Jennifer released her debut EP, Truth Love Work, in 2000. 'Time Out' wrote, "O'Connor is another Liz Phair or Elliott Smith waiting to happen. Her understated guitar-based songs lack the primping, preening and obviousness of Phair and the sad-sack whining of Smith. Rather, her matter-of-fact lyrics tell stories that us regular joes can relate to." Her self-released, self-titled debut followed in 2002, and Red Panda released the acclaimed 'The Color And The Light' in May 2005.
'Over The Mountain…' is her 3rd full-length, but it has the immediacy of a debut. The past year saw many personal upheavals which informed it more than she expected. "It's been so tumultuous, I think that inevitably crept into my songs," she says. "I wouldn't say that I always write from experience, but I did a lot of it on this record." For her most emotional songs yet, she self-produced and got rid of reverb and extraneous sounds, giving them an urgency that her other records didn't always have. She explains, "There's a lot of space; we purposefully pared everything down to what was necessary for the song."
While Jennifer writes (and often performs) alone on guitar, each song here (save the acoustic single-take "Today") is fleshed out with a band that includes her longtime drummer Jon Langmead, James McNew (Yo La Tengo) on bass, Kendall Meade (Sparklehorse, Mascott) on keyboards & vocals, and other friends including Britt Daniel (Spoon) on vocals, and Al Weatherhead, who produced 'Color...' & plays guitar on many tracks.
The record was recorded by Jim Bentley at The Fort in Brooklyn.
Websites:
http://myspace.com/jenniferoconnor
http://jenniferoconnor.net
http://matadorrecords.com/jennifer_oconnor
sister
Jennifer O'Connor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I am here alone
Night falls on city skin
That's closed off and withering
And I've been thinking of your face
The last time that we embraced
It feeds me while I count stars
From the back of this subway car
Sister, what can I do?
Sister, I miss you
And he calls twice a week
Just to hear me speak
And we don't talk about
What's gone or who's left without
And it's a stone's throw to a black flower
It's got me counting every hour
When a phone rings late at night
There's no way it's ever going to be right
Ever again
Sister, what can I do?
Sister, I miss you
Sister, what can I do?
Sister, I miss you
In Jennifer O'Connor's song "Sister," the singer is alone on the N train, headed home. The city outside is closed off and withering, a contrast to the warmth of being with her sister. She thinks of the last time they embraced, and the memory brings her comfort as she counts the stars while riding the train. The singer's thoughts are interrupted as her phone rings, likely prompting her realization that she misses her sister.
The second verse reveals that the singer receives phone calls from someone (perhaps a significant other) twice a week just to hear her speak. They don't discuss what's gone, or who's left behind, leaving the singer with unspoken feelings and experiences. A "stone's throw to a black flower" creates a stark image, perhaps representing the singer's loneliness or the loss she feels. The phone ringing in the middle of the night suggests a sense of unease or apprehension that the relationship with the person calling is not as right as it once was, and this realization only deepens the singer's longing for her sister.
Overall, the song conveys a sense of homesickness and longing for the comfort of loved ones. While the singer grapples with loneliness and unspoken feelings, she still seeks solace in the memories of her last hug with her sister. The song leaves an open-ended question of what she can do to find that comfort again.
Line by Line Meaning
N train going home
The singer is riding the N train to go home.
I am here alone
The singer is alone on the N train ride home.
Night falls on city skin
The darkness of night is settling over the city streets.
That's closed off and withering
The city seems to be dying and closed off to the artist.
And I've been thinking of your face
The artist is thinking of someone’s face, possibly her sister's.
The last time that we embraced
The singer is reminiscing about the last time they hugged.
It feeds me while I count stars
The memory of her sister feeds the singer's imagination.
From the back of this subway car
The artist is sitting at the back of the subway car while imagining her sister's face.
Sister, what can I do?
The artist is asking her sister what she can do to alleviate their separation.
Sister, I miss you
The artist misses her sister and wishes she could be with her.
And he calls twice a week
Someone calls the singer twice a week.
Just to hear me speak
The caller only wants to hear the artist's voice.
And we don't talk about
The singer and the caller do not discuss something specific.
What's gone or who's left without
They don't talk about what or who has been lost or abandoned.
And it's a stone's throw to a black flower
The singer is close to something dangerous or ominous.
It's got me counting every hour
The thought of the dangerous thing makes the artist feel afraid and restless.
When a phone rings late at night
The artist's phone rings late at night.
There's no way it's ever going to be right
Something is wrong and it will never be made right.
Ever again
Whatever happened changed everything forever.
Sister, what can I do?
The artist is still asking her sister what she can do in the face of this change.
Sister, I miss you
The artist still misses her sister, even though they can't be together.
Contributed by Aaron R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.