Racoon is a Dutch pop-rock band founded in 1997 in Goes, Zeeland. Bart van … Read Full Bio ↴Racoon is a Dutch pop-rock band founded in 1997 in Goes, Zeeland. Bart van der Weide (vocals) and Dennis Huige (guitar) were fed up with the sound of their hardcore rockband Vic'tem and decided to go acoustic. Their first writings resulted in a song called Rapid Eye Movement. For their first release, a demo called "It's an Ice Cream Day", Stefan de Kroon (bass) and Paul Bukkens (drums) completed the band's line-up.

The band made a breakthrough appearance at the 1999 Noorderslagfestival in Groningen, resulting in lots of record deal offers. Contracted by Sony's S.M.A.R.T. label, they released their first album Till Monkeys Fly in January 2000. Produced by Michael Schoots, former Urban Dance Squad drummer, the album hit the charts receiving nationwide airplay. Both the first single Feel Like Flying and the second one, Blue Days, became a 3FM megahit. Their festival appearances on Parkpop and Lowlands confirmed their image as a live-act.

Summer 2001 Here We Go, Stereo! was released as their second full-length record. Widely acclaimed, this record was their ticket to play at the Netherlands's largest festival: Pinkpop.

While working on their third album, Sony ended the record deal. With help from Dutch radio station 3FM and the producer of their first album, they signed a contract with PIAS, to release their 3rd album early 2005. The fresh and mature sound, combined with a more serious approach on songwriting got Another Day a slow start with Happy Family. The second single Love You More hits hard: they claimed 3rd spot on the Dutch Top 40; the album skyrocketed to 6th position in the Album Charts. A succesful club tour during autumn and winter 2005 resulted in the release of their first live DVD called Another Night. And the fans really found their true love back, voting Racoon to be Pinkpop's Gouden Tip ("Viewers Choice") for 2006, claiming a spot on the mainstage.

After this clubtour they decided to fulfill a long-lasting dream for the bands vocalist (Bart van der Weide) and went on a theatertour all across Holland, with the adition of a keyboardplayer (Manu van Os) and a re-write of most of the songs to slim them down a bit. They blew away most fans with the awsome sounding back to basics tour filled with emotions and a new track called Close Your Eyes.

After the theatertour Manu went on to join Di-rect for their theatertour. Currently the band is recording a new album

Members
- Bart van der Weide (vocals)
- Dennis Huige (guitar)
- Stefan de Kroon (bass)
- Paul Bukkens (drums)

Links
www.racoon.nl
Official fansite
PIAS Nederland
3FM

Hero's in Town
Racoon Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You read about it in the paper
You hear about it on the news
The hero's in town
You never know who called him
And there's nothing you can do
The hero's in town
Flying overhead,
and he's fixing things as new

The hero's in town
People worship on a daily basis
Before dinner in the afternoon
The hero's in town,
yeah the hero's in town

Sure come in handy,
a hero in town
He's offering candy to everyone
Oh what a guy
You better sleep with a gun
The hero is in town

So look up at the sky my friend
Is it safe enough to go out there
The hero's in town
So should we trust or loathe him
Should we break or take his hand
The hero's in town
He's leaning on his golden cane
He gives away free hurricanes
The hero's in town
For god and money devil's fight
Religion holds a beast inside
The hero's in town
Yeah The hero's in town

Sure come in handy,
a hero in town
He's offering candy to everyone
What good are heroes in this mixed up world
Load us up another free, free world
Free world
Load us up another free, free world
Free world

Monkey see, monkey do
Monkey wants so it comes straight through
Small talk travels quicker
than the truth can tie its shoes

Sure come in handy,
a hero in town
He's offering candy to everyone
Oh what a guy
You better sleep with a gun

'Cause the hero is in for money
He's in for money

Overall Meaning

The song Hero's in Town by Racoon is a satirical commentary on our society's obsession with heroes and the power they possess. The lyrics describe a hero who is hailed by the masses, but his motives are unclear. The opening lines, "You read about it in the paper, You hear about it on the news, The hero's in town" suggest that the hero comes into town unannounced and without invitation. His presence is both a source of comfort and fear because he can do anything. He is described as flying overhead and fixing things as new. His powers are unmatched but his intentions remain questionable.

The song's message becomes more evident in the second verse, "Sure come in handy, a hero in town, He's offering candy to everyone, Oh what a guy, You better sleep with a gun, The hero is in town." The lyrics are a critique of a society that blindly idolizes heroes without examining their motives. The hero in the song is not what he seems to be. He may offer a short term solution to a problem, but his presence and intentions are questionable.

Overall, Hero's in Town is a thought-provoking song that encourages people to question the motives of those who claim to be heroes. The song is a warning against blind hero worship and a reminder that not all heroes are what they seem to be.

Line by Line Meaning

You read about it in the paper
Learning about the hero and their actions has been spread through news media.

You hear about it on the news
The hero has received publicity through news broadcasts.

The hero's in town
The hero is present and active in the area being discussed.

You never know who called him
It is unclear who has requested the hero's services.

And there's nothing you can do
The situation is out of the control of the people who are aware of the hero's presence.

Flying overhead, and he's fixing things as new
The hero is using aerial transportation and repairing issues as if they have just occurred.

People worship on a daily basis, Before dinner in the afternoon
Individuals are consistently revering the actions of the hero, often during their daily mealtime.

Sure come in handy, a hero in town
Having a hero in the area can be beneficial in times of need.

He's offering candy to everyone, Oh what a guy
The hero is being generous to those around him or her, but it may not be genuine.

You better sleep with a gun, The hero is in town
Despite his or her intentions, the hero's presence is not guaranteed to keep everyone safe.

So look up at the sky my friend, Is it safe enough to go out there
The hero's presence may lead to a false sense of security that could be dangerous.

Should we trust or loathe him, Should we break or take his hand
Individuals are debating whether to follow, oppose, or work with the hero.

He's leaning on his golden cane, He gives away free hurricanes
The hero has visible wealth, but also gives away powerful gifts to others.

For god and money devil's fight, Religion holds a beast inside
The conflict between greed and faith can lead to harmful or hypocritical behavior.

What good are heroes in this mixed up world, Load us up another free, free world
Heroes may not be enough to fix the problems of the chaotic society portrayed in the song.

Monkey see, monkey do, Monkey wants so it comes straight through
People are easily influenced by those around them and their desires can be easily fulfilled.

Small talk travels quicker than the truth can tie its shoes
Gossip and hearsay can spread faster than factual information.

'Cause the hero is in for money, He's in for money
The hero may be motivated primarily by a desire for wealth.

Contributed by Ian S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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