The Roches were active as performers and recording artists from the mid-1970s through 2007, at various times performing as a trio and in pairs.
In the late 1960s, eldest sister Maggie (October 26, 1951 – January 21, 2017) and middle sister Terre (pronounced "Terry", born April 10, 1953) quit school to tour as a duo. Maggie wrote most of the songs, with Terre contributing to a few. The sisters got a break when Paul Simon brought them in as backup singers on his 1973 #2 album There Goes Rhymin' Simon. They got his assistance (along with an appearance by The Oak Ridge Boys) on their only album as a duo, Seductive Reasoning (1975). Shortly after that, youngest sister Suzzy (rhymes with "fuzzy", born September 29, 1956) joined the group to form The Roches trio.
Around this time, they parlayed bartending jobs at famous Greenwich Village folk venue Gerde's Folk City into stage appearances, an experience they commemorated in their song, "Face Down at Folk City" (from Another World, 1985). It was here that they met many of their future singing and songwriting collaborators. Terre was now writing songs as well, and by the time of their first album as a trio, The Roches (1979), Suzzy had also begun writing. Robert Fripp produced the album. Maggie's "The Married Men" from this album was eventually to become the biggest hit of the songwriting trio — not for them, but for Phoebe Snow. After Snow and Linda Ronstadt performed the song in a duet on Saturday Night Live, the Roches were invited themselves to perform on the show a few months later in 1979 at the behest of Paul Simon. They did two songs, both unreleased at the time, "Bobby's Song" and "The Hallelujah Chorus".
Throughout the 1980s, The Roches continued to release their music to small audiences, little or no air play, and only modest record sales. Their widest exposure in the '80s was an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in November 1985, where they performed their song "Mr. Sellack". In 1990, they returned to their Christmas-caroling roots with the release of the 24-track We Three Kings, which included the a cappella "Star of Wonder", written by Terre. After another pop album (A Dove, 1992), they recorded an entire album of children's songs entitled Will You Be My Friend?, featuring a song by brother David and various young backup singers, including Suzzy's daughter Lucy Wainwright Roche.
After a tour interrupted by the death of their father, The Roches released Can We Go Home Now (1995), the last original recording they released as a trio until 2007.
In 1997, the sisters formally put their group on long-term hold. They continued to work on solo projects and often collaborated on albums and performances. Terre teaches guitar workshops and has released a solo album. Suzzy, who has acted on the stage and in several movies, released two of her own albums and two with Maggie, with whom she has toured. All three sisters periodically participated in New York-area events. At the end of 2005, the three Roches (with brother Dave) reunited for a short but highly successful holiday tour. Several more appearances in the U.S. and Canada took place in 2006–07, and in March 2007, after a 12-year hiatus, The Roches released a new studio album, Moonswept. Following the tour for Moonswept, the Roches announced that they would no longer be touring, although they have made isolated appearances individually and as a group, mostly in and around New York City.
On January 21, 2017, Maggie Roche died of cancer at age 65.
Maggie had an "unusual" contralto voice – "almost a baritone." Terre provides a soprano that brackets the upper range of the sisters, while Suzzy fills in the middle range. While touring, the sisters accompany themselves with guitars and keyboards, occasionally with additional musicians.
Brother David is also a singer-songwriter with his own solo album, and has often backed up the trio on their recordings. Maggie's son, Felix McTeigue, has recorded three albums (one with his group Filo). Suzzy's daughter, Lucy, has also contributed vocals on the Roches' and McTeigue's albums, and in 2007 she produced an EP of her own, 8 Songs, followed by 8 More in 2008 and tours opening for acts such as Amos Lee and the Indigo Girls. Lucy has released two full-length albums, "Lucy" in 2010, and "There's a Last Time for Everything" in 2013. Her father is Loudon Wainwright III, and she is the half-sister of singers Martha and Rufus Wainwright.
The majority of Roches songs are written by the three sisters, whether individually, in every combination, or collaborating with other songwriters. They have also recorded their own arrangements of songs by a variety of New York folk artists, as well as a few covers of famous songs. Their three-part arrangement of the four-part "Hallelujah Chorus" from Handel's Messiah, featured on Keep On Doing (1982), is well regarded in a cappella circles.
Discography
- Maggie and Terre Roche
Seductive Reasoning (Columbia, 1975)
I Gave My Love a Kerry (Earth Rock Wreckerds, 2004)
- The Roches
The Roches (Warner, 1979)
Nurds (Warner, 1980)
Keep On Doing (Warner, 1982)
Another World (Warner, 1985)
No Trespassing (Real Live Records, 1986)
Speak (MCA, 1989)
We Three Kings (MCA, 1990)
A Dove (MCA, 1992)
Will You Be My Friend? (Baby Boom, 1994)
Can We Go Home Now (Rykodisc, 1995).
