Bedhead was a slowcore band from Dallas, Texas active in the 1990s (1991-19… Read Full Bio ↴Bedhead was a slowcore band from Dallas, Texas active in the 1990s (1991-1998). Their first album, WhatFunLifeWas, is often cited on critics' lists as one of the best indie albums of the 1990s. Bedhead's music was generally subdued, with a polyphonic sound based on the interlocking of single-line melodies played by three electric guitars and one electric bass guitar (often played with a capo), nearly always using clean (undistorted) tones. The group's vocals were often delivered in such a low key manner that they were quite difficult to decipher. This unusual sound was dubbed by some critics as "slo-core," referring to the slow tempos of many of the band's songs, a label to which band members objected in interviews. In reality, many of the group's songs do not remain slow and quiet throughout, instead beginning very slowly and quietly and gradually building in intensity and volume.

Withdraw
Bedhead Lyrics

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We try to laugh a lot
thinking there's nothing more
when nothing feels like living
just waiting for something more

There's blood on the table cloth
it's there on the pillow case
Leave it all here

leave this place
it's not the same
When there's nothing to do but try to act like nothing's changed

Just relax
just stop thinking
Put it out
if you know it's too much
I don't know
that's all I can say

and it means nothing
because I'm not in your place

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Bedhead's song "Withdraw" speak about trying to maintain a sense of normalcy and amusement despite the overwhelming feeling of emptiness that follows you wherever you go. The band paints a bleak picture of societal expectations that we must always be happy and fulfilled. We do our best to laugh and pretend that nothing has changed, but it's hard to keep up this facade when we feel like we're living in a vacuum. The line "there's blood on the tablecloth, it's there on the pillowcase" hints at the messy reality of life, that sometimes things get bloody, sometimes you wake up crying, sometimes there's nothing anyone can do to make things okay.

As the song moves on, the sense of stifling discomfort and frustration only grows stronger. We're told to "just relax" and "stop thinking," but it's impossible to forget the pain that's gripping our minds and hearts. We want to "put it out," but it's too much, and we're left with an overwhelming sense of powerlessness. The final lines of "Withdraw" - "I don't know, that's all I can say, and it means nothing, because I'm not in your place" - reiterate the loneliness and disconnectedness that characterizes the entire song. We're all struggling, but we're all alone in our struggle.

Line by Line Meaning

We try to laugh a lot
We make an effort to appear happy

thinking there's nothing more
Believing there's nothing beyond what we have

when nothing feels like living
When life seems empty

just waiting for something more
Waiting for a change

There's blood on the table cloth
There's a sign of violent turmoil

it's there on the pillow case
The aftermath of a traumatic event

Leave it all here
Ignore the past and focus on the present

leave this place
Move on from this situation

it's not the same
Everything has changed

When there's nothing to do but try to act like nothing's changed
When all we can do is pretend things are normal

Just relax
Take a moment to calm down