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)
Speak
The Roches Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Uh, oh the time has come
And while the silence picks on me
I pray not be dumb
So I am hunting for the words
Just wait 'til I find some
I need some syllables do you
When I am in my house alone
My speeches take a week
But from my lips when you are near
A sound will seldom leak
When I was a little girl
I coined a mighty text
Looking back I blush to hear
What I'd come out with next
It's now the time for me to speak
But what if they talk back
Oh when I open up my beak
Let's hope that I can quack
And if I do look out, beware
The truth is hard to take
And everything for all I care
Can jump into a lake, yeah
It's now the time for me to speak
But what if they talk back
Oh when I open up my beak
Let's hope that I can quack, quack
The Roches's song "Speak" is an introspective and self-reflective track that explores the singer's anxiety about speaking up and expressing herself. The lyrics describe the struggle to find words and the fear of being misunderstood or rejected. The chorus reflects the singer's hope that she can find the courage to speak her mind and the confidence to handle any response.
The song's opening lines "The time has come for me to speak, uh, oh the time has come" set the tone of urgency and anxiety. The singer is aware that she has been quiet and passive for too long and that she must find a way to express herself. The line "And while the silence picks on me, I pray not to be dumb" reinforces this idea, highlighting the negative impact of silence and the need to break it.
The second verse ("When I am in my house alone, my speeches take a week,") reveals the singer's insecurity and lack of confidence. She is more comfortable expressing herself when there is no audience, but struggles with speaking up when others are present. The final verse ("It's now the time for me to speak, but what if they talk back, oh when I open up my beak, let's hope that I can quack") reflects a fear of confrontation and rejection. The singer is worried about how others will react, but resolves to speak her truth regardless.
Overall, "Speak" is a poignant and relatable song that captures the struggle many people face when confronting difficult issues or expressing themselves authentically. Its melancholy melody and introspective lyrics make it a standout track in The Roches's catalog.
Line by Line Meaning
The time has come for me to speak
I feel that it is necessary for me to express myself now
Uh, oh the time has come
I am feeling both nervous and excited at the prospect of speaking
And while the silence picks on me
I dislike the feeling of being silent and unexpressive
I pray not be dumb
I hope that I am able to find the right words to say
So I am hunting for the words
I am searching diligently to find the best way to express myself
Just wait 'til I find some
I am confident that I will be able to articulate my message in due time
I need some syllables do you
I require specific words to convey my thoughts effectively
Know where to get them from?
Do you have any suggestions for me?
When I am in my house alone
I often contemplate and rehearse what I want to say
My speeches take a week
It takes me a while to gather my thoughts and communicate them effectively
But from my lips when you are near
When I am speaking to someone, my words flow more easily
A sound will seldom leak
I am usually able to articulate my thoughts without stuttering or stammering
When I was a little girl
As a child, I had a talent for expressing myself in writing
I coined a mighty text
I wrote powerful and insightful messages
Looking back I blush to hear
As an adult, I am slightly embarrassed by some of my childhood writings
What I'd come out with next
I had a tendency to surprise people with my creative and insightful words
But what if they talk back
I am afraid of how people will react to what I have to say
Let's hope that I can quack
I hope that I am able to communicate my thoughts clearly and effectively
And if I do look out, beware
If I am successful in expressing myself, it may have unexpected consequences
The truth is hard to take
Sometimes the message I need to deliver is unpleasant or difficult for people to hear
And everything for all I care
I am indifferent to the reactions of others, as long as I am able to express myself truthfully
Can jump into a lake, yeah
I don't care if people don't like what I have to say
Let's hope that I can quack, quack
I hope that I am able to express myself clearly and confidently
Lyrics © NABITHIUS MUSIC
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