Sharron's debut album Beautiful Twisted was released by Australian psych label Camera Obscura in 2002 and received rave reviews around the world. It was listed in Rolling Stone Magazine's Critics' Top Albums of 2002. After touring with US psychedelic folk band The Iditarod, she collaborated with them on an album of wintry songs and soundscapes entitled Yuletide and released by avant/experimental label Elsie and Jack in 2003.
Sharron's second solo album, Songs of Love and Loss, was recorded at home in Oxford and at Dungeon Studios in the Cotswolds. The album features Jane Griffiths on fiddle and viola, Jon Fletcher on harmonica and occasional guitar, banjo and vocals, Colin Fletcher on bass, as well as BBC Folk Award-winning fiddler Jon Boden and Grammy-nominated early music violinist Giles Lewin. The album was finished in Providence and mixed with Jeffrey Alexander (The Iditarod, Black Forest/Black Sea). Songs of Love and Loss is a natural follow-up to Beautiful Twisted, in places darker and more discordant, in others gentler and sweeter.
Sharron has been featured in The Wire, New Folk Sounds, Arthur, Ptolemaic Terrascope and Broken Face. She has been interviewed on BBC Radio 3 for 'A Place Called England' discussing the future of English folk music and recorded sessions for BBC Radio Scotland and independent radio stations across the US. Her fans include veteran folk musician Archie Fisher and Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore.
Song And Dance Of The Bees
Sharron Kraus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My garden writhes
With my buzzing friends
Keeping busy all day
The sunlight sparkles
The swarm wrinkles
Enfolding me
In a soft humming blanket
The song and dance of the bees
Sets my eardrums pounding
The dance and song of the bees
Sets my eyelashes fluttering
Would you wear protection?
Wrap up in netting
I go to my bees naked
Trust in them
Their beating wings fan me
Their song fills me
They cover my body
With tiny stinging kisses
The air is sweet
The rising heat
Turns my blood to honey
Thick honey
The humming grows
The swarm knows
I'm coming
Homecoming Queen
The song and dance of the bees
Sets my eardrums pounding
The dance and song of the bees
Sets my eyelashes fluttering
The song and dance of the bees
Sets my heart racing
The dance and song of the bees
Puts an end to my yearning
In "Song and Dance of the Bees," Sharon Kraus vividly describes her connection to her hive and the bees that inhabit it. She opens by painting a picture of her garden's environment, where the sun shines down and her "buzzing friends" keep themselves busily occupied. She speaks of the "soft humming blanket" of the bees that enfold her, surrounded by the "dance and song of the bees" that she finds so compelling. The bees seem to take over her senses completely, with their music making her eardrums pound and her eyelashes flutter.
Kraus trusts the bees implicitly, forgoing any protective clothing and allowing them to land on her body, even if they sting her. She seems to revel in the experience, describing the sensation as "tiny stinging kisses." The rising heat and sweet air add to the atmosphere, until she becomes one with the swarm, the "homecoming queen" in their midst. In this way, Kraus immerses herself completely in the natural world, finding joy and wonder in it, even when it might bring her discomfort.
Overall, "Song and Dance of the Bees" is a richly layered exploration of connection and sensation. Through her words, Kraus invites listeners to consider the beauty and complexity of the world around us, even those parts that might be seen as dangerous or unnerving.
Line by Line Meaning
My hive is alive
The hive where bees live is active and full of energy.
My garden writhes
The garden moves and shakes because of the bees' activity.
With my buzzing friends
The bees are Sharron Kraus' friends and they are making a buzzing sound.
Keeping busy all day
The bees are always working and not wasting any time during the day.
The sunlight sparkles
The sun's light is shining and reflecting brightly.
The swarm wrinkles
The swarm of bees moves and appears to be wrinkling like a fabric.
Enfolding me
The bees surround Sharron Kraus and create a feeling of being wrapped in their presence.
In a soft humming blanket
The bees' buzzing sound creates a comforting and soothing feeling like a blanket.
The song and dance of the bees
The bees create a symphony and move rhythmically.
Sets my eardrums pounding
The noise of the bees is so intense it feels like Sharron Kraus' eardrums are beating or vibrating.
Sets my eyelashes fluttering
The dancing and buzzing of the bees make Sharron Kraus' eyelashes move rapidly.
Would you wear protection?
Would you choose to wear protective gear around bees?
Wrap up in netting
To protect yourself you could cover your body in a mesh net.
I go to my bees naked
Sharron Kraus does not take any protective measures around her bees and goes to them without clothes.
Trust in them
Sharron has complete faith and reliance on her bees.
Their beating wings fan me
The bees' wings create breeze that cools Sharron Kraus down.
Their song fills me
The harmonious buzzing of the bees creates a sense of fulfillment in Sharron Kraus.
They cover my body
The bees spread and swarm over Sharron Kraus' body.
With tiny stinging kisses
Sharron is getting stung by the bees but they feel like small, affectionate kisses.
The air is sweet
The environment and atmosphere around the bees smell sugary and syrup-like.
The rising heat
The increase in temperature is continually warming up the surroundings.
Turns my blood to honey
Sharron's excitement and elation makes her feel like her blood is turning into honey.
Thick honey
The idea of thick honey emphasizes the consistency and richness of the emotion felt.
The humming grows
The intensity and volume of the bees' buzzing sound is increasing.
The swarm knows
The bees understand what's happening and are aware that Sharron Kraus is closing in on their location.
I'm coming
Sharron Kraus is approaching the hive and getting closer to the bees.
Homecoming Queen
Sharron Kraus has arrived and is being 'crowned' with a sense of pride and accomplishment for her interaction with the bees.
Sets my heart racing
The excitement of the bees' presence increases the pace of Sharron Kraus' heart.
Puts an end to my yearning
Sharron Kraus' desires and curiosity about the bees has finally been fulfilled.
Contributed by Madelyn A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.