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
Side Effects
Racoon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I am innocent of uncontrolled abuse
No one ever told me cigarettes could kill me
Now I'm used to them
I never saw the writings and the warnings
on the packages and posters of my role-up smokes
Tell me that's a hoax
Got the freakin' idea I could be like James Dean
Getting smoke into my eyes not that I'd show you,
being cool and man I never saw
the writings and the warnings
on the packages and posters of my role-up smokes
Tell me that's a hoax
The pores of plague that tease the cow,
the cross-eyed steak I'm eating now
can overload and in time explode
Pretty done for, heaven knows, the city's like a snake
All wrapped up and tangled in. Reality's a fake
The flashy coloured neon signs are screaming 'Ain't it great!
Come dance with us, take your chance with us'
We're left for dead. Without beliefs we're dead
We're scared, but won't admit to it, I bet
So we cease to care instead
Now I'm stuck between the alcohol and wisdom
Now I'm stuck between a smoke and city air
Almost used to all the crappy things we feed on
Almost belly round and unaware
Chorus
All the side effects were never mentioned to me, So I am innocent
The song Side Effects by the Dutch band Racoon speaks about the unawareness and ignorance of an individual in regards to the harmful side effects of some substances and habits that are easily accessible and prevalent in most societies. The first stanza tells the story of the singer's introduction to smoking at a young age, where he was not warned about its damaging and potentially fatal consequences. The lyrics suggest that society is responsible for not providing proper awareness and regulation for such harmful substances, leading people to become hooked on them.
The second stanza delves deeper into the dangers of indulging in unhealthy habits, in which the singer mentions how the food industry has become unhealthy and the environment is poisoned. The lyrics heavily imply that although there are warning signs, signs of damage are usually overlooked or ignored. The chorus acts as a poignant reminder of ignorance, insisting that the side effects were never mentioned to the singer, which makes them appear innocent. It suggests that individuals are victims of a larger corporate and societal system that is profit-driven and often negligent when it comes to the well-being of its consumers.
Line by Line Meaning
All the side effects were never mentioned to me
It was never made clear to me what the consequences of my actions would be
I am innocent of uncontrolled abuse
I did not intentionally harm myself or others
No one ever told me cigarettes could kill me
I was not informed of the deadly risks associated with smoking
Now I'm used to them
I have become accustomed to smoking and it is a regular part of my life
I never saw the writings and the warnings
I was not aware of the warning labels and notices on cigarette packaging and advertising
on the packages and posters of my role-up smokes
Cigarette packaging and advertising contained warnings that were not visible enough to me
Tell me that's a hoax
I am in disbelief that the dangers associated with smoking were not clearly communicated
Got the freakin' idea I could be like James Dean
I thought that smoking would make me appear cool and like a film star
15 years old with my foot against the wall
I started smoking at a young age when I was impressionable
Getting smoke into my eyes not that I'd show you
I pretended to be unfazed by the smoke to seem tough
being cool and man I never saw
I was too focused on the image of being cool to consider the consequences of my actions
The pores of plague that tease the cow,
The food we consume is often contaminated and detrimental to our health
the cross-eyed steak I'm eating now
The food I am currently eating is of questionable quality
can overload and in time explode
The negative effects of our unhealthy food choices will eventually catch up with us
Pretty done for, heaven knows, the city's like a snake
The environment we live in is hostile and will eventually harm us
All wrapped up and tangled in. Reality's a fake
We have lost touch with reality and are constantly surrounded by false imagery and advertising
The flashy coloured neon signs are screaming 'Ain't it great!
Advertisers use bright colors and flashy displays to make unhealthy choices seem appealing
Come dance with us, take your chance with us'
They want us to ignore the consequences and take risks for the sake of pleasure
We're left for dead. Without beliefs we're dead
Without a sense of purpose and morality, we are lost and directionless
We're scared, but won't admit to it, I bet
We are too afraid to acknowledge our fears and take responsibility for our actions
So we cease to care instead
We become apathetic and stop caring about the consequences of our actions
Now I'm stuck between the alcohol and wisdom
I am torn between indulging in unhealthy habits and making sound decisions
Now I'm stuck between a smoke and city air
I am trapped between the harmful atmosphere of the city and my addiction to smoking
Almost used to all the crappy things we feed on
We have become accustomed to consuming unhealthy and low quality food
Almost belly round and unaware
We are ignorant of the harm we are doing to our bodies and the world around us
Chorus
The repetition of the chorus emphasizes the idea that we are unaware of the dangers and consequences of our actions
Contributed by Ava V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
HolandaChiquita
Can help but loving this song! It has such a good message and it is just a lovely melody. Really my yammm...