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
Summer Breeze
CocoRosie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Or should I say that he loved me
I was in second grade, he was fourteen
In the shady of the trees
It was a summer breeze
Whole thing's a blurry dream
Behind the house quiet as a mouse
He told me not to breathe
I didn't know till thirteen
By then I knew just what to do
It was just an old routine
All the boys they fell in love with me
All the boys had a thing for me
Chorus: x2
You see me trying to smile up on this pole
But I'm just hiding the pain that's deep in my soul
You wanna fuck me
I already know
You wanna fuck me and toss me back on the floor
My mama she always said to me I am the brightest star
In life, you're sure to go so far
But I've been at this club about four years
Hooked on dope, crying in the mirror
When we were just little girls
We learned to dance in mama's pearls
Baby bend over and shake that ass for me
Hoping you fall in love with me
I could make love to you for free
We could just get a place and start a life
And try to make things right.
Chorus: x4
You see me trying to smile up on this pole
But I'm just hiding the pain that's deep in my soul
You wanna fuck me
I already know
You wanna fuck me and toss me back on the floor
The lyrics of Summer Breeze by CocoRosie is a complex amalgamation of the artist's past, present, and future. The song begins with the singer reminiscing about her first love, Simon, who was her elder brother. She describes the confusion surrounding their relationship, as he was 14 when she was in second grade, but ultimately it was a relationship that was taboo and had to be kept secret. The artist describes the confusion and fear she felt, as well as the subsequent impact the relationship had on her, which is evident when she says, "Behind the house quiet as a mouse, he told me not to breathe, a secret hard to keep."
This theme of secrets and trying to keep them hidden is juxtaposed in the second half of the song, where the artist is now a stripper, trying to hide the pain and struggles of her current life. She talks about how her mother told her that she was the "brightest star" and how she was destined for greatness, but now finds herself stuck in a seedy club, hooked on drugs and crying in the mirror. She describes how she learned to dance from her mother as a child, and how now this skill is being used in desperation to make money. She sings about how men only want her for sex and how she feels used and discarded like a piece of trash, as evident in the lyrics, "you wanna fuck me and toss me back on the floor."
The song is a poignant portrayal of the lives of many marginalized individuals who have experienced abuse and trauma in their lives, and the lasting impact it has on their psyche. At the same time, it is a powerful commentary on the commoditization of female bodies in the world of strip clubs and adult entertainment.
Line by Line Meaning
Simon, my brother, first man I loved
Simon, my brother, was the first person I had a close affectionate bond with
Or should I say that he loved me
Or maybe it was more than just a sibling bond, maybe he had romantic feelings for me
I was in second grade, he was fourteen
I was only in second grade and he was much older at fourteen
In the shady of the trees
We were hidden under the trees
It was a summer breeze
The air was warm and gentle, just like a summer breeze
Whole thing's a blurry dream
The memory is hazy and unclear, like a dream
Behind the house quiet as a mouse
We were so quiet behind the house, you could hear a mouse
He told me not to breathe
He instructed me to stay quiet and still
A secret hard to keep
It was difficult to keep this secret
I didn't know till thirteen
It wasn't until I was thirteen that I realized what had happened
By then I knew just what to do
By then, I had learned how to handle myself in these situations
It was just an old routine
This sort of thing had happened to me before, and it had become a routine
All the boys they fell in love with me
All the boys had a crush on me
All the boys had a thing for me
All the boys were drawn to me in some way
You see me trying to smile up on this pole
You see me putting on a happy face while dancing on this stripper pole
But I'm just hiding the pain that's deep in my soul
But deep down, I'm really hurting and struggling emotionally
You wanna fuck me
You want to have sex with me
I already know
I'm aware of this fact
You wanna fuck me and toss me back on the floor
You just want to use me for sex and then discard me like a piece of trash
My mama she always said to me I am the brightest star
My mom always told me I was special and destined for greatness
In life, you're sure to go so far
I was told I would succeed greatly in life
But I've been at this club about four years
But here I am, working at this strip club for the past four years
Hooked on dope, crying in the mirror
Addicted to drugs and feeling miserable, staring at myself in the mirror
When we were just little girls
Back when we were just innocent children
We learned to dance in mama's pearls
We were taught how to dance while wearing our mother's pearls
Baby bend over and shake that ass for me
Baby, bend over and perform for me
Hoping you fall in love with me
I'm hoping you'll fall in love with me by watching me dance
I could make love to you for free
I could offer free sex to you
We could just get a place and start a life
We could start a new life together somewhere else
And try to make things right.
And try to make things better for ourselves
Contributed by Xavier R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Clare Kent
Such an impactful song for me. I was also molested by my teenage half-brother as a child (as well as different adults), and I also went through a phase in my early teens of feeling like I had to be sexually appealing to men to be worth anything. That set me up for being groomed as a teenager. CSA is something we need to talk about more, compassion for victims not more shame.
Kristina Vasunina
God, I'm so sorry. I hope you did well and have a good life.
victorrattigan
I listen this on repeat all day today. They are just the most precious things. Love you forever!
1
чудесно
peanutbutterrobot
Best unknown band in our generation. No once can touch this
didjital101
Thank God for digital technology cause I'll still want to be watching this in 30 years time when there are no more live concerts for me to go to. So moving
Anna Mae
They are amazing. 👍
Susannah Schaeffer
I cannot listen to this without crying...
alekrits
thank you for posting this realy wonderful performance!!
dxevin
this song gives me chills