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
Yum-Yab
Jarboe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I knew it was dangerous but i took the risk.
And yes it was sweet so sweet to eat.
Now see how the flesh is pricked and bleeds.
Yeah it bleeds. it bleeds. yeah it bleeds. see how it bleeds.
I saw a lil' baby crawlin' down the street.
I said hey come over here you smell good enough to eat.
I'll make you my mirror of the things that i chew.
Little yum-yab. Little yum-yab
We are the wild. we are the risk.
Come little yum-yab. come slash your wrist.
We are the wild. we are the risk.
Come little yum-yab. gimme a kiss.
We are the wild. we are the risk.
Come little yum-yab. come slash your wrist.
The lyrics of Jarboe's song Yum-Yab are dark and disturbing, speaking about dangerous desires and urges to consume and harm. The first verse describes the singer seeing a white finger on a barbed wire fence, and despite knowing it was dangerous, they took the risk and ate it. The second verse talks about a baby crawling down the street and the singer saying they smell good enough to eat. They then offer to make the baby their mirror of the things they chew. The chorus repeats the lines "We are the wild. We are the risk. Come little yum-yab. Come slash your wrist," emphasizing the violent and dangerous nature of the desires and actions being sung about.
Overall, these lyrics speak about the darker and taboo desires that can reside within a person, and the dangers that can come from acting on them. The song is unsettling and uncomfortable to listen to, but it also presents a glimpse into the darker aspects of human nature and the consequences that can arise from indulging in them.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw a white finger on a barbed wire fence.
I encountered a sign of danger, a white finger dangling on a barbed wire fence.
I knew it was dangerous but i took the risk.
Despite knowing the risk, I couldn't resist plunging into the danger.
And yes it was sweet so sweet to eat.
The sweet taste compelled me to indulge in what was dangerous.
Now see how the flesh is pricked and bleeds.
My actions have led to physical damage, bleeding flesh as a result.
Yeah it bleeds. it bleeds. yeah it bleeds. see how it bleeds.
The consequences of my risky behavior is evident in the bleeding flesh which calls for attention.
I saw a lil' baby crawlin' down the street.
I spotted a baby crawling on the street while I was on the move.
I said hey come over here you smell good enough to eat.
Enticed by the scent, I invited the baby to come closer to me, a sign of an unhealthy desire to feed on the innocent.
I said hey come over dear and you know what i'll do.
Trying to justify my actions, I convinced the baby to accept my invitation and become a mirror of my unhealthy cravings.
I'll make you my mirror of the things that i chew.
By consuming the baby, I'd make it become the representation of whatever I consume.
Little yum-yab. Little yum-yab
Referring to the baby, who would enable me to satisfy my unhealthy cravings.
We are the wild. we are the risk.
Justifying risky behavior as part of the wild nature that consumes whatever desires.
Come little yum-yab. come slash your wrist.
Insisting that the baby join me in self-harm and become a part of the wild nature that craves recklessness.
Come little yum-yab. gimme a kiss.
Requesting a dark and twisted love, one that feeds on the innocent baby.
Come little yum-yab. come slash your wrist.
Persistently persuading the baby to join me in self-harm, connecting our cravings in a morbid way.
Contributed by Emily R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.