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.
Wintersong
Jesca Hoop Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Feeling
Fade away
Something has clearly gone today
Don't know what I can do
But I know
I know
I know
It's the worst way to put you in the song
And I knew as the words came all of this was wrong
Early in the eve
But I know
I know
I know
And you nearly healed
In the feeling
That fades away
Something clearly gone today
Don't know what you want to hear
But I know
I know
I know
It's the worst way to put you in the song
And I knew that as the words came all of this was wrong
Early in the eve
But I know
I know
I know
Even when your love's gone
Don't I show it
Even when your love comes
Baby don't I know it
Even when your love's gone
Baby don't I show it
Even when your love comes
Baby don't I know it
Even when your love's gone
Baby don't I show it
Even when your love comes
Baby don't I know it
Even when the love's gone
Don't I show it
Even when the light's on
Something wrong and gonna know it
And you don't have to tell me nothing
Because you know that you already showed it
And even when the curtain's drawn
And the feeling's gone
Don't I know it
And even when your love's gone
Man can she try to show it
Don't I know it (You wouldn't be that naive)
Don't I show it
Don't I know it
Don't I show it
The lyrics to Jesca Hoop's song "Wintersong" describe a feeling of fading away and something being clearly wrong. The singer is unsure of what to do, but she does know that something is not right. The song's chorus repeats the line, "It's the worst way to put you in the song," which could suggest that the singer is using the song to express something about a relationship or perhaps even to manipulate someone. The verses then flip between the singer and another person who has nearly healed from something that faded away but is still struggling to find the right words. The song ends with the repeated refrain, "Don't I know it, don't I show it," implying that the characters are aware of the situations they find themselves in, even if they don't know exactly what to do about it.
Overall, the lyrics of "Wintersong" suggest a sense of uncertainty and emotional turmoil, particularly within relationships. The repetition of certain phrases throughout the song reinforces this feeling of being caught in a cycle of emotions and not knowing how to break free from it.
Line by Line Meaning
Early in the year
At the beginning of a new year
Feeling
Experiencing an emotion or sensation
Fade away
Gradually disappear
Something has clearly gone today
Something has noticeably changed today
Don't know what I can do
Uncertainty about what actions can be taken
But I know I know I know
Despite uncertainty, there is conviction in knowing
It's the worst way to put you in the song
Acknowledging that certain words or lyrics may hurt someone
And I knew as the words came all of this was wrong
Realizing that the lyrics being written are not appropriate or true
Early in the eve
At the start of the evening
And you nearly healed
The person has almost recovered or moved on
Don't know what you want to hear
Uncertainty about what words will help or comfort the person
Even when your love's gone
Even when the person's love is no longer present
Don't I show it
A rhetorical question about whether the lack of love is evident
Even when your love comes
Even when the person's love returns
Baby don't I know it
Confidence in recognizing when the person's love returns
Even when the love's gone
Even when the person's love disappears
Even when the light's on
Even when everything seems fine or bright
Something wrong and gonna know it
Intuition that something is not right and will become apparent
And you don't have to tell me nothing
Trust that the person does not have to explain anything
Because you know that you already showed it
Acknowledging that the person has already demonstrated their feelings
And even when the curtain's drawn
Even when things are kept private or hidden
And the feeling's gone
When the emotion or sensation has faded away
Man can she try to show it
Despite difficulty, the person is attempting to express themselves
Contributed by Brayden H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Adam Nelsen
Goosebumps every time Jesca takes the lead
Mark Hedger
Thanks for sharing! Great show!!!
stacey murray
Why is there just 2 comments here where is everyone in the world 😚