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.
Silver Screen
Jesca Hoop Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All tangled in my head
Evening gown, the lights downtown
All dangle in the air
Gates of heaven open, there is me
On the silverscreen
I hope they did good editing
Belle and Beau, buck and doe
A love of tender age
Jill and Joe, do-si-do
A tragedy on stage
Gates of heaven open, there is me
On the silverscreen
I hope they did good editing
Bye, bye, baby, bye, bye
Hello to my beautiful mind, bye, bye
Bye, bye, baby, bye, bye
Hello to my beautiful mind, bye, bye
Bye, bye, baby, bye, bye, bye, bye
Hello to my beautiful mind, bye, bye
Bye, bye, baby, bye, bye
Hello to my beautiful mind
Crystal ball, padded wall
A bright blue TV glare
A moth to light is as lost as I'm found
Fall cellar stairs
Gates of heaven open, there is me
On the silverscreen
I hope they did good editing
Bye, bye, baby, bye, bye
Bye, bye, baby, bye, bye
Bye, bye, baby, bye, bye
Bye, bye, baby, bye, bye
Jesca Hoop's "Silverscreen" is a haunting yet beautiful song that explores the dark side of fame and the vulnerability of our minds. The first two stanzas describe a chaotic scene of a stolen crown, a pillow tangled and an evening gown, with lights in the downtown area. This may symbolize the luxurious yet hollow and disconnected lives of celebrities. The singer then paints an image of herself on the silver screen. The line "I hope they did good editing" implies that she wants the world to see only the perfect version of her, which is a common theme in the entertainment industry.
The next two stanzas talk about various couples such as Belle and Beau, buck and doe, and Jill and Joe, who are all in love. However, despite their love, there is a sense of tragedy on stage, which could represent the unavoidable consequences of being in love or chasing fame. The chorus then repeats the idea of the gates of heaven opening and the singer being on the silver screen, which emphasizes the idea of performing for an audience.
The last verse takes a darker turn, with the image of a crystal ball and a padded wall that can represent depression and isolation. The singer describes herself as a moth to the light, meaning that she is attracted to the fame and performance but at the same time feels lost and disconnected. The song ends with a repeated goodbye to a baby, which emphasizes the idea of a loss and leaving something behind, possibly innocence or youth.
Line by Line Meaning
Stolen crown, pillow down
My mind is jumbled and my thoughts are scattered
All tangled in my head
I'm feeling confused and overwhelmed
Evening gown, the lights downtown
The glamour and excitement of city life
All dangle in the air
Seem to be within my grasp, but out of reach
Gates of heaven open, there is me
I see myself as a star or someone special
On the silverscreen
In a movie or on TV
I hope they did good editing
I hope they make me look good
Belle and Beau, buck and doe
Young lovers or innocent creatures
A love of tender age
Inexperienced or naive love
Jill and Joe, do-si-do
A dance or performance on stage
A tragedy on stage
Something goes wrong, perhaps beyond repair
Bye, bye, baby, bye, bye
Leaving something behind or saying goodbye
Hello to my beautiful mind, bye, bye
Embracing my own inner world and letting go of external distractions
Crystal ball, padded wall
Visions of the future or a sense of confinement
A bright blue TV glare
A strong and unrelenting light that overwhelms the senses
A moth to light is as lost as I'm found
I am drawn to things that may not be good for me, or lead me astray
Fall cellar stairs
A dangerous or challenging situation
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, MOTHERSHIP MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: JESCA HOOP
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@aawaa8525
como você pode ser tão perfeita?!!! tô apaixonado! obrigado, bem minimalista!
@CaoilfhionnRose
great song, gorgeous voice
@apusskidu
Wonderful! Hope to catch you at a gig soon!
@aimstheotter
Beautiful - I Love it!!! :)
@rascalphoto
Love her.
@grahamkey8496
She should do a duet with Tom Waits.
@gabrielm562
Very majestic. Come back to the States soon.
@Keypandemon
Haunting, odd & lovely
@thirstforwine
beautiful, but the sound is somewhat different to the final production on the album as far as I can tell, no? There is a haunting, lighter quality to the song on the album. Maybe it is the youtube compression, but this seems a little flatter, sadly. Love the song though
@benhardie3836
Sounds to me like the version from her SNowglobe EP