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.
Peacemaker
Jesca Hoop Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Warrior
warrior
Powder horn pepperbox boom
Warrior
warrior
matchlock rifle cycle axe and club
talon dagger marble razor
god of war
god of war
enyo anat chemosh oracle
arm us guard us bring us home
stay home i beg you oh my lover
my lover
my lover
or i will not serve you as your lover
your lover
your lover
dita corset stocking s and thigh cuffs
hornet playsuit oil diamond dust
until you draw action from a higher resonance
I will tamp the lamp light in our window
i will drown the fire in our bed
through my legs
ill withhold from you passage
and from my
Lips to take
tongue and taste
sex and make
milk in your baby
swords enraged
fuck me babe
pray abstain girls reign
Put down your peacemaker blue
warrior
warrior
beaten and broken and bruised
warrior
warrior
come and ill unlock your chain link armour
seven baths absolve your blood stained honor
your honor
tell the water of
the bread in the basket
the game on the fire
the milk in the jar
the milk in the jar
the babe in the cradle
the mothers in bed
asleep in the dark
asleep in the dark
your circled the cabin and broke down the door
you broke down the door
you broke down the door
you emptied the cradle and ravished the bed
you ravished the store
and fired your torch
Now i take you to the bed and there you lay
i drop my dress and feed your hungry eye
until you draw action from a higher resonance
i will tamp the lamplight in our window
i will drown the fire in our bed
through my legs ill withhold from you passage
and from my lips to take
tongue and taste
sex and make
milk in your baby
swords enraged
fuck me babe
pray abstain girls reign
The lyrics of Jesca Hoop's song Peacemaker describe a power dynamic within a romantic relationship, with the use of violent and sexual imagery. The first verse is focused on gearing up for battle, with references to various weapons and deities associated with war. The line "put on your peacemaker blue" seems to be a juxtaposition between the color traditionally associated with peace and the idea of being a "peacemaker" through warfare. The repetition of "warrior" emphasizes the hyper-masculine nature of the lyrics.
The chorus shifts the focus to the singer's lover, with a plea to stay home and not engage in violence. The lines "dita corset stocking s and thigh cuffs / hornet playsuit oil diamond dust" bring in elements of BDSM and fetish play, which adds to the power dynamic between the two. The final line of the chorus "until you draw action from a higher resonance" could be interpreted as a reference to the idea that violence and sex are sometimes used as a way to transcend everyday life and connect with something bigger.
The second verse repeats the plea to put down the weapons and violence, and offers comfort and absolution for the warrior. The repetition of "your honor" seems almost like a mantra or a prayer for forgiveness. The final verse returns to the sexual power dynamic between the singer and their lover, with references to feeding their hunger and withholding pleasure until they behave in a way that is deemed acceptable.
Overall, Peacemaker is a complex and controversial song that explores themes of power, violence, and sexuality within a romantic relationship. The use of graphic imagery and repeated phrases creates a sense of intensity and urgency, while the underlying message seems to be a rejection of traditional notions of masculinity and a plea for peace.
Line by Line Meaning
Put on your peacemaker blue
Prepare yourself for conflict with peaceful intentions
Warrior
Ready yourself for battle
Powder horn pepperbox boom
Be armed and dangerous with a variety of firearms
matchlock rifle cycle axe and club
Arms for both long-range and close-range combat
talon dagger marble razor
Alternate weapons for both attack and defense
put on your peacemaker and call upon your
Strive for peace but be prepared to protect yourself
god of war
Appeal to the deity of battle and conflict for strength
enyo anat chemosh oracle
Invoke the names of the gods of war and prophecy for reinforcement
arm us guard us bring us home
Pray for divine protection in battle and a safe return home
stay home i beg you oh my lover
Please stay home and don't go to war, my love
my lover
My romantic partner
dita corset stocking s and thigh cuffs
Sensual attire to entice a lover
hornet playsuit oil diamond dust
More seductive clothing and accessories
until you draw action from a higher resonance
Only act on a higher, more spiritual level of being
I will tamp the lamp light in our window
I will stifle our desire for intimacy and closeness
i will drown the fire in our bed
I will prevent us from engaging in sexual activity
through my legs
By controlling my own body
ill withhold from you passage
I will refuse to allow sexual access to my body
and from my
I will also deny pleasure from other means
Lips to take
Kissing and passionate intimacy
tongue and taste
Oral pleasures
sex and make
Physical love-making
milk in your baby
Provide nourishment for your offspring
swords enraged
Anger and aggression prevail
fuck me babe
Intercourse is desired
pray abstain girls reign
Women have the power to choose when to engage in sexual activity
Put down your peacemaker blue
Lay down your arms and seek peace
beaten and broken and bruised
Injured and damaged from battle
come and ill unlock your chain link armour
I'll help you remove the armor that protects you from emotional intimacy
seven baths absolve your blood stained honor
Attempt to cleanse yourself of the guilty stains of war
your honor
The respect and dignity earned through honorable actions
tell the water of
Confess and cleanse yourself in water
the bread in the basket
The sustenance required for life
the game on the fire
The passion and flame of life
the milk in the jar
The growth and development of life
the babe in the cradle
The new life being nurtured
the mothers in bed
The mother's role in caring for and protecting the child
asleep in the dark
The peaceful rest of those not involved in conflict
you circled the cabin and broke down the door
You were consumed with violence and aggression and destroyed all barriers in your way
you emptied the cradle and ravished the bed
You destroyed the innocence and security of the family unit
you ravished the store and fired your torch
You looted and destroyed the symbol of the community's wealth and prosperity
Now i take you to the bed and there you lay
Now we can engage in intimacy
i drop my dress and feed your hungry eye
I undress for you, fulfilling your desire
until you draw action from a higher resonance
Only act on a higher, more spiritual level of being
i will tamp the lamplight in our window
I will restrict the intimacy and closeness we share
i will drown the fire in our bed
I will prevent us from engaging in sexual activity
through my legs ill withhold from you passage
I will control my own body and refuse sexual access
and from my lips to take
I will also deny pleasure from other means
tongue and taste
Oral pleasures
sex and make
Physical love-making
milk in your baby
Provide nourishment for your offspring
swords enraged
Anger and aggression prevail
fuck me babe
Intercourse is desired
pray abstain girls reign
Women have the power to choose when to engage in sexual activity
Contributed by Harper B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.