As an adolescent Foster worked as a funeral and wedding singer, and aspired to become an opera singer. After her studies she began to record demos of her own songs, resulting in the early recordings There Are Eyes Above (2000), an album of ukulele accompanied songs strongly influenced by Tin Pan Alley, and an album of children's songs, Little Life (2001).
For several years she worked as a singing teacher in Chicago, recording and performing with a variety of musical acts on the side including Born Heller, a project with free jazz-bassist Jason Ajemian, and The Children's Hour, a pop band formed with songwriter Andrew Bar. In 2004, joined by her occasional backing band The Supposed (Brian Goodman on guitar and Rusty Peterson on drums), she released an album of psychedelic rock called All the Leaves Are Gone which has drawn comparison to Patti Smith and Jefferson Airplane.
The songs on her first solo studio album Hazel Eyes, I Will Lead You (2005, Locust Music) evoke American folk and blues forms of the early 20th century. A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing, released in 2006, features unorthodox interpretations of 19th century German Lieder. This Coming Gladness, was released in 2008 and featured the contributions of Victor Herrero on electric guitar and percussion by Alex Neilson. In early 2009 she released an album of 27 Emily Dickinson song settings entitled Graphic as a Star with UK label Fire Records. Thereafter began her work in rural Spain with her husband Victor Herrero collecting and arranging collections of folk songs resulting in the recordings Anda Jaleo (a resetting of Garcia Lorca´s piano/voice transcriptions of Spanish songs) and Perlas (a selection of Spanish songs made by Foster herself) respectively.
In 2012 she returned to Colorado to record a new solo album Blood Rushing which took inspiration from local themes from her childhood such as the western geography, native rhythms, and imagined mythology. The album was recorded in a Boulder yoga studio by the Andrija Tokic and featured the ensemble of Victor Herrero on classical and electric guitars, Paz Lenchantin on bass, Heather Trost on violin, and Ben Trimble on pueblo skin drums.
Foster released a new full-length album, I'm A Dreamer on November 12th, 2013.
By The Shape Of Your Pearls
Josephine Foster Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You've been there I see by the shape of your pearls
I know it's not easy to share, and that's fine
Thanks for your treasures, and thanks for your wine--
In the song By The Shape Of Your Pearls by Josephine Foster, the lyrics are speaking about someone who has achieved greatness or experienced something extraordinary. The first line, "Bring me a piece of the top of the world!" is almost a demand or a challenge to the person who has experienced this greatness, as if the singer is saying "Prove to me that you've been there." The second line, "You've been there I see by the shape of your pearls," suggests that the person has evidence or proof of their experience through their possessions, specifically their pearls.
The next line, "I know it's not easy to share, and that's fine," acknowledges that it may be difficult for the person to talk about their experiences, and that the singer understands and respects that. However, the next line " Thanks for your treasures, and thanks for your wine," implies that the singer still wants to hear about the person's experiences and is grateful for the things they have shared so far.
Overall, the song seems to be about the desire for connection and understanding, even in the face of someone else's significant experiences or achievements. The singer wants to know more about the person's story and appreciates what they have already shared.
Line by Line Meaning
Bring me a piece of the top of the world!
Please bring me something amazing or unique, like a piece of the top of the world, that will impress me.
You've been there I see by the shape of your pearls
I can tell that you've experienced something special and seen things others haven't just by looking at your high-quality pearls.
I know it's not easy to share, and that's fine
I understand that it's difficult to open up and share personal experiences, but that's okay.
Thanks for your treasures, and thanks for your wine
Thank you for sharing your valuable possessions and for the hospitality of offering me wine.
Contributed by Samantha B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.