Emily Jane White is an American 'dark folk' singer-songwriter from Californ… Read Full Bio ↴Emily Jane White is an American 'dark folk' singer-songwriter from California. From a beginning in 2006, she released her debut album in 2007, a follow-up in 2009, and her third album in 2011. Influenced by American blues, folk, and the mythologies of different cultures along with contemporary female singer/songwriters such as Kate Bush, she has been compared to Chan Marshall of Cat Power and Hope Sandoval of Mazzy Star. While such comparisons to contemporaries are frequent, White's music owes a clear debt to classic female jazz and blues singers such as Billie Holiday.

White's haunted blues quickly found a home on Oakland's Double Negative Records with them only hearing her four-track demo. Fooling around with music since pre-school, White started on piano around the same time she learned to read, eventually picking up the guitar during her college days.

After graduation White moved to Bordeaux, France, where she performed with a bevy of independent French artists further honing her songwriting skills. Upon returning stateside, she moved to SF and began recording four-track demos formulating the songs that would ultimately become her debut album, Dark Undercoat.

Her second album entitled Victorian America was released in 2009 in France (and in 2010 in the U.S.). it was written largely in San Francisco and Oakland.

Her third album entitled Ode to Sentience was released in 2011.

www.emilyjanewhite.com

Sleeping Dead
Emily Jane White Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hang on, hang on, hang on……

I saw a flash in the night,

Knocked me out alright.

Hang on, hang on, hang on….

I saw a flash in the night,

Shot me down alright….

I had a dream last night,

I had a dream last night,

I had a dream last night,

That there were ravens above my bed,

And they took my newlywed.

Cause we're all sleeping dead,

Hangin' onto your sleepy bed,

Oh I'd rather be dreamin' instead,

Cause we're all sleeping dead,

Hangin' onto your sleepy bed,

Oh, I'd rather be dreamin' instead.

Hang on, hang on, hang on…..

I saw a flash in the night,

Shot me down alright,

Hang on, hang on, hang on…..

I saw a flash in the night,

Knocked me out alright….

I had a dream last night,

I had a dream last night,

I had a dream last night,

That there were ravens above my bed,

And they took my newlywed.

Mother won't you please bury me alive,

Down in the coffin, with my wife?

Mother won't you please bury me alive,

Down in the coffin with my wife?

Mother won't you please bury me a live,

Down in the coffin with my wife,

Cause there were ravens above my bed,

And they took my newlywed.

Cause we're all sleeping dead,

Hangin' onto your sleepy bed,

Oh I'd rather be dreamin' instead,

Cause we're all sleeping dead,

Hangin' onto your sleepy bed,

Oh, I'd rather be dreamin' instead,

Oh I'd rather, be dreamin' instead.

Oh I'd rather, be dreamin' instead.

Overall Meaning

The song "Sleeping Dead" by Emily Jane White is a haunting and melancholic piece that touches upon the themes of death, loss, and dreaming. The first verse starts with the lyrics "Hang on, hang on, hang on", which suggest a sense of urgency and a need to hold on to something. The next line talks about a flash in the night that either knocked the singer out or shot them down, leaving them feeling helpless and vulnerable. This could be a metaphor for a traumatic event or a sudden loss, and the use of the word "flash" adds a sense of suddenness and surprise.

The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "we're all sleeping dead", which can be interpreted in many ways. It could mean that we are all just going through the motions of life without really living, or that we are so disconnected from our true selves that we might as well be dead. The image of being "hangin' onto your sleepy bed" is also a powerful one, suggesting a reluctance to wake up and face the realities of life. The line "I'd rather be dreamin' instead" reflects this desire to escape reality and retreat into the world of dreams.

The last verse talks about the singer's desire to be buried alive with their newlywed, who was taken by ravens in a dream. This could symbolize the singer's longing for death and an end to their suffering, or it could represent the loss of a loved one and a desire to be reunited with them in death. Overall, the song is a poignant reflection on the human experience and the struggles we face in dealing with loss, grief, and the inevitability of death.

Line by Line Meaning

Hang on, hang on, hang on……
Stay strong and hold on tight.

I saw a flash in the night, Knocked me out alright.
Suddenly felt overwhelmed and helpless.

I saw a flash in the night, Shot me down alright….
Suddenly felt defeated and shattered.

I had a dream last night, That there were ravens above my bed, And they took my newlywed.
Had a nightmare about losing a loved one.

Cause we're all sleeping dead, Hangin' onto your sleepy bed, Oh I'd rather be dreamin' instead,
Feeling like life is dull and unfulfilling, longing for dreams and imagination.

Mother won't you please bury me alive, Down in the coffin, with my wife?
Expressing a desire to escape life and join a lost loved one in death.

Cause there were ravens above my bed, And they took my newlywed.
Trapped in grief and mourning.

Oh I'd rather, be dreamin' instead.
Longing to escape into a more fulfilling reality.

Contributed by Maria L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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