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)
We
The Roches Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Maggie and Terre and Suzzy Roche
we don't give out our ages
and we don't give out our phone numbers
give out our phone numbers
sometimes our voices give out
but not our ages and our phone numbers
guess what the other one did instead
the two who made the record
have been a singing group for ten years
singing group for ten years
and now a trio we are
born on the fourth of December
We come from deepest New Jersey
but now we live in New York City
we better get outa there
before the shit hits the fan
shit hits the fan
you might say where have they played
all over the country and in England
Who have we worked with
do we know anybody famous
anybody famous
do we know anybody famous
anybody famous
and as a point of interest
we spell our last name R-O-C-H-E
We are Maggie and Terre and Suzzy
we spell our last name R-O-C-H-E
The Roches's song "We" is an introduction to the trio Maggie, Terre and Suzzy Roche, who are also the writers and performers of the song. The lyrics are in the form of a playful conversation that reveals some information about the three sisters. They start by introducing themselves and making it clear that they won't give away personal details such as their ages and phone numbers. This creates an aura of mystique and adds to their enigmatic personas.
Later in the song, the trio reveals that two of them made a record while one of them did something else. They have been singing together for ten years, and now they have become a trio. They were born on December 4th and hail from New Jersey, but now live in New York City. They express a desire to leave the city before things get worse. The Roches have toured all over the country and in England, which adds to their credibility as seasoned performers.
Towards the end of the song, the sisters are asked if they have worked with any famous people. Interestingly, they repeat the question twice before answering. This gives away the sense that they are either evasive or don't want to sound as if they're name-dropping. The song ends with the sisters spelling their last name, Roche.
Overall, "We" is a quirky and engaging song that serves as an apt introduction to the cool and confident musical stylings of Maggie, Terre and Suzzy Roche.
Line by Line Meaning
We are Maggie and Terre and Suzzy
We are three individuals with unique names, Maggie, Terre, and Suzzy, who make up The Roches.
Maggie and Terre and Suzzy Roche
Our last name is Roche and this line is simply reiterating our names.
we don't give out our ages
We prefer to keep our ages private and choose not to share them with others.
and we don't give out our phone numbers
Similarly, we do not give out our phone numbers as a means of maintaining privacy.
give out our phone numbers
Reiterating that we do not give out our phone numbers.
sometimes our voices give out
Although our voices may occasionally become fatigued, we still choose to keep our personal details private.
but not our ages and our phone numbers
While our voices may tire, we remain steadfast in not disclosing certain aspects of our personal lives, including our ages and phone numbers.
Guess which two of us made a record
Two of us created a musical recording and a listener can try to guess who those two individuals are.
guess what the other one did instead
The third individual did something different from creating a musical recording.
the two who made the record
The statement is referring to the two individuals who created a musical recording earlier, as mentioned before.
have been a singing group for ten years
The two individuals have been singing together as a group for the past ten years.
singing group for ten years
This repetition emphasizes the length of time that the two individuals have been a singing group for.
and now a trio we are
Currently, the group is a trio with all three individuals performing together.
born on the fourth of December
The three individuals were born on December 4th.
We come from deepest New Jersey
We hail from the state of New Jersey, which is known for its deep cultural roots.
but now we live in New York City
We currently reside in the bustling city of New York.
we better get outa there
There is an underlying sense of urgency that we should leave New York City soon.
before the shit hits the fan
We want to leave before a situation becomes bad or chaotic.
shit hits the fan
This phrase is repeated for emphasis and to convey the seriousness of the situation in New York City.
you might say where have they played
One might ask where The Roches have performed.
all over the country and in England
The Roches have performed in various locations throughout the United States as well as in England.
Who have we worked with
We collaborated with other individuals on various projects.
do we know anybody famous
One might ask if The Roches have worked with or know any famous individuals.
anybody famous
The repetition of this question implies that the listener should not expect a positive answer.
and as a point of interest
As an added piece of information worth noting,
we spell our last name R-O-C-H-E
We make sure to spell our last name correctly as R-O-C-H-E.
Lyrics © NABITHIUS MUSIC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
FlameFlickers
Heard this on the radio a few nights ago and had to find out more. I actually thought it was a brand new band! It keeps popping back into my head all week.
So damn clever and so damn addictive!
FlameFlickers
@David Kilbridge It was either the Tom Dunne show on Newstalk or else late night RTE1 radio. I'm in Ireland, they're both Irish stations. I just remember the dj said something like "Here's an Irish American sibling group from New Jersey called the Roches. I'll leave it to them to tell you everything else you need to know about them.."
Then, the song started and I was hooked!
David Kilbridge
What radio station were you listening to that plays the Roches in the 2020s? I gotta tune in!
Mike Mason
Loved them the first time I heard this song - read about the album in a British newspaper - on its release - bought it and was totally bowled over. Hitch-hiked to Ireland with this music playing in my head the whole time.
lynxalaska
Thanks, Maggie, for sharing your beautifully quirky talents. May you rest in peace.
Char Hartman
Can't believe I finally remembered these girls. Had a vague memory of this song from the 70s. Been wracking my brain for weeks.
KINDNESS FIRST
Having looked at 5 colleges in NYC and made visits to them in 1978 I know exactly what they meant by "we better get out before the shit hits the fan". I lived there in the late 1980s and still caught some of the end of it.
my wheelhouse
This is amazing music.
sphexes
I remember first seeing 2 of the Roches on the Tonight Show with Johhny Carson. I rediscovered them with this album. I love the Roches! Got to see them in concert once. I have tshirt somewhere. RIP dear Maggie.
Torgo Saves
I can't stop listening to this song! :D