Mariee Sioux (born Marie Sioux Sobonya in Arcata, CA, on 4 February 1985) i… Read Full Bio ↴Mariee Sioux (born Marie Sioux Sobonya in Arcata, CA, on 4 February 1985) is an American folk singer-songwriter in the vein of Joni Mitchell and Joanna Newsom. She has also released music under the name Mariee Siou.

Raised in Nevada City, CA, Sioux released two albums independently on CD in 2005 and 2006 respectively: "Pray Me a Shadow" and "A Bundled Bundle of Bundles."

Her official debut, "Faces in the Rocks" - partially consisting of re-recorded demos from her previous albums - was recorded in May of 2007 and released via Grass Roots Records in October of that same year. A friend of Alela Diane since childhood, the two worked together for Mr. Toad's Sessions.

"Gift for the End," her second album, was released in Europe on March 5, 2012, on the Almost Musique label, and in the USA in April 2012 on Whale Watch Records.

In 2019, she released "Grief in Exile" on Night Bloom Records, and, in 2023, "Circle of Signs," her debut solo EP.

Buried in Teeth
Mariee Sioux Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Buried in teeth
Buried in teeth
Buried in teeth
Can't tell if I've got black roots or braids
Growing out of my head
Grandfather's eating our grains

Buried in teeth

Buried in teeth
Buried in teeth
Can't tell if I've got rivers or veins
Running under my skin
Flowing out over the plains
There's trapped antennae
All tangled up with these brains
And the spin of cocoons whispers your names

While the crash of molars it sifts us downward
Down past the roll of ancient thunder
Down past the delicate bones of birds wings
Those that never took the flight of morning
Down past the fossil ferns and antlers
A pack of ghost wolves are going to bring you under
Down past the stomach's filled with berries
Swallowed down into the gut of centuries

Where we'll petrify
Strong willed, feeble, amber eyed
There we'll petrify
Strong lunged, weary, amber eyed
Strong winged, teary, amber eyed
Amber eyed

Buried in arms
Buried in arms
Buried in arms
Can't tell if it's your elbows or twine
All wrapped 'round my waist
A tangled mess divine
Buried in arms
Buried in arms
Buried in arms
Can't tell whose triggers are whose
So we'll pull every one
Firing diamonds at boots

The crash of molars it sifts us downward
Down past the roll of ancient thunder
Down past the delicate bones of bird's wings
Those that never took the flight of morning
Down past the fossil ferns and antlers
A pack of ghost wolves are going to bring you under
Down past the stomachs filled with berries
Swallowed down into the gut of centuries

Where we'll petrify
Strong willed, feeble, amber eyed
There we'll petrify
Strong lunged, weary, amber eyed
Strong winged, teary, amber eyed
Amber eyed

Buried in arms
Buried in teeth
Buried in teeth
Buried in arms
Buried in teeth
Can't tell if those are black holes I spy
Staring down at us
Sucking starlight through our eyes

Buried in arms
Buried in teeth
Buried in teeth
Buried in arms
Buried in arms
Buried in teeth
Buried in teeth
Buried in arms

Buried in teeth
Can't tell if we'll being eaten alive

Overall Meaning

The song "Buried in Teeth" by Mariee Sioux is a hauntingly beautiful and mysterious meditation on mortality and the cyclical nature of life. The repeated refrain of "buried in teeth" suggests a sense of being swallowed up, consumed or returned to the earth from which we were born. The singer is detached from their body, uncertain whether they have "black roots or braids / growing out of [their] head" or "rivers or veins / running under [their] skin." They are both part of the natural world and also separate from it, observing the cycle of life and death from a distance. The image of "trapped antennae / all tangled up with these brains" suggests a sense of being caught between different states of being, unable to escape the cycles of nature.

The lyrics also contain references to ancestral memory and the idea of being part of a larger lineage. The line "grandfather's eating our grains" suggests a connection to the past and to the tradition of passing down knowledge and resources from one generation to the next. The singer is caught between the past and the present, unsure of their place in the larger scheme of things.

The repeated reference to the "crash of molars" suggests a sense of grinding, crushing forces at work, breaking down and transforming organic matter over time. The image of "fossil ferns and antlers" suggest deep time and the long arc of evolution, while the reference to "ghost wolves" suggests a connection to the natural world and the animal spirits that inhabit it. The repeated refrain of "we'll petrify / strong willed, feeble, amber eyed" suggests a final transformation - a return to the earth, but also a kind of permanence and preservation.

Line by Line Meaning

Buried in teeth
Feeling trapped and stuck in a dark and uncomfortable place.

Can't tell if I've got black roots or braids Growing out of my head Grandfather's eating our grains
Feeling uncertain and confused about one's identity and heritage, and experiencing a sense of loss.

Can't tell if I've got rivers or veins Running under my skin Flowing out over the plains
Feeling a deep connection to the natural world around oneself, and recognizing that this connection is integral to one's sense of self.

There's trapped antennae All tangled up with these brains And the spin of cocoons whispers your names
Feeling like one's thoughts and emotions are being stifled or restrained, and experiencing a sense of longing for something or someone that is out of reach.

While the crash of molars it sifts us downward Down past the roll of ancient thunder Down past the delicate bones of bird wings Those that never took the flight of morning Down past the fossil ferns and antlers A pack of ghost wolves are going to bring you under Down past the stomach's filled with berries Swallowed down into the gut of centuries
Sinking deeper and deeper into a dark and mysterious place, where one is forced to confront the mysteries of the past and the present.

Where we'll petrify Strong willed, feeble, amber eyed There we'll petrify Strong lunged, weary, amber eyed Strong winged, teary, amber eyed Amber eyed
Facing the possibility of being trapped and immobilized by one's circumstances, but also recognizing that one carries a powerful and resilient inner strength.

Buried in arms Buried in arms Buried in arms Can't tell if it's your elbows or twine All wrapped 'round my waist A tangled mess divine
Experiencing a loving and intimate connection with another person, one that is both comforting and complex.

Can't tell whose triggers are whose So we'll pull every one Firing diamonds at boots
Navigating a complex and uncertain relationship where it is difficult to know who is responsible for what, but still striving to make progress and move forward.

Can't tell if those are black holes I spy Staring down at us Sucking starlight through our eyes
Feeling overwhelmed and overshadowed by the mysteries and uncertainties of the universe, and experiencing a sense of awe and deep spiritual connection.

Buried in arms Buried in teeth Buried in teeth Buried in arms Buried in teeth Can't tell if we'll being eaten alive
Acknowledging the deep risks and uncertainties of intimacy and human connection, and recognizing that one may be hurt or consumed by the process of becoming close to another person.

Contributed by Muhammad P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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