Belle and Sebastian is a band from Glasgow. Led by guitarist/vocalist Stuar… Read Full Bio ↴Belle and Sebastian is a band from Glasgow. Led by guitarist/vocalist Stuart Murdoch, the seven-piece band has an intimate, majestic sound that is equal parts folk-rock and '60s pop. Murdoch has a gift not only for whimsy and surrealism, but also for odd, unsettling lyrical detail which keeps the songs grounded in a tangible reality.

Belle and Sebastian released their first two albums in 1996: Tigermilk, recorded over three days, and If You're Feeling Sinister, recorded in a week, at the peak of the chamber pop movement. At first, some critics in Britain's music weeklies tied the band into the subgenre, yet the group was too pretty, too delicate, to bear that label. Through their first two years of public existence, the band shielded their personalities, submitting publicity photos featuring a girl, who was a friend of the band and reluctantly posing for photo shoots. Furthermore, they performed in odd venues, playing not only the standard coffeehouses and cafes, but also homes, church halls, and libraries.

Prior to the formation of Belle and Sebastian, Murdoch suffered from a protracted battle with chronic fatigue syndrome, which forced him to drop out of school and spend seven years living in his parents' home crippled by his condition.Whilst in his parents home, Murdoch wrote a short story about a boy named Sebastian and a girl named Isabelle based on the names from Madame Cecile Aubery's children's book Belle et Sebastian. On New Year's Day 1996, Stuart attended a party at which he met a young singer and cellist named Isobel Campbell. In a letter to his brother Fraser, Murdoch explained how he was making a single for Stow college at the end of February. Murdoch opted to use the name Belle&Sebastian for the project because it was occupying him at the time. Murdoch took to songwriting as an escapism from the four walls surrounding him in his room and eventually recorded demos with bassist Stuart David whom he met at a government training programme called Beatbox. Murdoch quickly met a series of other musicians through social and musical circles in his hometown Glasgow and they agreed to help with the Stow project. The members he found for this initial lineup were Stevie Jackson (guitar), Mick Cooke (trumpet), Chris Geddes (keyboards), Stuart David (bass), Richard Colburn (drums), and Isobel Campbell (cello). The Stow College record was to be issued by Electric Honey, but it turned into a full album. The course instructor Alan Rankine determined that Murdoch had enough good material to record a full LP and could do so if they could get it all done in three days, studio time allotted for the single. Murdoch and his musicians rose to the challenge and recorded ten tracks putting the songs in order as they would appear on the record and mostly completing them in just a few takes.

In May of 1996, Belle and Sebastian self-released their debut album, Tigermilk, on Electric Honey Records. Only 1,000 copies of the album, which was only pressed on vinyl, were released, but it unexpectedly became a sensation, earning terrific word of mouth throughout the UK. As a result, the band became slightly more than a school project — it became an actual band. If You're Feeling Sinister, released on the independent Jeepster label, followed in November of 1996. By the time the album was released in America on the EMI subsidiary The Enclave, it had earned considerable critical acclaim in the U.K. — not only from music weeklies, but from newspapers like The Sunday Times and magazines like The Face — and a large cult following; by some accounts, Tigermilk was being sold for as much as 75 pounds. Over the course of 1997, word of mouth continued to grow in America, even as the band pulled out of an American tour because The Enclave went bankrupt and closed.

As the band cult continued to build in 1997, Belle and Sebastian released three EPs — Dog on Wheels (May), Lazy Line Painter Jane (July), and 3.. 6.. 9 Seconds of Light (October). Each subsequent EP placed higher on the indie charts and received great critical acclaim. Later in the year, violinist Sarah Martin became a member of the band. By the end of the year, the group finalized an American deal with Matador Records, issuing The Boy With the Arab Strap in September 1998. The following year saw the eagerly anticipated wide re-release of Tigermilk, the album that started it all. It was the biggest selling album but is unpopular with the group themselves. Following completion of 2000's Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant, Stuart David left Belle and Sebastian to focus full-time on his solo project, Looper, being replaced by Bobby Kildea of V-Twin. In 2001, the group released two EPs — Jonathan David and I'm Waking Up to Us — and recorded the soundtrack for Todd Solondz's film Storytelling. Just before the soundtrack's release in spring 2002, Belle and Sebastian embarked on a comprehensive tour of the United States and Canada before returning to Europe for the summer festival season. Midway through the tour, Isobel Campbell left the band, citing the usual differences.

