The band tour the U.S. frequently in a renovated vintage Green Tortoise bus, and their live performances have featured puppet shows, pseudo-scientific scholarly presentations, and performances by members of the Butoh group inkBoat. SGM's music has been categorized as anything from avant-prog to art rock to experimental metal to RIO (Rock In Opposition). Many reviewers have remarked that the group is altogether unclassifiable.
The band uses many homemade devices as instruments, such as the viking row-boat and the spring-nail guitar. Rathbun plays a stringed bass instrument of his own construction called The Log which uses piano strings and is perhaps 7 feet long; it is played with two sticks: one in the left hand generally used as a fret, another in the right hand striking the strings. Mellender's percussion instruments consist of restaurant kitchen equipment, trash can lids, and other "found" metal objects, in addition to traditional percussion instruments.
They've announced their imminent end, as their last concerts will be held early April around California. But 2011 will still see a new album, a movie and a live DVD.
Sleep Is Wrong
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never forget this
Reeling in the sweet grip
Never let this slip
Your eyes are yours to close
Never let go
Sleep is wrong
Sleep is wrong
Wrong
Sleep is wrong
When I grow up I'm never gonna sleep
When I grow up I'm never gonna cry
When I grow up I'm never gonna cry
When I go out
Do not go gently
Into that good night
Rage against the
Dying of the light
Your eyes are yours to close
Never let go
Sleep is wrong
Sleep is wrong
Wrong
Sleep is wrong
When I grow up I'm never gonna sleep
When I grow up I'm never gonna cry
When I grow up I'm never gonna die
When I go out I'm never coming home
When I grow up I'm never gonna sleep
When I grow up I'm never gonna cry
When I go out I'm never coming home
When I grow up I'm never gonna die
When I grow up I'm never gonna sleep
When I grow up I'm never gonna cry
When I go out I'm never coming home
When I grow up I'm never gonna die
The Sleepytime Gorilla Museum’s “Sleep Is Wrong” is a thought-provoking song that raises questions about the nature of sleep and its role in our lives. The lyrics suggest that sleep is something to be avoided, or perhaps even feared, as it takes us away from our waking lives and the experiences we can have in that state. The opening lines speak of “writhing in the opus” and “reeling in the sweet grip,” implying that there is something seductive, almost addictive, about being awake and engaged in life.
The repeated refrain, “Your eyes are yours to close, never let go, sleep is wrong,” reinforces this idea that sleep is something to be resisted. This may stem from a fear of missing out on life, or the belief that sleep is a waste of time. The lyrics also suggest a desire to resist death, as the lines “When I grow up I’m never gonna die, when I go out I’m never coming home” convey a sense of defiance in the face of mortality.
The closing lines of the song reference Dylan Thomas’ poem “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night,” which urges the reader to refuse to succumb to death without a fight. The lines “rage against the dying of the light” suggest that this song is about more than just the value of wakefulness over sleep – it is about the struggle for life itself.
Line by Line Meaning
Writhing in the opus
Experiencing intense emotional struggle and turmoil
Never forget this
Remember this experience and its impact on you
Reeling in the sweet grip
Being captivated by and entranced with this feeling
Never let this slip
Ensure that you maintain this intense emotional state
Your eyes are yours to close
You have control over your own actions
Never let go
Do not release this intense emotional state
Sleep is wrong
Sleep detracts from experiencing this intense emotional state
Wrong
This intense emotional state is at odds with societal norms
When I grow up I'm never gonna sleep
I want to prioritize experiencing intense emotions over sleep
When I grow up I'm never gonna cry
I do not want to be emotionally vulnerable and express sadness
When I go out
When I leave or depart from a situation
Do not go gently
Fight and resist the end of this intense emotional state
Into that good night
Acceptance of death and the end of this intense emotional state
Rage against the
Fight and resist the end of this intense emotional state
Dying of the light
Acceptance of death and the end of this intense emotional state
When I go out I'm never coming home
I want to avoid returning to the mundane and prioritize experiencing intense emotions
When I grow up I'm never gonna die
I want to prioritize experiencing intense emotions over the inevitability of death
Lyrics © TUNECORE INC
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