Mike Felumlee, a native of Crystal Lake, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago), is… Read Full Bio ↴Mike Felumlee, a native of Crystal Lake, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago), is chiefly known as the former drummer for the influential rock band The Smoking Popes. He is known to a lesser extent for his stint of several years as drummer in the band Alkaline Trio and for his solo music. Felumlee was the drummer on all of the Popes albums prior to the live album At Metro, released in 2006 in conjunction with a long-awaited reunion of the band. Reportedly, Felumlee discussed with Popes frontman Josh Caterer rejoining the band for its reunion but declined, due to personal relations between himself and the Popes having become a little tense. After the Smoking Popes split in 1999, Felumlee joined Alkaline Trio. He was the drummer on the album "From Here To Infirmary". Fulumlee left Alkaline Trio in 2001 reportedly due to personal friction with Matt Skiba. Felumlee is still involved in the music scene and has released recordings of some of his own music to lukewarm critical reception. He released "64 hours" in late 2001 and recorded a split CD with Alkaline Trio bassist Dan Andriano in 2002. As a drummer, Felumlee was also a founding member of the band Duvall (which over the years has had a rotating cast of members, including notably several other former Smoking Popes members) but his participation in that band was fairly short-lived; he was replaced by the bearded and vaguely Viking-like drummer Rob Kellenberger (previously of the bands Slapstick and Tuesday) not long into the band's existence. Felumlee founded and ran for several years the small, independent record label Double Zero Records, originally conceived as a vehicle to release some then-unreleased Smoking Popes material after the band was dropped from its major label, Capitol, in 1998. The label operated for several years before being closed down. Felumlee graduated in 1993 from Crystal Lake Central High School where he was known to be an indifferent student and -- a fact he took significant pride in -- to be one of the heaviest smokers of the entire student body. Currently, Felumlee is the drummer of the band Squirtgun. Physically a thin individual, Felumlee is often sick due to his non-nutritious diet coupled with excessive consumption of soda and cigarettes.

Felumlee, his wife, former Aria model Meagan Tesch, and his son, Jack, currently live in Algonquin, IL

Sleepwalking
Mike Felumlee Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

These days are cold, these nights are long, this light's burned out
I can't wake up, but I can't sleep, and it's killing me
I've wanted out, I don't want that now, I don't want that now
I know it hasn't been good, but I know I could love you like, love you like I should
You've held me up, you've let me down, you're still my friend
Why can't it be like way back when, when it wasn't so hard
I've wanted out, I don't want that now, I don't want that now
I know it hasn't been good but I know I could love you like, love you like I should

Overall Meaning

The lyrics in Mike Felumlee's song "Sleepwalking" evoke a sense of struggle and uncertainty in the singer's life. He is going through a difficult time in which he can't seem to find solace in either sleep or wakefulness. The "cold" days and "long" nights illustrate his emotional state of isolation and sadness.

He then addresses someone who has been a constant in his life - someone who has both supported and hurt him. Even though the relationship has not been perfect, the singer realizes that he is willing to put in effort to make it work. He knows that he has not loved this person as he should have, which makes him feel guilty and remorseful.

Throughout the song, there is a feeling of longing for simplicity and happier times. The singer wants to go back to the time when the relationship was not so difficult and complicated. He wishes for a time when things were easier and less burdensome.

The lyrics of "Sleepwalking" can be interpreted as a reflection on the complexities of human relationships and the difficulties that arise when we fail to communicate our feelings effectively. It is a powerful reminder of the importance of taking responsibility for our actions and words, even in the face of personal hardship and uncertainty.

Line by Line Meaning

These days are cold, these nights are long, this light's burned out
I'm feeling down and depressed lately, like everything is gloomy and hopeless.

I can't wake up, but I can't sleep, and it's killing me
I'm having trouble finding the motivation to get out of bed, but my thoughts and worries are also keeping me up at night.

I've wanted out, I don't want that now, I don't want that now
I may have thought about leaving this relationship before, but now I realize how much I still care and want to make it work.

I know it hasn't been good, but I know I could love you like, love you like I should
I recognize that our relationship hasn't been perfect, but I am willing to try harder to love you properly and make things better for us.

You've held me up, you've let me down, you're still my friend
You have been both a support system and a disappointment to me, but despite it all, I still value our friendship.

Why can't it be like way back when, when it wasn't so hard
I miss the simplicity and ease of our relationship in the beginning, before we faced any significant challenges and struggles.

I've wanted out, I don't want that now, I don't want that now
I want to make it clear that leaving is no longer something I desire, and I want to commit to working on our relationship.

I know it hasn't been good but I know I could love you like, love you like I should
I understand that things have been rocky, but I am willing to put in the effort to love you in the way that you deserve.

Contributed by Chloe P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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