Another major change that soon took place was the band leaving Jeepster and Matador to sign with Rough Trade, with their next record, late 2003's Dear Catastrophe Waitress, produced by the inimitable Trevor Horn (who also produced Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Yes, and scores of others). The record spawned the brilliant "Step into My Office, Baby" and "I'm a Cuckoo" singles, the latter of which was the group's biggest U.K. hit, reaching number 14 in early 2004. After a long worldwide tour that found Belle and Sebastian reaching new levels of success, they retired to Scotland and began preparing for the recording of their seventh full length album, The Life Pursuit, released in 2006.
In 2010, they released their eighth full length album, Write About Love.

Official website: www.belleandsebastian.com

Asleep on a Sunbeam
Belle and Sebastian Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When the half light makes for a clearer view
Sleep a little more if you want to
But restlessness has seized me now, it's true
I could watch the dreams flicker in your eyes
Lying here asleep on a sunbeam
I wonder if you realize you fascinate me so

Think about a new destination

If you think you need inspiration
Roll out the map and mark it with a pin
I will follow every direction
Just lace up your shoes while I'm fetching a sleeping bag, a tent

Another summer's passing by
All I need is somewhere I feel the grass beneath my feet
A walk on sand, a fire I can warm my hands
My joy will be complete

I thought about a new destination
I'm never short of new inspiration
Roll out the map and mark it with a gin
Made my plans to conquer the country
I'm waiting for you to get out of your situation
With your job and with your life

All I need is somewhere I feel the grass beneath my feet
A walk on sand

A fire, I can warm my hands
My joy will be complete

Overall Meaning

"Asleep on a Sunbeam" is a song by Belle and Sebastian, and it is one of their most beloved tracks. The song is a sweet and romantic ode to a lover, who the singer considers fascinating. The lyrics are filled with dreamy descriptions of summer and traveling, as the singer encourages their partner to break free from the shackles of their life and job and come with them to a new destination. The song's opening lines set the tone for the rest of the track, with the half light providing a clear view and the invitation to sleep a little more if you want to. The rest of the song follows in this dreamy, sleepy vein, with the singer lost in thought and imagination, imagining the endless possibilities with their lover.

The song has been interpreted in many ways, with some suggesting that it is about finding freedom and new experiences. The line "All I need is somewhere I feel the grass beneath my feet" could be read as a desire for simplicity and connection with nature. Likewise, the line "Roll out the map and mark it with a pin" suggests a thirst for adventure and exploration. However, at its core, "Asleep on a Sunbeam" is a love song, a tender expression of affection for someone who captivates and fascinates the singer. The song's final lines are the most poignant, as the singer waits patiently for their lover to make a move and join them on their journey towards a new life, with "my joy" finally complete.

Line by Line Meaning

When the half light makes for a clearer view
In the soft light of dawn or dusk, things become easier to see and understand.

Sleep a little more if you want to
It's okay to keep sleeping if you're tired and need rest. No need to rush into the day.

But restlessness has seized me now, it's true
Despite the peacefulness of the half light, the singer feels restless and unable to sleep any longer.

I could watch the dreams flicker in your eyes
Looking at your peaceful face, I wonder what you're dreaming about, and I feel lucky to witness it.

Lying here asleep on a sunbeam
We are lying down, but the sunbeam makes it seem like we're floating in air, creating an otherworldly feeling.

I wonder if you realize you fascinate me so
I am in awe of your beauty and intrigued by your thoughts and dreams.

Think about a new destination
Let's plan a trip to a different place and leave our everyday routine behind.

If you think you need inspiration
If you feel stuck or uninspired, a change of scenery might help.

Roll out the map and mark it with a pin
Let's choose a place on the map and make a concrete plan to go there.

