulled the winner's name during a Belly show. Great times.
At age 34 I can still remember driving down the road next to the beach with the top down. It is amazing how a song can take you back to such random memories. Still love it!.
I know this is a decade old comment but, I have the memories! I was 13 when this song was popular, I made my parent's listen to it on the way to the Jersey Shore. I live at Delaware Beaches now but still listen!!
@@clothesingtime79 Scott Dunkle is now 44, if he’s still around. Realizing how old this song is, then realizing RU-vid has been around as long as it has was a double whammy for me. I’m so old!! 😩😂I grew up listening to late 80s-90s alternative, I’m biased but I still think it was one of the best decades for music, period. ❤😊
Hi Scott Dunkle! I just wanted to see if you’re still around. I don’t think I’ve ever responded to a decade old comment. You’re right about this song, it’s impossible to be sad listening to it. Belly and The Throwing Muses were two of my favorite bands in the 90s. Cheers! 😊
God damn I can't get enough of this song. Listening to it is getting me kind of depressed (but what 90's alternative didn't, I suppose). Not only does it make me remember how damn old I am, but the song is a young woman singing about death. Now she's old. I'm old. We're all old. Soon we'll all be tree food. Ugh. I don't like feeling feelings. I'm gonna go listen to some crap on any pop radio station and get back to the normalcy of being dead inside.
.....and don't go reading The Giving Tree. You'll be a total wreck. I still say a heart that laughs and cries is the best kind to have. You're amazing, ya know?
I'm a 71-year-old whose musical tastes were formed in the 1970s, lots of hard rock and progressive still interests me. But the Dream Pop groups from 90s really interest me now, particularly Belly and Tanya Donelly. This song is a great example, sort of a cheery tune with some sinister elements. The production of "Feed The Tree" is spectacular, just the right mix of spacey depth and jangly guitars. I've yet to experience the entirety of "Star," but "Slow Dog" and "Low Red Moon" are pretty cool. Keep on loving what you like, because music helps people through the rough patches we all experience. Best wishes to you...
@@pbyguy7059 The internet of 1993 was unrecognizable to what it is today, or even 1998. The average person literally did not even use it at all, and if you did go online there were like a handful of websites of mainly text and very rudimentary graphics.
Tanya is such a hero to me. A fantastic songwriter, a great singer, an inventive (and very underrated) lead guitarist, a capable rhythm guitar player, and a looker in her days. And though I still think "Not Too Soon" is her best song, this song is simply beautiful. What a chorus!
You made it to MTV in the 80s and 90s you have my respect ...IF you made because of musical talent, ...sadly some made it the because of other "talents" ...
Oh lord, I remember when this video came out. The first time I watched it it took me all of thirteen seconds to develop a massive crush on Tanya Donnelly. Twenty-plus years later, I have DOVE on iTunes pre-order... and that massive crush is still there. :D
I initially developed my current dark and underground music tastes by watching/listening to MTV 120 Minutes and Alternative Nation among other sources.
You didn't want to get the CD? There are quite a few good songs on the album, including Dusted and Gepetto. I wish I had known about it back in the day. I'm sure I would have loved this band.
@@markstahl1464 I've had the CD for more than 30 years now, but there was a time in between when this song came out and when I bought the CD. Slow Dog is another one of my favorites.
I hadn't listened to this song is awhile.. Way too long.. I'm prejudiced on the subject, but the 90s was easily the best time of my life. I loved the music, I had a good job, was out from under a stifling situation at home, on my own.. I travelled a lot, made a lot of friends, some of whom are gone sadly, but life seemed much more exciting in that decade.. Now I'm an old man in age, not in body or spirit, looking to recapture the vitality of that decade without living in the past..
I get so angry when people refer to Belly as a one hit wonder. Apart from the fact that they had more than one chart hit, every single song on both the 90's albums is amazing. Star has no weak moments at all.
@@jerrycrute1428 Both Feed The Tree and Gepetto were hits from Star, and King had Superconnected and Now They'll Sleep. Definitely more than a one-hit-wonder.
so many alternative girls making GREAT music in the 90's from Tonya , to Kim & Kelly , Kay Hanley, Colleen in Eve's Plum and Miki & Emma across the pond,, just to scratch the surface !!BEST ERA EVER !!!
I still have this cd and it doesn't play all the songs so worn out i replaced it though and its back in my life never understood how this band didnt go further
For a long time, it was almost shameful to admit you liked this song. But at 41, after a mindblowingly boondoggle of a 2021, I understand every word of this song like Sunday scripture. 1/1/22
One of the most memorable nights in my life was seeing Belly play at the Edge nightclub in Palo Alto, CA with Catherine Wheel and Jewel in 1995 (wow i'm old). I remember Tonya saying it was the first night she'd felt good in weeks and she put on the most amazing performance as did Catherine Wheel and the up and coming Jewel. Anyone else there?
