Jarboe (full name: Jarboe La Salle Devereaux – also known as The Living Ja… Read Full Bio ↴Jarboe (full name: Jarboe La Salle Devereaux – also known as The Living Jarboe) is an American singer, songwriter, and keyboardist from New Orleans active since 1984. She came to prominence in the mid-1980s as a member of New York City based group Swans. With founder Michael Gira, the duo was the core of the group until its disbandment in 1998.

She continues to release numerous solo albums and collaborations and has composed the soundtrack for a horror game entitled The Path.

Coming to rock and experimental music from a complex, fascinating background (both her parents were FBI agents; her upbringing in the South included such elements of extreme American religious faith as snake-handling ceremonies; and before her direct involvement in music she participated in "unorthodox sex work," to use her own words, in various U.S. cities), Jarboe, who has always preferred to be known by her sole name, has long been known as one of the fiercest spirits in modern music. She is an intelligent and aggressive artist possessed of striking musical skill who has rejected the music industry's all-too-easy stereotyping and exploitation to create shockingly powerful visions. Helping strongly in this is her one-of-a-kind vocal talent, ranging from emotive blues/gospel tones to wild shrieking, matching excellently with her wide-ranging preference in musical styles. Joining the band Swans two years after it came into being, Jarboe soon became the co-leader of the band with founder Michael Gira; together the pair released some of the most striking, musically extreme recordings of recent years, both as Swans and as the side project band Skin. Jarboe's solo career began in earnest in 1992 with the release of Thirteen Masks, followed a couple of years later by a collaborative effort released under the name Beautiful People with Larry Seven, who also worked on Thirteen Masks and various Swans tracks before that time. The next official release was 1995's Sacrificial Cake, described as a "Swans Related Product," and released in concert with Gira's own solo debut, Drainland. After this, Swans took precedence as she and Gira finished the group's farewell albums and tours; her first post-Swans release, Anhedoniac, appeared in 1998. Shortly thereafter she made a trip to Israel for artistic inspiration for a planned follow-up, Disburdeen Disciple. However, she contracted an illness while visiting there, leading to hospitalization on return to America. A sampler for Disciple has appeared as a teaser, but the main album itself was not completed or ready for release. A collaboration with Telecognac, titled Over, appeared in 2000.

http://www.thelivingjarboe.com

Kiss of Life
Jarboe Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

We are gathered tonight to say goodbye to a life
Cherish the echo of absence
Here are the jars to save the blood
Let us begin
Absence is an echo down a long hallway
Where demons come out to pray
The walls are red, the floor is a cobweb
And i'm walking barefoot upon my grave

Breathe in my open mouth
Give me your kiss of life
Then beat onto my breast
Lead me out from this death
Here are the jars to save the blood
Absence is an echo down a long hallway
Where angels come out to prey
The walls are blood the floor is all mud
And i'm walking barefoot upon my grave
Breathe in my open mouth
Give me your kiss of life
Breathe on my open heart
Lead me out from the dark

Here are the jars to save the blood

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Jarboe's song Kiss of Life are filled with vivid and surreal imagery, painting a chilling picture of death and the afterlife. The opening line sets the tone for the rest of the song, as Jarboe sings of a gathering to say goodbye to life. The use of the word "echo" to describe absence is an interesting choice, as it implies a persistent and haunting memory. The reference to blood jars could refer to the idea of preserving the essence of life, even in death.

As the song progresses, Jarboe descends into a dark and eerie vision of the afterlife. The hallway becomes a place where demons come to prey, and the walls are painted red with blood. Despite this, the singer continues to walk forward, feeling the cobweb floor beneath her bare feet. The chorus repeats the line "give me your kiss of life," as if begging for someone to pull her back into the land of the living.

The second verse takes an interesting turn, as Jarboe sings of angels preying on the living. The walls are now blood red, and the floor is all mud. The demarcation between life and death is blurred, and the singer is still walking barefoot upon her own grave. The repetition of the chorus emphasizes the desire for life, as she asks for someone to give her a kiss of life and lead her out of the darkness.

Overall, Kiss of Life is a dark and unsettling song, exploring the boundary between life and death. The vivid imagery and surreal storytelling create a sense of unease, while the repetition of the chorus emphasizes the singer's desperation to cling to life.

Line by Line Meaning

We are gathered tonight to say goodbye to a life
We have come together to bid farewell to a life that has passed away

Cherish the echo of absence
We need to value the reminder of the absence of the person who has passed away

Here are the jars to save the blood
We have containers to preserve the memory of the person through their blood

Let us begin
Now is the time to start the mourning process

Absence is an echo down a long hallway
The absence of the person is felt deeply and echoes throughout the space they once occupied

Where demons come out to pray
Negative emotions and thoughts can arise during times of grief

The walls are red, the floor is a cobweb
The environment feels unsettling and uneasy

And i'm walking barefoot upon my grave
The individual feels as though they are walking towards their own death

Breathe in my open mouth
Give me new life

Give me your kiss of life
Revive me and bring me back to life

Then beat onto my breast
Bring back the rhythm of my heart