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.
See Me? See You!
Bess Rogers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Back against the wall, only showing me your profile
Still I can read your thoughts so clear.
And now I see every answer, and it's in my hands.
And the (meteors swirling) all inside my head
I won't let it go, like everyone goes in the end...
You want to go, but you don't know where to.
Take my hand you'll be safe here inside these arms
Do do do....
Cuz nothing changes, when you call my name it hurts,
And every move that you make, is lifting (that curse),
I only wanted a fair chance to be the one.
You want to run, but you see me, see you.
You want to go, but you don't know where to.
Take my hand you'll be safe here inside these arms.
You want to run, but you see me, see you.
You want to go, but you don't know where to.
x5
Take my hand you'll be safe here inside these arms.
The lyrics of Bess Rogers’s song “See Me? See You!” capture the essence of a moment of vulnerability between two people. The singer acknowledges that the other person is only there for a short time, hiding behind their profile with their back against the wall. However, the singer can read the other person’s thoughts easily, suggesting a certain intimacy or connection between them.
The second half of the first stanza refers to the singer realizing that they hold the answers they have been looking for all along. This realization is juxtaposed with the metaphor of “meteors swirling all inside [the singer’s] head,” depicting the chaos and confusion that plagues the singer’s thoughts. Despite this chaos, the singer refuses to let go, as everyone else seemingly does in the end.
The chorus of the song implores the other person to stay and take the singer’s hand, promising safety within their embrace. The singer acknowledges the pain the other person feels when they call their name, but hopes that every move they make will lift the curse that has been plaguing their relationship. Ultimately, the singer only desired a fair chance to be the one for the other person.
Overall, “See Me? See You!” is a deeply emotional song that probes the intricacies of human connection and vulnerability.
Line by Line Meaning
I know you are only here for a little while,
I'm aware you won't stay forever
Back against the wall, only showing me your profile
You're guarded and not fully open to me
Still I can read your thoughts so clear.
Despite your guardedness, I can still understand you
And now I see every answer, and it's in my hands.
I have clarity and control over the situation
And the (meteors swirling) all inside my head
My thoughts are chaotic like a cosmic event
I won't let it go, like everyone goes in the end...
I refuse to let go like everyone else eventually does
You want to run, but you see me, see you.
You're conflicted about leaving because you see yourself in me
You want to go, but you don't know where to.
You're lost and unsure of what to do
Take my hand you'll be safe here inside these arms
I offer safety and comfort in my embrace
Cuz nothing changes, when you call my name it hurts,
I still feel pain when you address me
And every move that you make, is lifting (that curse),
Your actions are undoing the negative effects on our relationship
I only wanted a fair chance to be the one.
I just wanted an opportunity to prove myself as the right person for you
x5 Take my hand you'll be safe here inside these arms.
Repeated emphasis on offering safety and comfort
Contributed by Sarah I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
EllieC88
The "s" is missing - her name is Bess RogerS :) Love this song!
T P
I want to stay.
Marie-Frédérique Gravel
125 views ? Impossible.
Sparrow Estes
Yes.