In the summer of 1991, Niklas had his first interaction with Red Sleeping Beauty, then a duo with a 6-track cassette demo as its only proof of existence, when he showed signs of similar taste in t-shirts (Sarah Records) as Kristina at a Swedish pop festival. Hence, after his moving to Stockholm, RSB transformed into a trio, and began to write more up-tempo and up-feeling songs.
In order to secure proper bass playing and a full live line-up, Carl-Johan joined after the recording of Pop Sounds (interested people can try and hear the extremely low-mixed bass played by Kristina on Christmas). Soon after, the band headed for minor stardom with a series of releases on a variety of labels covering the majority of countries in the world. But with the break-up of the secret indie couple, i.e. Mikael and Kristina, along with the fact that the band had been around for almost a decade, Red Sleeping Beauty decided to do a Björn Borg - ending their career when at the top in 1997.
They decided to reform in 2013, recording a new full length album released in 2016. The first fruits of this reformation was a new single, released on US indie Shelflife in September 2015, called Always. Their full length comeback album Kristina was released on Swedish indie, Labrador in June 2016.
Cold Hearts
Red Sleeping Beauty Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Watching it fall outside
I believe it's colder
In my heart
And i don't want to tell her about it
I don't want to tell her about it
To keep feelings alive
Something tells my here
That's not the way
'cause i'm alright
Things are bright
Winter is the perfect time for cold hearts
Feels like snowing inside
Yes i'm alright
Things are bright
Winter is the perfect time for cold hearts
For cold hearts
Here is the first snow
Watching it fall outside
I believe it's colder
In my heart
And i don't want to tell her about it
Yes i'm alright
Things are bright
Winter is the perfect time for cold hearts
Feels like snowing inside
Yes i'm alright
Things are bright
Winter is the perfect time for cold hearts
Yes i'm alright
Things are bright
Winter is the perfect time for cold hearts
Feels like snowing inside
Yes i'm alright
Things are bright
Winter is the perfect time for cold hearts
For cold hearts
In "Cold Hearts", Red Sleeping Beauty uses the first snow of winter as a symbol for the singer's emotional state. Despite the beauty of the snowfall outside, the singer feels a coldness in their heart that they cannot shake off. They try to hide this feeling from someone they care about, as if admitting it would make it more real. The lyrics suggest that the singer is wearing their "warmest clothes" to keep their emotions alive, but they are unsure if this is the right thing to do. The chorus repeats the phrase "winter is the perfect time for cold hearts", driving home the idea that the season's frigidness matches the singer's internal state.
The lyrics' use of the first snow as a metaphor is particularly effective. The snowfall outside gives the song an ethereal, dreamlike quality, while the coldness in the singer's heart adds a darker, more melancholy element. The lyrics also play with the idea of hiding one's emotions, as the singer tries to keep their true feelings from the person they care about. This theme is further developed in the line "something tells me here/that's not the way", as if the singer is conflicted about whether or not to share their emotions.
Overall, "Cold Hearts" is a poignant reflection on the difficulty of admitting one's emotions and the sense of isolation that can come with it. The lyrics' use of the winter season as a setting and metaphor adds depth and complexity to the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Here is the first snow
The singer is observing the snow falling outside.
Watching it fall outside
The singer is visually taking in the snowfall.
I believe it's colder
The singer perceives that the temperature outside is cold.
In my heart
Metaphorically, the singer feels a coldness or emptiness in their emotions.
And i don't want to tell her about it
The singer keeps their feelings to themselves and doesn't want to share them with anyone.
I'm wearing my warmest clothes
The singer is physically trying to keep warm in the cold weather.
To keep feelings alive
The singer is trying to maintain a certain level of emotion in themselves.
Something tells my here
The singer has an innate feeling about something happening in the present moment.
That's not the way
The singer believes that their current situation or feelings are not ideal.
'cause i'm alright
Despite the coldness outside and the emptiness in their heart, the singer asserts that they are okay.
Things are bright
The singer takes an optimistic outlook on the future despite their current condition.
Winter is the perfect time for cold hearts
The singer believes that the season of winter aligns with their current emotional state.
Feels like snowing inside
The singer feels as though there is an emotional snowstorm happening inside of them.
For cold hearts
The singer repeats that the season of winter is fitting for those with unemotional or cold hearts.
Contributed by Austin G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Stephen Morrow
The guitar intro is only second (imo) to Television's 'Marquee Moon'. Just shows how brilliant music can (to) often be missed by the masses.
busterabcat
I can clearly hear their TOTAL influence on the wonderful underrated 4AD shoegaze/indie popsters Pale Saints (1989 incarnation) here with the vocals, the insistent rolling drums, the chiming jangle of the guitars! Who else?
Gerhard Wagner
Fantastic band!!! Great attitude, great tunes and super lyrics!!!
Andree Op't Hof
Pure greatness!! No wonder that a swedish pop band named themselves after this song..
Pedro Gunn
Still great. This one and Frans Hals are my favourites. 👍
Canard Rose
This song is beautiful ❤️
Neil Wignall
Saw them at Legends in Warrington many years ago. One of my all time fave bands.
Simon Richards
One of the best songs ever
Terry Gibson
A bloody great song.......
Marko
"While there's still a war to win
My red dream is everything" :)