American indie rock band formed in New York in 1989 by members Stephen Imme… Read Full Bio ↴American indie rock band formed in New York in 1989 by members Stephen Immerwahr (vocal, bass), Chris Brokaw (drums) and John Engle (guitar). Codeine pioneered the slowcore and sadcore subgenres of indie rock, but with a more experimental attitude than other bands in the genre, such as Low, Idaho and Red House Painters. The band's original tone, marked by slow tempos, Immerwahr's nasal and apathetic vocals, and Engle's ringing Telecaster, did not evolve much during their career.

Codeine released their first album Frigid Stars on the German label Glitterhouse in 1990. The album was released on Sub Pop the following year.

Their second release, the Barely Real EP was issued in 1992. Immerwahr rejected several of the songs after the recording session. Some of these songs were re-recorded for the final album. The song w. is a solo performance on piano by David Grubbs (of Bastro, Squirrel Bait and Gastr del Sol). A somewhat different full-band version of the song appears on Codeine's next album, but titled Wird.

Brokaw left the band after the release of Barely Real to play full-time with his other band Come. He was replaced by Douglas Scharin of the band Rex.

Codeine's next and final release was the full-length album The White Birch, released in 1994. David Grubbs also participated on the album. After this release the band broke up. Stephen Immerwahr has since then been playing with the band Raymond, while Douglas Scharin continued in June of 44 and later HiM.

The band reformed in May 2012 for a Mogwai-curated ATP I'll Be Your Mirror in London. They played their final reunion show in July 2012 in New York.

Gravel Bed
Codeine Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Jon thinks I've been sad enough
But I just can't agree
It's not so sad for me

Things I thought might come true
They never do
They never do

Once stood on a shore so grand
Slept in a gravely bed

In a kingdom so pure
In a kingdom SO PURE

Overall Meaning

In Codeine's song "Gravel Bed", the singer is reflecting on their state of mind and experiences in life. Jon, a friend or acquaintance, believes that the singer has been sad enough, but the singer disagrees. The following lines reveal that the singer has had hopes and dreams that have not come to fruition, and they seem to acknowledge that this is a common occurrence. This could reflect a sense of resignation or acceptance, but the repetition of "They never do" creates a sense of regret or disappointment.

The second half of the song describes a memory of the singer standing on a grand shore and sleeping in a gravel bed. The use of sensory details and contrast ("grand" and "gravel") create a vivid image that is both beautiful and rough. The mention of a "kingdom so pure" could signify that this was a significant moment or place of purity, but it could also be the singer's way of romanticizing the past.

Overall, "Gravel Bed" is a song that touches on themes of loss, disappointment, and nostalgia. The lyrics leave room for interpretation, but it is clear that the singer is reflecting on their life experiences.

Line by Line Meaning

Jon thinks I've been sad enough
According to Jon, I've gone through enough sadness

But I just can't agree
However, I don't believe that I've experienced enough sadness

It's not so sad for me
For me, the situation isn't as depressing

Things I thought might come true
I had certain expectations that I hoped would be fulfilled

They never do
But unfortunately, those expectations never materialized

They never do
My hopes and desires were never actualized as I had wanted

Once stood on a shore so grand
I recall a time when I was in a magnificent location

Slept in a gravely bed
I slept on a bed of gravel

In a kingdom so pure
This place was a realm of unmatched purity

In a kingdom SO PURE
The purity of this realm is something that I continue to remember distinctly

Contributed by Luke R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.