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)
You're The One
The Roches Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is there any way I can get to see you?
Have a cup of coffee maybe somethin' like that
I was in a maze of buildings runnin' all around like a rat
In the middle of the night
All of those years that I got lost without you
Looking for a home or dead end to this longing in my soul
Honey, you were my friend, if the truth be told
I can understand though if you don't remember
All you have to do is say the word and l'll go
This is just a dream that I've been holding onto God
I don't know it's so hard to let it come
You're the one that I want
The Roches's song "You're the One" is a love song that expresses a sense of longing for someone who the singer considers to be the love of her life. The opening lines of the song express this sentiment through the singer's desperate desire to see this person, even if only for a cup of coffee. She describes feeling lost and running around like a rat in a maze of buildings, suggesting that her search for meaning and direction has been futile without this person.
Later in the song, the singer reflects on years spent searching for a home or a sense of purpose without success, all the while feeling a deep sense of yearning that the love of her life could have fulfilled. She acknowledges that this person may not remember her or the connection they once had, but still expresses a willingness to let go of the dream she's been holding onto if it's necessary.
Overall, "You're the One" is a poignant and emotional song that captures the sense of longing and desperation that can come from being separated from a soulmate or true love.
Line by Line Meaning
You're the love of my life
You are the most important person to me, and I feel a deep love for you.
Is there any way I can get to see you?
Can we make plans to spend time together?
Have a cup of coffee maybe somethin' like that
Let's have a casual outing, like getting coffee together.
I was in a maze of buildings runnin' all around like a rat
I felt lost and overwhelmed, moving aimlessly through the hustle and bustle of life.
In the middle of the night
During a time of darkness and uncertainty.
All of those years that I got lost without you
During the time when we were separated, I felt directionless and unfulfilled.
Tracking the equator all the way to the north pole
I searched exhaustively and traveled great distances, but still found no answers or satisfaction.
Looking for a home or dead end to this longing in my soul
I was seeking a sense of belonging and purpose, but kept hitting dead ends and disappointment.
Honey, you were my friend, if the truth be told
You were more than just a love interest, you were also my confidante and supporter.
I can understand though if you don't remember
It's possible that you don't feel the same way or don't remember our past connection, and I accept that.
All you have to do is say the word and l'll go
If you don't want to continue any kind of relationship or pursue a romantic connection, just let me know and I will respect your wishes.
This is just a dream that I've been holding onto God
My hopes for us to reunite and find happiness together may be unrealistic or farfetched, but it's something I still dream about and pray for.
I don't know it's so hard to let it come
It's difficult for me to accept that this dream may not come true and to move on from these feelings.
You're the one that I want
Out of all the people and possibilities in life, it's always been you that I have yearned for and desired the most.
Lyrics © NABITHIUS MUSIC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sean Grant #stormpinball
This is such a beautiful song! I try to share it with anyone who I think might like it. No other band ever quite sounded like this.
Tony Whitaker
Only 1 comment after 19 years!?!?!? Well, I feel I must add to the comments. I love The Roches. I wish I could bring Maggie back to life so they could continue makiing beautiful music - all of them together, I mean.
Ochieng
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