I will follow every direction
I am willing to go wherever you want to go, as long as we're together.

Just lace up your shoes while I'm fetching a sleeping bag, a tent
While you get ready, I'll get our camping gear together so we can spend the night in nature.

Another summer's passing by
Time is passing quickly, and we shouldn't waste it on mundane things.

All I need is somewhere I feel the grass beneath my feet
I long to be in nature and feel its beauty and peace.

A walk on sand, a fire I can warm my hands
Simple pleasures like walking on the beach and warming up by a fire bring me joy.

My joy will be complete
Being with you in nature, experiencing the beauty of the world around us, will make me feel truly happy and content.

I thought about a new destination
I've been thinking about new places we can explore together.

I'm never short of new inspiration
Exploring new places and being in nature always inspires me and fills me with wonder.

Roll out the map and mark it with a gin
Let's celebrate our adventure with a drink and toast to new experiences.

Made my plans to conquer the country
I am excited and motivated to explore new places and have adventures with you.

I'm waiting for you to get out of your situation
I am patient and willing to wait until you're ready to leave your current job and life behind in order to go on new adventures with me.

With your job and with your life
I understand that you have responsibilities and commitments, but I hope to travel and have adventures with you someday.

My joy will be complete
The simple act of being with you and experiencing new things together will make me truly happy and content.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: SARAH MARTIN, STUART MURDOCH, RICHARD COLBURN, MICHAEL COOKE, CHRISTOPHER GEDDES, STEPHEN JACKSON, BOB KILDEA

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

Luiz Felipe Pereira de Carvalho

5y↑3

Adormecida num raio de sol

Quando a meia luz permite uma visão mais clara
Durma um pouco mais se quiser
Mas a inquietude me capturou agora, é fato
Eu poderia assistir aos sonhos cintilando em seus olhos
Deitada aqui, adormecida num raio de sol
Eu me pergunto se você percebe o quanto me fascina

Pense em um novo destino
Se achar que precisa de inspiração
Gire o globo e marque com um alfinete
Eu sou seguir qualquer direção
Amarre seus sapatos enquanto eu busco um saco de dormir, uma barraca

(Refrão)
Outro verão está passando
Tudo que eu preciso é um lugar onde eu possa
Sentir a grama sob meus pés
Uma caminhada na areia, um fogo para aquecer minhas mãos
Minha felicidade estaria completa

Eu pensei em um novo destino
Nunca me falta inspiração
Gire o globo e marque com um gim
Fiz meus planos para conquistar o país
Estou esperando você sair de sua situação
Com seu trabalho e com sua vida

(refrão)

John O'sullivan

Quando a meia luz cria uma visão mais clara
Durma um pouco mais se você quiser
Mas a inquietação tomou conta de mim agora, é verdade
Eu podia assistir os sonhos piscando em seus olhos
Deitado aqui dormindo em um raio de sol
Será que você percebe que me fascina tanto?
Pense em um novo destino
Se você acha que precisa de inspiração
Abra o mapa e marque-o com um alfinete
Eu seguirei todas as direções
Apenas amarre seus sapatos enquanto eu estou pegando um saco de dormir, uma barraca
Mais um verão passando
Tudo que eu preciso é de algum lugar que eu sinta a grama debaixo dos meus pés
Um passeio na areia, um fogo, posso aquecer minhas mãos
Minha alegria será completa!

All comments from YouTube:

Arturo Baixo Clero

3y↑4

I used to listen to this record a lot when I was a sad teenager. It still moves me.

steven holmes

2y↑1

Reminds me of a time when life was so uncertain and full of possibilities and excitement. What doesn't change is the simple timeless beauty of this song after all these years.

Luiz Felipe Pereira de Carvalho

5y↑3

Sergej Lovrekovic

5y↑5

dear catastrophe waitress is just awesome!

Kristin Dienst-Braun

4y↑5

I so wanted them to play this when I went to see them, but Sarah didn't sing at all during the show other than back up (maybe her voice was not well that night? I don't know). I play this for my dog when I catch her snoozing in a sunbeam.