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.
Tea For Two
Bishop Allen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Grab the blankets off the floor
Let your sneakers dry there on the radiator
Here we are, winter again
Brittle bones and prickled skin
All the geese have flown
I wish I was a hibernator
And tonight it's clear to me
How a country could secede
We keep close, huddle tight
Near the stove, blue and bright
While the kettle warms, how long have we waited?
If they took this joy away
Small it is, but ours today
Well I know, I know, I wanna be liberated
And tonight it's clear to me
How a country could secede
For a cup of tea
For a cup of tea
For a cup of tea!
Here I am, for by sea
They took our bombs to take our tea
We will ring our bells to warn of their arrival
We keep close, huddled tight
Me and you, we'll be alright
And this tea for two will aid in our survival
And tonight it's clear to me
How a country could secede
For a cup of tea!
For a cup of tea!
For a cup of tea!
The song "Tea For Two" by Bishop Allen is an ode to the comfort of winter, the joy of simple pleasures, and the idea of independence. It begins with an invitation to come inside, shut the door and snuggle up with some blankets by the radiator. The first verse paints a picture of winter with its brittle bones, prickled skin, and the absence of geese. The desire to hibernate is evident, but the human spirit is stronger than that, and this is where the chorus comes in. The insight in the chorus is that a country could secede just for a cup of tea. The idea is that simple pleasures are taken for granted, and the need for them can be so strong that a country might be willing to fight for it.
The second verse focuses on the joy of tea, how waiting for the kettle to boil can be a moment of anticipation, and how the presence of warmth can help us forget about the cold outside. The chorus is repeated, but this time the idea of independence is added to the mix. The suggestion is that if one's joy was taken away, they might want to break free, find liberation and be willing to fight for it. The third verse tells the story of how the British tried to take away the tea from the colonies, and the colonies fought back, ringing their bells in protest. The message is that the human spirit will always seek independence and freedom, even if it's just for a cup of tea.
Line by Line Meaning
Come inside, shut the door
Let's enter the warm indoors and close out the cold
Grab the blankets off the floor
Pick up the blankets and make yourself comfortable
Let your sneakers dry there on the radiator
Place your wet shoes on the radiator and let them dry
Here we are, winter again
Winter has returned once again
Brittle bones and prickled skin
Our bodies are affected by the harsh winter cold
All the geese have flown
The geese have departed for warmer climates
I wish I was a hibernator
I wish I could hibernate and avoid the cold winter weather
And tonight it's clear to me
I now understand fully
How a country could secede
How a nation could separate and become independent
We keep close, huddle tight
We stay close together for warmth
Near the stove, blue and bright
We gather around the blue and bright stove
While the kettle warms, how long have we waited?
As the kettle heats up, we wonder how long we've been anticipating this warmth
If they took this joy away
If this warmth was taken from us
Small it is, but ours today
Even though it's a small source of joy, it's still ours to have today
Well I know, I know, I wanna be liberated
I desire to be free from the cold and to have this moment of warmth
Here I am, for by sea
I've arrived here by sea
They took our bombs to take our tea
They confiscated our bombs to take our tea
We will ring our bells to warn of their arrival
We will ring our bells to let others know of the impending arrival of outsiders
Me and you, we'll be alright
We will be fine together
And this tea for two will aid in our survival
This shared cup of tea will help us survive the cold and any external threats
For a cup of tea!
All of this is worth it for a simple cup of tea
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Christian Rudder, Justin Rice
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@LosersIncorporated
This is one of my favorites! I love this songg ^^
@glenbeck1294
This sounds just like my favorite band, Bumblebees
@lizethyo
@LosersIncorporated For a cup of tea :)