The Collected Works of the Roches (Rhino/Warner, 2003)
Moonswept (429 Records, 2007)
Rhino HiFive: The Roches (Rhino/Warner, 2007)
- Suzzy Roche
Holy Smokes (Red House, 1997)
Songs from an Unmarried Housewife and Mother, Greenwich Village, USA (Red House, 2000)
- Terre Roche
The Sound of a Tree Falling (Earth Rock Wreckerds, 1998)
- Suzzy & Maggie Roche
Zero Church (Red House, 2002)
Why The Long Face (Red House, 2004)
Suzzy Roche & Lucy Wainwright Roche[edit]
Fairytale and Myth (2013)
Mud and Apples (2016)
- Terre Roche, Sidiki Conde and Marlon Cherry (as Afro-Jersey)
Afro-Jersey (2013)
Holidays
The Roches Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the money don't come rolling in
Been living here outside of fifteen years
Say how do you do where does she begin
those lollipop eyes
No longer surprised
Still willing to try
worried she'll get to be
As big as a house
Her apartment is small
She's got to stay the size of a mouse
walking around
The old neighborhood
There were several wiseguys
She'd do over if she could
please no more lies
Warm September skies
Still willing to try
But the holidays
Holidays are hard
sun's so bright
She pulls the shade
Puts a dinky dinner in
It's factory made
she bought the book
How to help yourself
Climb up on the chair girl
And take it down from the shelf
cracks open a smile
Ain't she got style
Still willing to try
but the holidays
Holidays are hard
The Roches's song, "Holidays," is a melancholic contemplation of life during the holiday season. The song portrays the plight of the singer, who is having a tough time making ends meet. The song’s opening lines describe the singer as a girl who pays for herself and is independent but has little to no money to her name. The song describes the singer as a resident of the area for over fifteen years, and yet she keeps to herself and has barely made any headway. The song symbolises the beginning of holiday-season gloom, with the singer being lonely and broke during the festive season.
The second verse reflects on the singer’s physical appearance and her fears of gaining weight during the holidays. Despite her best efforts and a small apartment, she is worried about losing control and becoming as "big as a house." The next lines describe the singer going for a walk in her old neighbourhood, which is filled with memories that never quite leave her. The singer’s past involves various unsavoury characters who she'd like to ‘do over’ if she could.
The final lines of the song refer to the singer’s daily routine during the holiday season. She struggles to handle her everyday life and resorts to self-help books to make things better for herself. However, as the song comes to a close, the singer's situation doesn't appear to have improved much. She's hanging on despite the odds, and she's still willing to try, but the holidays always seem to prove too much.
Line by Line Meaning
She's the kind of girl who pays for herself
She is independent and self-sufficient, she does not rely on anyone else for financial support.
And the money don't come rolling in
She struggles to make ends meet, her financial situation is not easy.
Been living here outside of fifteen years
She has lived in the same place for more than fifteen years.
Say how do you do where does she begin
She is not sure where to start the conversation, there are many things she could talk about.
those lollipop eyes
She has big, round eyes that resemble lollipops.
No longer surprised
She has seen it all and is not easily shocked anymore.
Still willing to try
Despite all the difficulties she faces, she has not lost her optimism and is still willing to make an effort.
worried she'll get to be
She is afraid that she will become too big, overweight or unhealthy.
As big as a house
She is worried that she will put on too much weight and become very large.
Her apartment is small
She lives in a small apartment, which makes it difficult to move around or store things.
She's got to stay the size of a mouse
She needs to maintain a small size in order to live comfortably in her small apartment.
walking around
She is strolling through the neighborhood, taking a leisurely walk.
The old neighborhood
She is walking in the part of town where she has lived for a long time.
There were several wiseguys
There were some people around who may not have had the best intentions or reputation.
She'd do over if she could
She regrets some of the things she had done or said in the past and wishes she could undo them.
please no more lies
She does not want anyone to lie to her anymore, she is tired of being deceived.
Warm September skies
It is September and the weather is still warm, with clear skies.
still willing to try
Despite her past mistakes and difficult circumstances, she remains optimistic and determined to keep trying.
But the holidays
Although she tries to stay positive, the holidays are a difficult time for her.
Holidays are hard
The holiday season is especially challenging for her, as it brings up memories and emotions that are hard to deal with.
sun's so bright
The sun is shining very brightly and making everything look cheerful and optimistic.
She pulls the shade
Despite the bright sun, she is not in the mood to let the light in, so she closes the blinds or curtains.
Puts a dinky dinner in
She prepares a small, simple meal that is not very satisfying or nutritious.
It's factory made
The food she is eating is not fresh or homemade, but rather mass-produced.
she bought the book
She has recently purchased a book on self-help and is trying to learn ways to improve her life.
How to help yourself
The book she bought is titled 'How to help yourself,' suggesting that she is taking proactive steps to improve her situation.
Climb up on the chair girl
The book instructs her to climb up on a chair in order to reach a higher shelf or cupboard.
And take it down from the shelf
She is supposed to reach up high and retrieve something that is out of her immediate reach.
cracks open a smile
She starts to smile, perhaps feeling a sense of accomplishment for learning something new or taking steps to improve her life.
Ain't she got style
She has a sense of style and flair that sets her apart from others.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind