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.
The Lion & the Teacup
Bishop Allen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He was the moon
He was the rat in two-bit shoes
Dig through your drawers, throw out what's his
Picture his fits
Here is a pink shirt, add to the pile
Light a match, watch it burn a while
Oh pobrecita, tragic little teacup
Did he go and shatter you again?
But the way that you're crying
is more like a lion
who licks her wounds before she seeks revenge
Pluck all the stars out of the sky
Sit in the dark and wonder why
That wicked grin, and see it again,
Because it's tremendous
Wrap all your thoughts in ribbons and bows
Give them away at a party you throw
Climbing up on the roof while you're looking for proof
You did what you did
Oh pobrecita, tragic little teacup
Did he go and shatter you again?
But the way that you're crying
is more like a lion
who licks her wounds before she seeks revenge
The Lion & the Teacup by Bishop Allen is a song that tells the story of a woman who is left with a broken heart after her lover ends their relationship. The lyrics speak to her desire for revenge, but also her hesitation and vulnerability. The first verse presents her ex-lover as the sun, the moon, and a rat in two-bit shoes – a person of great power and significance who is also repulsive and untrustworthy. She clears out all reminders of him from her life, burning a pink shirt he left behind and drowning her sorrows in alcohol.
The chorus introduces the metaphor of the teacup and the lion. The woman is the teacup, fragile and easily shattered. Her ex-lover is the one who shattered her heart, but her reaction is more like a lion's – she is strong and fierce, and she will not be defeated. She plucks the stars out of the sky and contemplates her pain, searching for meaning in what has happened to her. She wraps her thoughts up and gives them away, and in the end, she climbs to the roof to search for proof of her own strength and resilience.
This song is a powerful representation of the experience of heartbreak and the struggle for empowerment that follows. The imagery is vivid and evocative, and the use of metaphor adds depth and meaning to the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
He was the sun
He was the source of light and power in your life
He was the moon
He was the calm, constant presence you relied on in the darkness
He was the rat in two-bit shoes
He was a cheap, insignificant pest in the scheme of things
Dig through your drawers, throw out what's his
Get rid of any physical reminders of him in your life
Picture his fits
Remember the negative aspects of his personality that caused emotional turmoil
Here is a pink shirt, add to the pile
Add another item to the pile of things to be destroyed that belongs to him
Light a match, watch it burn a while
Take pleasure in the act of destroying his possessions
Fueled with alcohol, drink from the bottle
Drown your sorrows and numb your pain with alcohol
Oh pobrecita, tragic little teacup
Addressing the teacup as a metaphor for your own vulnerability and fragility
Did he go and shatter you again?
Did he hurt you emotionally again?
But the way that you're crying
Despite your sadness, there is a strength in your tears
is more like a lion
You are fierce and capable of revenge
who licks her wounds before she seeks revenge
You take the time to heal before taking action against him
Pluck all the stars out of the sky
You feel the depths of despair and hopelessness
Sit in the dark and wonder why
You question the reasons for his hurtful behavior
That wicked grin, and see it again,
Remember his cruel smile that caused you pain
Because it's tremendous
The pain and suffering he caused was intense
Wrap all your thoughts in ribbons and bows
You attempt to decorate your negative thoughts and emotions
Give them away at a party you throw
Mask your true feelings to hide your vulnerability and appear fun
Climbing up on the roof while you're looking for proof
You search for answers to his behavior, even in unlikely places
You did what you did
You have to live with the actions you took in response to his hurtful behavior
Contributed by Riley M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.