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.
Intelligentactile 101
Jesca Hoop Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Till I get my own
lovely, lovely, lovely bones till I get my own
I won't tell me new friends
That they're on loan
They won't know
it's no smart thing to do
when you're far from home
Can I borrow your skin blushin to get lucky in
Lucky, lucky, lucky with a special friend
Well I hear that on planet Earth
That it's a sing big sin
Well all the more fun for me
To get lucky then
Ohhh, I'm gonna be a baby girl
A round ticket to a blue planet
Flip a uueyy at mars
Ohhh, I'm gonna swim in the water first
Blowin up her belly
Though she didn't plan it
I took the invitation
When she rocked the hammock
Pullin all the wild cards
And now I'm swinging from the stars
From an umbilical chord
From an umbilical chord
Feels like I've been here before
On my tongue on my tongue
I put your fingers on my tongue
I want some intelligent tactile
When foreign play things come
I'm gonna study em with my tongue
I want some intelligentactile 101
Can I borrow your hips and your lips
And your wink and curl
Is I is or is I ain't one flossy girl
I'm gonna paint that planet red
cuz I'm in the world
In the world
And leave a trail of kisses
When my loves unfurled
Will you steady my ground
Dizzy ground when I'm turned around
Dizzy dizzy dizzy ground
When I'm lost you'll found
Well I'm headed to planet Earth
To search the sound
Deep sound
So keep my compass wound
When I'm on the ground
Ohhhh, I'm gonna be a baby girl
From an umbilical chord
On my tongue
The lyrics of Jesca Hoop's song Intelligentactile 101 describe the experience of playing with identity, exploring new places and people, and seeking out pleasure in different and sometimes taboo ways. The singer asks to borrow various body parts and physical sensations from those around her, craving tactile experiences that will help her understand and enjoy her surroundings. She promises to be respectful of the bodies and identities she is borrowing, keeping her use of them a secret from others. She plans to explore the new planet she is visiting, feeling excited to be a part of something larger than herself. She describes herself as a "baby girl," perhaps indicating her relative innocence or naïvete in this new world.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the singer's desire for "intelligent tactile," physical experiences that are both pleasurable and intellectually stimulating. She wants to learn from the sensations and experiences of others and incorporate them into her own understanding of the world. She acknowledges that some of the things she wants to do are considered taboo on this planet but takes pleasure in that fact, feeling that it makes her experiences all the more exciting. Ultimately, the song celebrates exploration and experimentation, encouraging listeners to be open to new experiences and ways of being in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Can I borrow your bones and marrow
Request to use someone's physical attributes for a while
Till I get my own
Until I find and develop my own physical characteristics
lovely, lovely, lovely bones till I get my own
Expressing gratitude for the loaned physical features
I won't tell me new friends
Hiding the temporary nature of borrowed attributes
That they're on loan
Acknowledging that the physical features are not permanent
They won't know
Assuming that the new friends won't recognize the difference
it's no smart thing to do
Recognizing the potential risks of borrowing features
when you're far from home
Highlighting the challenges of being in a new environment
Can I borrow your skin blushin to get lucky in
Asking to use someone's physical features for intimate purposes
Lucky, lucky, lucky with a special friend
Expressing excitement at the prospect of physical affection
Well I hear that on planet Earth
Acknowledging the cultural norms of the destination planet
That it's a sing big sin
Recognizing that the desired behavior is considered taboo
Well all the more fun for me
Choosing to enjoy the taboo behavior anyway
To get lucky then
Committing to the desired outcome
Ohhh, I'm gonna be a baby girl
Describing a desire for rebirth and new beginnings
A round ticket to a blue planet
Metaphor for a new opportunity
Flip a uueyy at mars
Expressing flippant disregard for old connections
Ohhh, I'm gonna swim in the water first
Expressing excitement for a new experience
Blowin up her belly
Describing causing a stir or disruption
Though she didn't plan it
Acknowledging that the disruption was unintended
I took the invitation
Choosing to take advantage of the unexpected opportunity
When she rocked the hammock
Describing the catalyst for change
Pullin all the wild cards
Choosing to take risks and embrace unpredictability
And now I'm swinging from the stars
Describing the feeling of being untethered and free
From an umbilical chord
Metaphor for dependence and connection to a source
Feels like I've been here before
Sense of familiarity in a new situation
On my tongue on my tongue
Description of physical sensation
I put your fingers on my tongue
Using the sense of taste to explore and understand
I want some intelligent tactile
Describing a desire for meaningful and purposeful touch
When foreign play things come
Referencing the exploration of new experiences or objects
I'm gonna study em with my tongue
Describing a desire for deeper understanding
I want some intelligentactile 101
Specifically wants meaningful touch for educational purposes
Can I borrow your hips and your lips
Request for physical features for sensual purposes
And your wink and curl
Describing flirtatious behavior
Is I is or is I ain't one flossy girl
Questioning attractiveness and self-image
I'm gonna paint that planet red
Describing the intention to leave a mark on the new environment
cuz I'm in the world
Acknowledging being part of a larger world
And leave a trail of kisses
Describing a desire for passionate experiences
When my loves unfurled
Describing a desire for emotional openness
Will you steady my ground
Request for support in navigating an uncertain situation
Dizzy ground when I'm turned around
Describing confusion and disorientation
When I'm lost you'll found
Seeking reassurance and guidance
Well I'm headed to planet Earth
Describing the destination
To search the sound
Describing the purpose of the journey
Deep sound
Describing a desire for a profound and meaningful experience
So keep my compass wound
Request to maintain a sense of direction and purpose
When I'm on the ground
Acknowledging the potential struggles of the journey
From an umbilical chord
Continuing the metaphor of dependence and connection
On my tongue
Continuing the discussion of physical sensation
Contributed by Dominic O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.