Hoop has lived all over the map, and her rich life experience is reflected in her distinctive voice and natural gift for inventive song craft. She learned to sing at an early age, harmonising with her musical Mormon family in northern California. She began writing highly idiosyncratic songs at the age of 14 to keep her company on her long walks to school. At 16, Hoop broke away from her strict upbringing and began what she calls her 'life as a racoon', off the grid & close to nature. Rambling through the high mountain deserts of the Southwest and along the coastlines of the Northwest, she worked as a wilderness survival guide and chalked up skills in farming, surveying, and carpentry. Her songwriting continued throughout, shared on porches, in deep river canyons and around campfires.
In 2004 the desire to share these songs on a broader scale set in. She settled in Los Angeles, where she honed her songwriting craft and developed a reputation as a unique and beguiling live performer of real substance. Though she now resides in Manchester, England, Hoop returned to Los Angeles to record her third album, The House That Jack Built.
Jesca has quite the collection of fans in high places: Tom Waits described her music as being "like a four sided coin. She is an old soul, like a black pearl, a good witch or red moon. Her music is like going swimming in a lake at night". Peter Gabriel took her to South America to sing with him, and in recent years she has been hand picked to play as support on tour for Eels, Andrew Bird, Punch Brothers, Shearwater and Elbow: Elbow's Guy Garvey has even had her do stints as guest presenter on his BBC radio show, to great reception.
The follow up to 2009's critically acclaimed Hunting My Dress, "The House That Jack Built" displays a striking duality: light and dark, head and heart, it juxtaposes the macabre and visceral with a disarmingly candid intimacy. The resulting combination is powerfully evocative, with overarching themes of biology, nature and humanity - Hoop's stone-turning observations are mired in the equal beauty and violence of a nature that, for her, is clearly red in tooth and claw.
Deeper Devastation
Jesca Hoop Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Not you
And the closer you come
Deeper devastation
I’m a baby bird
I’m a hungry bird
And I feed from your gut
And the tree shakes
And your beak stabs my throat
Under the power of our one and only sun
There’s a kink in the pattern
Do you do the right thing?
There’s a hole in the fabric
Do you do the right thing?
You cannot trust a human being to do the right thing
Do the right
Under the power of our one and only sun
And there once was a time
With you
But it turned on a dime
And tales call the decision
I’m a lover wild
I’m a loyal child
And I’ve burned your eyes on mine
When the bones collide
And the rocks catch fire
And your greed swallows me whole
Under the power of our one and only sun
There’s a kink in the pattern
do you do the right thing?
There’s a hole in the fabric
Do you do the right thing?
And it is all in the planning
Do you do the right thing?
You cannot trust a human being to do the right thing
Do the right
Under the power of our one and only sun
I’m a bleeding heart
I’m a hiding heart
And I can bleed and hide and still love
When the truths blown wide
And my faith’s capsized
I drift in loss and sorrow
Under the power of our one and only sun
There’s a kink in the fabric
Do you do the right thing?
There’s a hole in the fabric
Do you do the right thing?
And it is all in the planning
Do you do the right thing?
You cannot trust a human being to do the right thing
Do the right
Under the power of our one and only sun
In "Deeper Devastation," Jesca Hoop explores the concept of trust and the impact of betrayal on relationships. The opening lines "I don't trust anyone, not you / And the closer you come, deeper devastation" set the tone for the song's overall message. Hoop sings about how vulnerability can lead to deeper hurt, as represented in the metaphor of a baby bird feeding from the gut of its mother bird, only to have its throat stabbed by her beak when the wind shakes the tree.
Throughout the song, Hoop reflects on the dichotomy of human behavior and questions whether anyone can truly be trusted to do the right thing. The lines "There's a kink in the pattern / Do you do the right thing? / There's a hole in the fabric / Do you do the right thing? / You cannot trust a human being to do the right thing" suggest that humans are imperfect and cannot be relied upon to act in the best interest of others. Despite this, Hoop asserts that she is a "lover wild" and a "loyal child" who can still love and accept the pain that comes with it.
Overall, "Deeper Devastation" is a poignant exploration of trust, betrayal, and the complexity of human relationships. It highlights the importance of being cautious while also being open to love and connection.
Line by Line Meaning
I don’t trust anyone
The singer doesn't trust anyone, including the person they're addressing.
Not you
The singer doesn't trust the person they're addressing specifically.
And the closer you come
The closer the person they're addressing comes, the worse the devastation will be.
Deeper devastation
The closer the person they're addressing comes, the more devastating it will be.
I’m a baby bird
The artist is vulnerable, like a baby bird.
I’m a hungry bird
The singer is hungry, like a bird.
And I feed from your gut
The singer relies on the person they're addressing for sustenance.
And the wind blows
The wind is blowing.
And the tree shakes
The tree is shaking.
And your beak stabs my throat
The artist feels hurt by the person they're addressing, like their throat has been stabbed.
Under the power of our one and only sun
The events of the song take place under the sun.
There’s a kink in the pattern
There's a problem in the way things are supposed to be.
Do you do the right thing?
The singer questions if the person they're addressing will do the right thing.
There’s a hole in the fabric
There's a hole or problem in the system.
And it is all in the planning
The singer implies the problems are a result of poor planning.
You cannot trust a human being to do the right thing
People aren't always trustworthy.
Do the right
The person they're addressing should do the right thing.
And there once was a time
There was a time when the singer had a relationship with the person they're addressing.
With you
The person they're addressing was a part of that past relationship.
But it turned on a dime
The relationship changed suddenly.
And tales call the decision
The decision that ended the relationship is the subject of gossip or rumor.
I’m a lover wild
The artist is passionate and emotional.
I’m a loyal child
The singer can be counted on.
And I’ve burned your eyes on mine
The artist has intense eye contact with the person they're addressing.
When the bones collide
Bones are crashing together.
And the rocks catch fire
The rocks are on fire.
And your greed swallows me whole
The person they're addressing is selfish and taking advantage of the singer.
I’m a bleeding heart
The artist is very emotional.
I’m a hiding heart
The artist is also afraid and hiding.
And I can bleed and hide and still love
Even though the singer is hurt and afraid, they can still feel love for the person they're addressing.
When the truths blown wide
The truth has been revealed.
And my faith’s capsized
The artist has lost faith in something or someone.
I drift in loss and sorrow
The artist is adrift in sadness and grief.
Contributed by Avery P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.