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
Water By The Bed
Racoon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Leave the light in the hallway on when you are frightened
And try not to be sad. There's water by the bed
Say goodnight love, 'cause daddy's going away tonight Don't you worry, I promise I'll be home on time You'll be fine love. Doggy's there so you won't be alone You're a big girl. We'll be back before you know
And please try not to scream, 'cause it's not all bad you see
I'm begging you, please don't go
I'm scared of dreaming on my own
I'm begging you mom please don't turn the lights down low
See you soon love. We'll be home around 11.00
When you're hungry, there's some dinner in the oven
And when you're sad or alone, the number's by the phone
And please try not to scream. When it's only a, it's only a bad dream
Chorus
The song "Water By The Bed" by Racoon tells the story of a young child who is left alone at home while their parents go out for the night. The child is comforted by their parents' reassurances that they will be back soon and that they are not alone. The lyrics show the child's fear of being alone and their reliance on the presence of their parents and their dog to feel safe. The imagery of water by the bed creates a sense of comfort and safety for the child, as if their parents have left a protective barrier for them.
The lyrics evoke a sense of sadness and loneliness that can be felt by listeners of all ages. They portray the vulnerability of children and the importance of parental love and comfort. They also speak to the universal experience of being afraid to be alone and the ways in which we seek comfort and safety in the world.
Overall, "Water By The Bed" is a powerful and emotional song that speaks to the core of what it means to be human – our need for love, safety, and connection.
Line by Line Meaning
Stay alone love, mommy's going away tonight
The mother is leaving for the night and the child is scared to be alone.
Leave the light in the hallway on when you are frightened
The mother wants to comfort the child by leaving a light on in case they get scared.
And try not to be sad. There's water by the bed
The mother wants the child to try and be brave and reminds them that there is water by the bed for them to drink.
Say goodnight love, 'cause daddy's going away tonight
The father is also leaving, but the mother assures the child that they will be back soon.
Don't you worry, I promise I'll be home on time
The mother reassures the child that they will come back home as promised.
You'll be fine love. Doggy's there, so you won't be alone
The mother reminds the child that they have their dog to keep them company while they're alone.
You're a big girl. We'll be back before you know
The mother wants the child to feel like a grown-up and assures them that they will be back soon.
And please try not to scream, 'cause it's not all bad you see
The mother encourages the child to be brave and not to be scared of every little noise they hear.
I'm begging you, please don't go
The child begs the mother not to leave and is scared to be alone.
I'm scared alone mom you should know
The child expresses their fear of being alone to their mother.
I'm scared of dreaming on my own
The child is scared of having bad dreams while they're alone.
I'm begging you mom please don't turn the lights down low
The child asks the mother not to turn the lights off completely, as they are scared of the dark.
See you soon love. We'll be home around 11.00
The mother reassures the child that they will be back soon and gives them a specific time.
When you're hungry, there's some dinner in the oven
The mother leaves dinner in the oven for the child to eat if they get hungry.
And when you're sad or alone, the number's by the phone
The mother leaves the phone number in case the child wants to call when they're feeling sad or lonely.
And please try not to scream. When it's only a, it's only a bad dream
The mother reminds the child not to scream if they have a bad dream, as it's not real and they don't need to be scared.
Contributed by Dylan F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.