The band's origin dates back to the summer of 1989 when Zak Tell and Jocke Skog met while working together at the Rosenlund Hospital somewhere in the vicinity of Stockholm. In 1990 they were joined by the Norwegian guitarists Bård Torstensen and Erlend Ottem who were also working at the same hospital. Soon the four realized their similar interests in music. Bård and Erlend previously played in a band called Theo in their hometown Arendal back in Norway. Their free time was invested in exploring the musical world, composing and writing songs while evolving into a band.
Their original demo comprising three tracks (Waste of Time, Nigger and Profit Preacher) quickly secured them local radio airplay and consequently brought them to the attention of the MVG label. "Nigger" is an anti-racism statement that caused quite a stir and was a massive success; it was also released as a single. By the beginning of the 1990s, Clawfinger self-released their debut Deaf Dumb Blind. This sold in over 600,000 copies worldwide and was critically acclaimed in Swedish press. With the addition of André Skaug and drummer Morten Skaug, Clawfinger went on tour and played at countless European festivals including major support slots with Anthrax and Alice in Chains.
The band received many awards, including two home Grammies at the Swedish Grammy Awards in 1994 for best hard rock band and best music video. After touring, they went straight back in the studio to record their second album, Use Your Brain. After the release of this album they went on yet another touring campaign, most notably participating at Ozzy Osbourne's Monsters of Rock Festival in Brazil and Chile, rocking alongside American metal counterparts like Megadeth, Faith No More, and Alice Cooper. Back in Europe they continued their touring campaign by participating at festivals and countless gigs.
Their self-titled album Clawfinger was released in 1997. The first song on the album is Two Sides, which expanded the band's reach by using female choir vocals and a Middle Eastern sound. The rest of the album continues with the band's typical aggressive voice and socio-political lyrics.
A Whole Lot of Nothing was the fourth album released on 23 July 2001. The music showcases the same aggressive guitars, with more distortion effects and sounds, adding a whole new level of diversification. As for the synthesizers, on this particular album they're more present than on any other of Clawfinger's works.
Zeros & Heroes was released in 2003 and it caused controversy in America because the song Step Aside did not sit well with most American audiences due to the fact it slams George W. Bush and the post 9/11 (and not only) military politics of the US. It offers yet another style change for the ears of the listener. The electronic sound and synthesizers from A Whole Lot of Nothing are gone and replaced by a more complex and melodic guitar riffing.
Hate Yourself With Style was released in 2005. The album continued the path entered on Zeros & Heroes and is characterized by hardrock style melodic speedy guitar riffs. The keyboards which particularly characterized A Whole Lot of Nothing have completely disappeared.
Life Will Kill You was released in 2007. It has spawned three singles: Prisoners, The Price We Pay, and Little Baby.
The band officially disbanded in 23 August 2013.
Current members:
Zak Tell — vocals
Jocke Skog — keyboards
Bard Torstensen — guitar
Henka Johansson — drums
Andre Skaug — bass
Don't Wake Me Up
Clawfinger Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's a pleasant surprise with all your favourite scenes
just like a beautiful day without a cloud in the sky
and the only thing to blind you is the sun in your eyes
When your body's asleep all your thoughts are awake
travelling through stories that your mind likes to make
Take a look around, enjoy what you feel
is it just imagination or is everything real
Don't wake me up I want to dream
Don't wake me up I want to dream
I want this dream to last forever
Don't wake me up I want to dream
I want this dream to last forever
Don't wake me up
The skies are getting cloudy there's a storm on the way
The vision's disappearing in a strange kind of way
The perfect little picture that you paint in your head
is a distant memory when you get out of bed
Don't wake me up I want to dream
Don't wake me up I want to dream
I want this dream to last forever
Don't wake me up I want to dream
I want this dream to last forever
Don't wake me up before I understand what everything means
why does somebody always come and wake me up from my dreams
Don't wake me up I want to dream
Don't wake me up I want to dream
I want this dream to last forever
Don't wake me up I want to dream
I want this dream to last forever
Don't wake me up
The lyrics to Clawfinger's song "Don't Wake Me Up" describe the joy of a person who is having an amazing dream. Everything is perfect, just like a beautiful day with all their favorite things happening, and the only fly in the ointment is the sun in their eyes. When their body is asleep, their thoughts and imagination are awake and running rampant, painting pictures of stories that they love. The lyrics describe the desire of the singer to keep dreaming, to stay slumbering forever and never be interrupted or jarred back to reality.
However, as the song progresses, the dream starts to unravel. The skies get cloudy, and there's a storm on the horizon. The vision starts to disappear, and strange things begin to happen. The perfect little world that the singer is painting in their mind begins to fade, and they realize that they're just dreaming. They don't want to wake up just yet because they still don't fully understand what everything means. They don't want someone or something to wake them up from their dreams because it's the only time they can escape the reality of the world around them.
Overall, the song describes the peace and safety that dreaming can provide, while contrasting it with the reality of life that often can be harsh and unpredictable. It also probes into the idea that we all want to run away from the world at times, and sometimes the only way to do that is to retreat into our own minds and let our imagination run wild.
Line by Line Meaning
Everyone is happy in your favourite dream
Your subconscious creates a perfect world for you to escape into, where everything and everyone is happy and complacent.
It's a pleasant surprise with all your favourite scenes
Each layer of the dream is a surprise that reveals something you love or desire.
just like a beautiful day without a cloud in the sky
The world inside your mind is a serene, perfect experience without any hardship or negativity.
and the only thing to blind you is the sun in your eyes
In your dream, the only force that can disrupt your happiness is the glaring sunlight, which can be seen as an outside influence or your suppressed fears.
When your body's asleep all your thoughts are awake
Even though you are physically unconscious, your mind is busy forming thoughts and creating entire worlds that unfold in your dreams.
travelling through stories that your mind likes to make
Your brain is the creator of the stories that you experience in your dreams, all based on your deepest desires, fears, wishes or memories.
Take a look around, enjoy what you feel
While in the dream, you are encouraged to let yourself fully experience and embrace every part of it.
is it just imagination or is everything real
At the same time, you are left to wonder if what you are experiencing is only in your imagination, or if it holds some deeper, hidden truth.
Don't wake me up I want to dream
The dream serves as an escape from the real world, which people might cling to in order to avoid the harsher complexities of life.
I want this dream to last forever
The dream world is an ideal of complete ignorance and happiness, one that the person wishes to keep indefinitely.
The skies are getting cloudy there's a storm on the way
The peaceful environment of the dream might be fading away, replaced by discomfort and danger, represented by the storm.
The vision's disappearing in a strange kind of way
The viewer notices that the dream is evolving in a way that resembles a out-of-body experience or that doesn't necessarily follow one's innermost desires anymore.
The perfect little picture that you paint in your head
The dreamer constructs a safe and happy portrayal of their life, one that ignores their real-life worries and issues.
is a distant memory when you get out of bed
As soon as you awaken and leave the dream, the mental image you created is torn apart and fades away, returning you to the often significantly less pleasant real world.
Don't wake me up before I understand what everything means
There is still a deeper understanding to be had once one begins to question what their dreams represent and what it indicates about their psyche.
why does somebody always come and wake me up from my dreams
The individual is aware of an external stimuli of some sort awaking them from their dreams, and recognizes the impact that it has on their mental state.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BARD SVERRE TORSTENSEN, ERLEND OTTEM, JOCKE SKOG, ZAK NIKOLAS TELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind