The band takes its name from Bishop Allen Drive in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where the two lived together after college and has released three albums, "Charm School" (2003), "The Broken String" (2007) and "Grrr..." (2009).
Charm School (2003)
Charm School was Bishop Allen's first record. Recorded in fits and starts over two years, it grew song-by-song as Rice and Rudder wrote and played in their spare time. They recorded all the instruments on the album's 13 songs themselves, using drum loops to hide the fact that neither is a drummer, and almost everything on the record was recorded one track at a time in an ordinary bedroom. Backing vocals by Bonnie Schiff-Glenn and Kate Dollenmayer and supplementary drums by Coll Anderson, all added in the album's final stages, completed the songs.
The EP Project (2006)
In 2006, Bishop Allen recorded and released an EP every month of the year. Each record was titled for the month of its release (January, February, and so on), and, with the exception of August, which was a 14-song live disc, each contained four new studio songs.
The Broken String (2007)
In November 2006, Bishop Allen signed to Dead Oceans, a new sister label to Secretly Canadian and Jagjaguwar, for a modest advance. They began recording a new record that January, at Blackwatch Studios in Norman, Oklahoma, and delivered it two months later. This is Bishop Allen's first true studio recording and was released by Dead Oceans on July 24, 2007.
Grrr.... (2009)
Released in March 2009, this doesn't stray from Bishop Allen's specific brand of lovely indie pop.
Cassandra
Bishop Allen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So I brought her upstairs and sat at her feet
I made her some coffee and something to eat
Cassandra, now, tell me
Go on you can tell me
She just shook her head
And kicked at the bedspread
She said that the rivers would run in reverse
And hurricane season this year will be worse
Wells in the desert all gushing with blood
Great giant palaces buried in the mud
She talked about a plane crash, it happened that night
When I saw it on television, I knew she was right
She said she could see oh so clearly what happens to me
I said, "No, please,
I don't wanna know,
I don't wanna know,
I don't wanna know,
I don't wanna know,
No."
The song "Cassandra" by Bishop Allen is a poignant and emotional portrayal of a conversation between the singer and a wild-eyed woman named Cassandra who is seen wandering in the street. The singer invites her in and tries to comfort her, offering her coffee and food, and asks her to share her troubles with him. However, Cassandra responds with cryptic messages about the future, predicting natural disasters such as reversals of rivers, worse hurricane seasons, and dreary visions of wells and palaces buried in mud. She even mentions a plane crash that happens that same night, which the singer later sees on the news.
Cassandra's gift of foresight seems to leave her distraught and troubled, and she can't help but see the terrible things that are yet to come. Despite her accuracy, the singer refuses to believe her, and pleads, "I don't wanna know, I don't wanna know, I don't wanna know, No." The song's lyrics suggest that sometimes, being aware of the future can be overwhelming, and the weight of knowledge can be too much to bear.
Overall, the song portrays a sense of helplessness in the face of foreboding prophecies, and the difficult task of trying to process them. It leaves the listener pondering the power of knowing what's to come, and questioning whether ignorance might be bliss.
Line by Line Meaning
She was wandering wild-eyed out in the street
She appeared lost and disoriented while walking outside
So I brought her upstairs and sat at her feet
I escorted her to my dwelling place and allowed her to sit down, comfortable and relaxed
I made her some coffee and something to eat
I provided her with refreshments consisting of coffee and food to nourish her body
Cassandra, now, tell me
I encouraged her to speak her mind and reveal her thoughts, addressing her as Cassandra
She just shook her head
She reacted by declining to speak further
And kicked at the bedspread
She used her foot to move the bedspread in a sign of frustration or anger
And cried, "Why do I see terrible things?"
She expressed her tormented emotions by sobbing and questioning the reason for her disturbing visions
She said that the rivers would run in reverse
She stated her prediction that water in rivers would flow in the opposite direction
And hurricane season this year will be worse
She warned of an upcoming hurricane season that will be more damaging and severe than the previous ones
Wells in the desert all gushing with blood
She envisioned blood pouring out of the water sources found in arid regions
Great giant palaces buried in the mud
She foresaw enormous buildings that would be submerged and buried by mud or other sediment
She talked about a plane crash, it happened that night
She recounted an airplane accident that occurred that very evening
When I saw it on television, I knew she was right
I verified her prophecy when I saw the news report of a plane crash on TV
She said she could see oh so clearly what happens to me
She claimed to have a clear vision of events that would affect me personally
I said, "No, please,
I begged her to refrain from telling me
I don't wanna know,
I emphasized that I did not wish to have knowledge of her predictions
I don't wanna know,
I reiterated my request to remain ignorant
I don't wanna know,
I stressed my reluctance to learn of what she foresaw
I don't wanna know,
I concluded with a strong refusal to hear her prophecy
No."
I ended with a definitive denial of her request to disclose her visions
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Christian Rudder, Justin Rice
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind