Raised in a musical family (her mother played harpsichords that her father built), Rogers has been living and breathing music since she was 6 years old. After earning a bachelors and masters degree in music composition from SUNY Purchase, she began a steady routine of recording and touring in support of her own music and as a back up singer and lead guitarist for indie-pop artist, Ingrid Michaelson.
During a rare few months off this winter, she decided to hibernate in her Brooklyn home and write a new record. In between working on the songs, she picked up a book called "Your Inner Fish" by Neil Shubin. "The book is about our evolution from life as far back as pre-historic fish and microbes and how that has affected our bodies and our lives now. It really grabbed me and I found myself a bit obsessed. I started to look at everything we do in life as a product of evolution, and many of the songs on this record were inspired by that idea," says Rogers.
Produced by Chris Kuffner (Ingrid Michaelson's Girls and Boys) and recorded partly in a Maine farmhouse studio owned by Sam Kassirer (producer of Josh Ritter and Erin McEown) and partly in Rogers’ home studio in Brooklyn, Out Of The Ocean features a host of talented friends including Ingrid Michaelson, Allie Moss, Ian Axel, Saul Simon-MacWilliams, Elliot Jacobson and Dave Eggar (Train, Beyonce). Like Rogers' live shows, the songs themselves have a huge dynamic range. From the haunting underwater mermaid ballad "In the Waves," to the synth-laden robot love song "Math and Science," to the driving pop-rock sing-along "Water and Dirt," Out Of The Ocean mirrors our understanding of life and love through time while maintaining a pop sensibility that Rogers is known for.
Like her previous releases, Bess Rogers Presents Bess Rogers (2010), Travel Back EP (2009) and Decisions Based On Information (2007), Out Of The Ocean was made and released independently. Knowing that this new record would require a more substantial budget, Rogers put out the call to her fans through Kickstarter. Within two days of launching the campaign, the initial goal of $10,000 was met; and by the end she had raised $26,000 with over 500 backers. "It was amazing." says Rogers. "The amount of support it got was mind-blowing and made me even more excited to make this record and get it out there into the world."
Bess' music has been featured on such television shows as One Tree Hill, Pretty Little Liars, Raising The Bar, and Switched At Birth, and a national Motts for Tots commercial. She has shared the stage with Ingrid Michaelson, Loudon Wainwright, Ari Hest, Ian Axel, Allie Moss and more. Out Of The Ocean was released on October 4, 2011, and was supported by a extensive tour in the US and the UK.
Only One
Bess Rogers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What if all these words that I whisper softly only cause you pain?
Blurring the lines to see you're the only one like me.
Count from 1 to 10, but these heavy eyes are just about to burst
Open up my mouth; but you nod your head before i say a word
And now the differences are buried in kisses.
Bending my mind to believe you're the only one like me.
Oh, I can feel it now your gravity colliding into mine.
Pieces of your skin in fingernails the layers peel with time.
So when the light reflects, showing your image,
Focus my eyes to see you're the only one like me.
In this song, Bess Rogers seems to be grappling with the idea of individuality and uniqueness in a relationship. She wonders whether she and her partner truly understand each other's perspectives and experiences, or if their communication is merely a surface-level exchange of words that ultimately cause more harm than good. The opening lines suggest that even though they may be using the same language, they may not be truly hearing each other. Rogers then expresses a desire to see beyond the apparent differences and find a deeper connection with her partner, acknowledging that they may be the only ones like each other.
The second verse seems to emphasize the physical aspects of their relationship, with Rogers describing the intense attraction she feels towards her partner. She speaks of their bodies colliding and their skin intermingling, suggesting a deep physical and emotional connection. However, despite this closeness, there still seems to be a sense of distance or miscommunication. Rogers mentions how her partner nods their head before she even speaks, as if they already know what she is going to say. In the end, she hopes to overcome these barriers and truly see her partner for who they are, the only one like her.
Line by Line Meaning
Sing into my ear, are we really hearing any sounds the same?
Are we truly resonating with each other, or is it just an illusion?
What if all these words that I whisper softly only cause you pain?
I fear that my words of affection may be hurting you instead.
Blurring the lines to see you're the only one like me.
I am blurring the boundaries of our differences to realize that we are alike.
Count from 1 to 10, but these heavy eyes are just about to burst
I am trying to keep calm but feeling overwhelmed to the point of tears.
Open up my mouth; but you nod your head before i say a word
You seem to understand me without me having to explain myself.
And now the differences are buried in kisses.
Our love is overpowering our individual disparities.
Bending my mind to believe you're the only one like me.
I am trying to convince myself that you are the only person with whom I truly connect.
Oh, I can feel it now your gravity colliding into mine.
I can sense the intense attraction between us and how it merges into one.
Pieces of your skin in fingernails the layers peel with time.
The longer we are together, the deeper our connection becomes.
So when the light reflects, showing your image,
When I look at you under a different light,
Focus my eyes to see you're the only one like me.
I realize that you are the only person who truly understands me as I am.
Contributed by Nicholas G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.