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.
Shrinking Violet
Bishop Allen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I left my basket of impatience at your door
I brought my tulips for your two lips
But the bulb don't burn anymore
Ain't it a shame just how much rain we got
The April showers blot out the sun
So much dear that your roots still rot
Oh, my shrinking violet
I left my basket of impatience at your door
I brought my tulips for your two lips
But, the bulb don't burn anymore
The night chain rain will fall on us
The daffodil's struck down
But, in the morning, glorious
I will wait until the kingdom come
I will wait until the kingdom come
In Bishop Allen's song Shrinking Violet, the singer addresses their lover as a 'shrinking violet', a phrase which conveys a sense of shyness and reticence. The singer seems to have brought gifts for their lover, tulips for their 'two lips' which sounds like a play on words for 'lips', which the flowers were intended for. However, the gift seems to have lost its significance as the 'bulb don't burn anymore'. This line could be interpreted as a metaphor for their relationship, where the intimacy or passion they once had no longer exists.
The following lines in the first verse 'Ain't it a shame just how much rain we got, The April showers blot out the sun, So much dear that your roots still rot, And we're waiting til the kingdom come' further emphasise the relationship's deterioration. The abundance of rain which can symbolise emotional struggles, has caused their relationship to suffer, and much like the flowers, their lover has begun to 'rot'. The phrase 'waiting until the kingdom come' could suggest a wait for a divine intervention in their relationship or simply for something better to occur.
In the second verse, the singer once again mentions the rain, which is now described as 'night chain rain', which could symbolise a particularly difficult period for the couple, one where a lot of their issues seem to come to the surface. Despite this, the singer claims they will 'wait until the kingdom come', indicating that they will persevere and hope for a better tomorrow.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, my shrinking violet
The singer addresses someone they perceive as shy and introverted.
I left my basket of impatience at your door
The singer acknowledges their own impatience, and has come to visit the subject to spend time with them.
I brought my tulips for your two lips
The singer has brought flowers (symbolic of love) for the subject's lips (symbolic of their ability to speak).
But the bulb don't burn anymore
The flowers (symbolic of love) are no longer blooming or growing as they once did.
Ain't it a shame just how much rain we got
The artist observes that there has been a lot of rain, which can be seen as a metaphor for difficult times in life.
The April showers blot out the sun
The singer notes that the difficult times in life can seem overwhelming and can obscure the bright spots.
So much dear that your roots still rot
The difficult times have affected the subject deeply and caused them to suffer, much like a flower whose roots are rotting.
And we're waiting til the kingdom come
The artist and subject are both waiting for a time when life will get easier and they will be able to overcome their current struggles.
The night chain rain will fall on us
The artist acknowledges that there will be more difficult times ahead, represented by the metaphor of rain falling at night.
The daffodil's struck down
The artist notes that even the symbols of new beginnings and hope (represented by the daffodils) have been affected by the difficulties.
But, in the morning, glorious
The singer remains hopeful that there will be better times ahead, symbolized by a brighter morning.
I will wait until the kingdom come
The artist acknowledges that they will continue to face hardships, but holds onto hope for a time when they will be free from them.
Contributed by Jackson T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jaclyn 1004
Oh, I just love this song and the imagery of it.
Emily
I'm diggin' the banjo
Nona Ethington
Here are three more delightful flower puns missed in the lyrics above. I left my basket of impatiens at your door.... The nightshade rain will fall on us.... And in the morning glory-us....