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.
Havoc in Heaven
Jesca Hoop Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Carry us over horizon as the sun setting night
Puts on a phantom cloak
Sing violet light and evoke
The protection that violet evokes
Fasten your focus on your soul
Cause is your fruit and flowers on
Delivery white bone demon
Ohhh, ohhh
Begun the havoc in heaven
Ohhh, ohhh
Begun the havoc in heaven
Deep, deep in a green sea
There is a weapon for me
A pin that is fixing the sea
A pillar of gold shiny
And if I can pull it free
The cudgel is coming with me
Fasten heave ho, pillar of gold
Runs through the deepest darkest stone
Cudgel undone, weighing one ton
Bring on your force white bone demon
Ohhh, ohhh
Begun the havoc in heaven
Ohhh, ohhh
Begun the havoc in heaven
Don't believe your eyes
When the maiden does arrive
You fool, she is the enemy
And do not trust the guise
of a woman old and wise
For truly, she is the white bone demon
Dance makaku's 'round the fire
Warrior drums, banshee crier
Call to them visions of her fire
Filled by the demon's throne
We shall subdue her to bone
And ashes to ashes her home
Fasten your focus on your soul
'Cause is your fruit and flowers' home
And in one blow I smite down my foe
And ashes to ashes welcome home
Ohhh, ohhh
Begun the havoc in heaven
The lyrics of Jesca Hoop's song "Havoc in Heaven" evoke a mystical and otherworldly atmosphere. The singer describes riding on a red ribbon that carries her over the horizon as the sun sets, while she sings of the protection that violet evokes. The lyrics repeat the phrase "Begun the havoc in heaven" with a sense of foreboding and warning. The second verse describes a weapon, a pin fixed into a pillar of gold in a green sea, which, if pulled free, will bring a cudgel weighing one ton. The lyrics are filled with references to mythical themes and folklore, with warnings about the white bone demon and visions of fire and dance.
Throughout the song, the lyrics suggest that the battle is between good and evil, with the need to "fasten your focus on your soul" to withstand the forces of evil. The repeated warnings not to trust appearances and to beware of the white bone demon create a sense of tension and drama. The song builds to a climax with the promise of smiting down the foe in one blow.
Overall, "Havoc in Heaven" is a deep and thought-provoking song, with rich imagery and references to mythical and mystical themes of good and evil, protection, and battle. It is an example of Hoop's ability to create evocative and powerful lyrics that transcend the traditional boundaries of popular music.
Line by Line Meaning
Red ribbon on which we ride
We are embarking on a journey through life, represented by the red ribbon.
Carry us over horizon as the sun setting night
We are traveling towards the unknown future, symbolized by the horizon, as time passes by and darkness falls.
Puts on a phantom cloak
The night wears an ethereal and mysterious cover.
Sing violet light and evoke
Singing ignites the purple light that brings the power of protection.
The protection that violet evokes
Purple evokes the spirit of protection and safety that shields us from harm.
Fasten your focus on your soul
Direct your attention towards your innermost self.
Cause is your fruit and flowers on
Your actions and intentions bear the fruit that becomes your destiny and shapes your path.
Red ribbon, swift justice comes
The red ribbon symbolizes the arrival of justice that moves swiftly and with determination.
Delivery white bone demon
The white bone demon represents the enemy or obstacle that must be vanquished.
Deep, deep in a green sea
There is a hidden force, deep within the depths of the natural world.
There is a weapon for me
I possess the means to overcome any challenge that comes my way.
A pin that is fixing the sea
The weapon is a small but powerful tool that can change the course of things.
A pillar of gold shiny
The weapon is valuable and sparkles with possibility.
And if I can pull it free
If I manage to unlock the potential within me, the weapon can be mine to use.
The cudgel is coming with me
The weapon is a cudgel, a powerful tool that will help me overcome the enemy.
Fasten heave ho, pillar of gold
I must grip the tool tightly and exert force to pull it from the depths.
Runs through the deepest darkest stone
The tool has the power to penetrate the most challenging obstacles and situations.
Cudgel undone, weighing one ton
Once the weapon is free, it unleashes its full weight and power.
Bring on your force white bone demon
The enemy should beware, as I am ready to face it with full force.
Don't believe your eyes
Appearances can be misleading or deceptive.
When the maiden does arrive
When someone young, pure or innocent approaches us.
You fool, she is the enemy
The enemy can take many forms and can deceive us into lowering our guard.
And do not trust the guise of a woman old and wise
Even someone who appears to be experienced and wise can hide a malicious or harmful intent.
For truly, she is the white bone demon
The enemy can take any form, even one that conforms to our expectations of what is good and right.
Dance makaku's 'round the fire
The tribal dance and rituals served to invoke a sense of shared strength and power.
Warrior drums, banshee crier
The sounds of drums and cries marked the beginning of battle and heightened the sense of danger and challenge.
Call to them visions of her fire
The demonstration of power and determination made the enemy aware of the strength of the resistance and their commitment to prevail.
Filled by the demon's throne
The enemy's power is concentrated around its position of influence and control.
We shall subdue her to bone
The enemy will be defeated and neutralized to the point of no longer posing a threat.
And ashes to ashes her home
The enemy shall be reduced to nothing and disappear without traces.
And in one blow I smite down my foe
With a single determined act, I defeat my enemy.
And ashes to ashes welcome home
The enemy is defeated and won't return to threaten us anymore.
Ohhh, ohhh Begun the havoc in heaven
The stage is set for a clash between the forces of good and evil, and it is inevitable that chaos and conflict will ensue.
Contributed by Elijah Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.