Rockapella is an American a … Read Full Bio ↴Download "A-Punk" from Rockapella HERE.
Rockapella is an American a cappella musical group best known for their series of Folgers Coffee commercials and the Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? theme song. "Rockapella" is a portmanteau of "rock" and "a cappella". In addition to original vocal music, the group also perform a cappella covers of pop songs.
The original group members consisted of Brown University alumni Elliott Kerman, David Stix, Sean Altman, and Steve Keyes, who started performing together sheerly out of their love for music. Stix left the group early on and was replaced with Charlie Evett. After having performed on New York City street corners for passers-by the group met a producer who found them a spot on the television show Spike & Co.: Do It A Cappella, hosted by Spike Lee. It was this show that put them in the national spotlight.
The text "All sounds provided by the voices and appendages of Rockapella," the central idea of the group, appears on the group's label debut, Don't Tell Me You Do.
None of the original members of Rockapella currently remain in the group. Founding members Sean Altman and Steve Keyes, Rockapella alum Charlie Evett, and non-Rockapella-related baritone Kevin Weist now comprise an a cappella group called The GrooveBarbers. They can be seen on a current nationwide television ad for Astelin nasal spray as 'The Astelins'. Founding member Elliott Kerman, is working independently on jazz music compilations.
Frequently, songs downloaded on file-sharing programs are mis-tagged as Rockapella, when they are instead by other a cappella artists, including collegiate groups, Moxy Früvous, The Nylons, and Da Vinci's Notebook, as well as for other, less similar acts, such as Eddie From Ohio, or They Might Be Giants.
On December 11th, 2009 Rockapella made a free version of "White Christmas" available for download on Rockapella.com.
Members:
Current
* Charles S. ("Scott") Leonard (high tenor, joined 1991)
* Jeff T. Thacher (vocal percussion, joined 1993)
* George W. Baldi (bass, joined 2002)
* John K. Brown (baritone, joined 2004)
* Steven Dorian (tenor, joined 2010)
Former
* David Stix (bass, member 1986-1987)
* Charlie Evett (bass, member 1987-1988)
* Steve Keyes (high tenor, member 1986-1991)
* Sean D. Altman (tenor, member 1986-1997)
* Barry S. Carl (bass, member 1989-2002)
* Elliott S. Kerman (baritone, member 1986-2004)
* Kevin R. Wright (tenor, joined 1997)
My Home
Rockapella Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The way the wind's pushing the clouds
Or is it the late day sun
Pushing the shadows over the ground
That brings on these memories
Of people and places that I've never seen
And voices so strange and so sweet
Asking me softly
What makes this person me?
Is it the little town where I was born?
Or maybe it's history
The faces of family I've never known
Somewhere across the sea
Where my great-grandmother left long ago
Under a cold crying moon
Looking for something
Where is my home?
Where is my home
The walls of a city
Painted with promises and words so unkind?
Where is my home
The trees of a country
Where autumn came suddenly
That I'll never find
But then there's your face, dear
And I know I'll never be walking alone
The love in your eyes makes it clear
Telling me softly
This is my home
Rockapella's song "My Home" is a poignant reflection on what defines a person's sense of home and identity. The first stanza describes the singer's emotional reaction to the natural scenery around them, which sparks memories of people and places that they have never actually encountered. This sense of longing is heightened when the singer muses on the question of what makes them who they are, and whether it is tied to the place of their birth or their ancestral history. The line, "Where my great-grandmother left long ago / Under a cold crying moon / Looking for something" evokes a sense of displacement and rootlessness, as the singer imagines a relative searching for something elusive in a foreign land.
The chorus of the song then poses the titular question, "Where is my home?" The singer wonders if it can be found in a bustling city, full of both promise and hostility, or in the peaceful embrace of a countryside that is forever beyond their reach. However, the song ultimately resolves itself in the final stanza, as the singer identifies the person who makes them feel most at home - their loved one. The line, "But then there's your face, dear / And I know I'll never be walking alone / The love in your eyes makes it clear / Telling me softly / This is my home" suggests that for the singer, home is not a place, but a feeling of acceptance and love that they have found in the company of another.
Overall, "My Home" is a deeply introspective song that manages to capture the sense of yearning and dislocation that many people experience in the search for their sense of self and place in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Is it the sky today
I wonder if the today's sky is the reason behind my memories.
The way the wind's pushing the clouds
The way the wind is moving the clouds, making me ponder about my home.
Or is it the late day sun
Maybe it is the late day sun that is making me yearn for my home.
Pushing the shadows over the ground
The late day sun is casting shadows on the ground, and it reminds me of my home.
That brings on these memories
The surroundings are making me recall my past, and memories are flowing.
Of people and places that I've never seen
Strangely, I remember people and places that I have never seen before.
And voices so strange and so sweet
I can hear unfamiliar yet captivating voices inside my head.
Asking me softly
The voices are gently asking me:
Where is my home?
'Where is my home?' is the question that the voices are posing.
What makes this person me?
I am questioning what constitutes my identity.
Is it the little town where I was born?
Was I made by the small town where I was born?
Or maybe it's history
Perhaps my past is responsible for who I am today.
The faces of family I've never known
I think about the family members whom I have never met.
Somewhere across the sea
My thoughts wander to a place beyond the sea.
Where my great-grandmother left long ago
I remember stories about my great-grandmother departing from there a long time ago.
Under a cold crying moon
She left under a moon that was crying bitterly.
Looking for something
But what she was looking for, nobody knows.
Where is my home?
Like my great-grandmother, I too wonder where I belong.
Where is my home
I can't help but ask the same question again.
The walls of a city
Perhaps a city's walls hold the answer?
Painted with promises and words so unkind?
But a city's promises can sometimes be deceitful and harsh.
The trees of a country
Maybe the fields and forests of a country hold the secret?
Where autumn came suddenly
Where autumn is swift to arrive and paint everything with red and gold.
That I'll never find
Yet, maybe I'll never find what I'm looking for.
But then there's your face, dear
But I look at your face, my dear,
And I know I'll never be walking alone
And I feel reassured that I will never be alone.
The love in your eyes makes it clear
I can see the love in your eyes, and it is a clear sign of where my home is.
Telling me softly
You gently say to me:
This is my home
You are my home.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DAVID N YAZBEK, SEAN ALTMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lauriep2018
Wow, wwaayyy back in the 90's, when I was in high school, Rockapella came to our school for a concert. Our chorus director created an arrangement of this for us...this SO brings me back!! This was back in the My Home, Indiana, Capitol, Zombie Jamboree days. We sang it for them and they were truly appreciative and surprised bc our teacher didn't tell them we were singing for them.
I am a huge Pentatonix fan(Pentaholics unite!) but my initial love of a capella started with Rockapella!
@theplayhousekitten
That is so cool!
@theplayhousekitten
They all have such amazing voices, but Sean Altman has the best voice out of all of them. (and he's very gorgeous too IMO)
@agtac76
I love the version of this song from the t.v. show 'Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego' . Just found this version. This is just a beautiful song.
@PaulCHa
This song is so beautiful.
@kelzuya
Magic
@Garrettk41
Lovely song, but in all honesty, I prefer the original version Rockapella did with the Persuasions.