Jex Thoth was initially a collaboration between Jessica Bowen and ex-husband songwriter James Jackson Toth, leader of the experimental psych-folk outfit Wooden Wand. Like Wooden Wand the band initially favored stage names (Jex Thoth aka Jessica Bowen, Grim Jim aka James Jackson Toth, Silas Paine aka Glenn Donaldson from The Skygreen Leopards, Zodiac aka Clay Ruby, and, later, Johnny Dee aka Nick Johnson. Frontwoman Jessica Bowen and drummer Nick Johnson are the only remaining original members. Since then, the band has featured a rotating cast of Madison musicians, including Brandon Newhouse and Matt Jacobs.
Jex Thoth debuted in 2008 with a self-titled album of thudding, psychedelic acid rock featuring mythological lyrics and riff-laden hooks. Blood Moon Rise, released in June 2013, is a much different, dreamier affair than its full-length predecessor. Produced by renowned Seattle producer Randall Dunn, Blood Moon Rise is more polished and gently wandering than riff-driven, showing as much pop as metal influence. Bowen's remarkable vocals are a mainstay, however, and remain the central appeal of the band.
www.jexthoth.net
Separated at Birth
Jex Thoth Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Marked at sister's birth
Glad to wander the earth
As strangers
Life has taken its time
Life has taken its toll
Life has taken you far
Start with fading black night ???
Thee torn twins will get by ???
Thee twin hover beside
A grown mourn
I can't help being born
I'm not where I belong
I've been living too long
Without her
Where the emptiness grew ???
From a half moon tattoo
My memories cry out for you
At birth
The song Separated at Birth by Jex Thoth seems to be exploring the theme of separation between twins who were born together but then separated from each other, and now they are trying to find each other again. The first stanza is about how the twins were marked at birth as sisters, but were separated and now they are strangers to each other, wandering on this earth. The lyrics are evocative of the sadness and longing felt by someone who has lost a sibling or a close relative, and are trying to reconnect with them. Life has taken its toll on them and has taken one of them far away.
The second stanza seems to be about one of the twins trying to reach out to the other, but unable to do so. The lyrics are cryptic and open to interpretation, but it seems that the two sisters have some sort of connection that is beyond their understanding. They are torn apart but still hovering beside each other, mourning the loss of their bond. The third stanza is particularly poignant, with the twin lamenting that she has been living too long without her sister, and is unable to find her. She is haunted by memories of their time together at birth and the emptiness that has grown within her.
Overall, the lyrics in Separated at Birth are very poetic and paint a picture of twin sisters who are searching for each other, and are perhaps struggling to find a way back to each other. The song is a powerful exploration of the theme of separation and loss, and the longing that comes with it. The haunting vocals, melancholic guitars, and evocative lyrics combine to create a haunting and emotional listening experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Separated at birth
Born as twins but separated and raised apart
Marked at sister's birth
Identified as the twin sibling of a girl born at the same time
Glad to wander the earth
Finding joy in exploring and traveling, likely due to feeling lost without the twin
As strangers
Despite being siblings, they are strangers to each other due to being separated at birth
Life has taken its time
Time has passed and circumstances have changed, but the emotion of being separated remains
Life has taken its toll
The pain of separation has taken a toll on the twin
Life has taken you far
The twin has gone through a lot of life experiences
Away
Separation has physically distanced the twins
Start with fading black night
The beginning of the story is in a dark, mysterious time
Thee torn twins will get by
Despite being separated, the twins will continue to survive
Thee twin hover beside
The twin is always imagined or felt close by
A grown mourn
The pain of separation has matured into grief
I can't help being born
The twin had no control over being born or being separated
I'm not where I belong
The twin feels incomplete or lost without the other
I've been living too long
The separation has been going on for a while and feels unbearable
Without her
The twin feels incomplete without the other
Where the emptiness grew
The feeling of emptiness inside grew over time
From a half moon tattoo
The tattoo serves as a physical reminder of the twin sibling
My memories cry out for you
The twin longs for their sibling and remembers the bond they shared as babies
At birth
The separation happened immediately after they were born
Contributed by Hudson G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.