CocoRosie began as a duo, with Sierra singing, playing the guitar, piano and harp, and Bianca singing and manipulating various children's toys, electronic and percussion instruments, as well as other exotic noisemakers. They subsequently added various backing musicians, usually a bassist, keyboardist, and beatboxer. They have been a very active touring group, playing across Europe, the United States, and elsewhere.
They have released seven full-length albums: La maison de mon rêve (2004), Noah's Ark (2005), The Adventures of Ghosthorse and Stillborn (2007), Grey Oceans (2010), Tales of a GrassWidow (2013), Heartache City (2015) and Put the Shine On (2020).
In 2003, Bianca was growing restless and decided it was time for a change. Leaving her apartment in Brooklyn to travel the world, she ended up at Sierra's apartment in Paris. Over the course of the next two months, the women spent nearly every waking hour in Sierra's bathroom, chosen as the most acoustic and isolated room in the apartment. Soon, they had completed both a hip-hop recording (never released) called "word to the crow" and their proper debut album La Maison de Mon Rêve.
Originally, La Maison de Mon Rêve was only intended to be distributed within a close circle of friends. However, by 2004 the lo-fi album had been released on independent label Touch and Go Records, who had obtained a copy of the CD and had uncharacteristically pursued signing the artists. Since the creation of their first album, the Casady sisters have been virtually inseparable.
Stylistically they may be assigned to the indie rock, psychedelic folk, folktronica genres, and are sometimes associated with the New Weird America movement. Sierra, who studied operatic vocal techniques, takes the lead vocals and also plays guitar, harp and flute. Bianca is a percussionist and also beatboxes. The group also uses various objects such as toys to construct their unique sound. Popular indie bands such as The xx name them as a major influence.
They were actively touring during most of 2004, playing across the U.S. and throughout Europe with artists such as TV on the Radio, Bright Eyes, Battles, Devendra Banhart, and Busdriver among others.
Official website: http://www.cocorosiemusic.com
Honey or Tar
CocoRosie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Maybe even raped you
In a dark and eerie corner of my mind
I tucked you there
And touched you in a dream last night
Pushed you aside when you entered
My thoughts at the wrong time
Saddled my thighs around your hips like ropes
I rode you on a chair and in the shower
And all the while I clung heavy to your back
My desire deeply harnessed in your spine
While I squeezed you like a tree trunk
You may have been one
Sexless and comfort in your mind
Even barer than a child's
I'm riding recklessly through a thick and humid
Jungle growing anxious with the deep and primal
Yearning that stirs
Deeply pulsing up toward the surface
Like sap rising or honey or tar
The lyrics of CocoRosie's song Honey or Tar depict the inner desires of a person towards someone they are attracted to but are unable to express their feelings to. The first stanza portrays the singer's acknowledgment of their own guilt and violation of the other person's privacy in their own imagination. The lines "Maybe even raped you / In a dark and eerie corner of my mind" are symbolic of the singer's secret obsession, which they know is wrong but cannot help giving in to.
In the second stanza, the singer describes their sexual fantasies involving the person, which are full of vivid imagery and intensity. The lines "My desire deeply harnessed in your spine" indicate that the singer is completely consumed by their attraction to the person and that it is a deeply-rooted feeling that is not easy to shake off. The use of the metaphor "While I squeezed you like a tree trunk / You may have been one" highlights the singer's deep-seated need for physical intimacy and emotional connection.
Throughout the song, the singer appears to be in a state of inner turmoil, struggling to come to terms with their own desires, and the unspoken nature of their feelings towards the other person. The final lines "Like sap rising or honey or tar" are symbolic of the complexity of the singer's emotions and the intermingling of pleasure and pain that they associate with their attraction to the person.
Line by Line Meaning
I undressed you with my eyes I have
I have fantasized about you sexually
Maybe even raped you
I've indulged in my sexual fantasies despite lack of consent
In a dark and eerie corner of my mind
These thoughts exist in a hidden, shameful part of my consciousness
I tucked you there
I have repressed these desires
And touched you in a dream last night
These thoughts continue to manifest in my subconscious
Pushed you aside when you entered
I try to suppress these thoughts when they enter my conscious mind
My thoughts at the wrong time
I am unable to control the timing of these intrusive thoughts
I have sat up upon your lap and
I have imagined being intimate with you
Saddled my thighs around your hips like ropes
I have envisioned being in a dominant sexual position over you
I rode you on a chair and in the shower
I have imagined sexual scenarios in different settings
And all the while I clung heavy to your back
I have immersed myself fully in these sexual fantasies
My desire deeply harnessed in your spine
My sexual desire is consuming and all-encompassing
While I squeezed you like a tree trunk
I have envisioned being physical and aggressive with you
You may have been one
You may have been a mere object of my sexual desire
Sexless and comfort in your mind
You may not have reciprocated or felt any sexual attraction
Even barer than a child's
Your lack of desire for me makes me feel exposed and vulnerable
I'm riding recklessly through a thick and humid
My sexual desires are driving me to take risks and act impulsively
Jungle growing anxious with the deep and primal
The intensity of my sexual desire is overwhelming and all-consuming
Yearning that stirs
My sexual longing is arousing and persistent
Deeply pulsing up toward the surface
My sexual desire is growing stronger and more urgent
Like sap rising or honey or tar
My sexual desire is sticky and all-encompassing like sap, honey or tar
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Bianca Leilani Casady, Sierra Rose Casady
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind