Sleep β Over was formed in early 2010 in Austin TX. With a few rough demos recorded live on a handheld tape recorder, the band (consisting at the time of Stefanie Franciotti and former members Christa Palazzolo and Sarah Brown) quickly attracted the attention of the esteemed Night People label who released the first Sleep β Over EP on cassette. Although the tape came during a flood of hazy lo-fi releases, Sleep β Overβs melodically-driven aesthetic rose to the top of the saturated genre. Boutique vinyl label Light Lodge also released a song from the Night People tape on a split 7β with fellow Austin band Pure X. In spring 2010, the band pulled their poignant melodies and classic pop song structures out of the murk and released a lush and expansive sounding group of songs on a 7β for Forest Family records which sold out in less than a week.
In summer 2010, Sleep β Over did East and West Coast tours and continued to build on the intense infatuation that listeners of a wide range of styles seem to have with the bandβs fragile yet powerful energy. Everything was in place and it seemed a natural fit that the Hippos in Tanks label would release Sleep β Overβs highly awaited debut LP. However, just prior to the recording session, two members left the band. It would have been very easy for Sleep β Over to dissolve entirely as so many bands tend to do when put under a magnifying glass, but Stefanie Franciotti had no intention of slowing down or even missing a beat.
Official site: http://sleepoverforever.tumblr.com
Behind Closed Doors
Sleep β Over Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Melodies behind closed doors
I'm over by the corner
Listening to you from the second floor
I open up the curtains
To hear the thunder and the rain
We dropped off all the flowers
To wash away the pain
Wanna go with you anywhere
I'm sorry i kept you waiting
I have no excuse
There's no room for debating
Why it took so long to get back to you
Wanna go with you anywhere
But these tangerine dreams will not go away
Build them right up and mold them out of clay
They just keep me company
Now i take everyday with a deep breath
'Cause i found out the hard way when he left
Suffering silently
Wanna go with you anywhere
These last couple days I haven't been myself
'Cause I know i won't be seeing you on commonwealth again
Commonwealth again
These last couple days I haven't been myself
'Cause I know i won't be seeing you on commonwealth again
Commonwealth again
In this song, the singer is listening to someone else sing themselves to sleep with the door closed. The singer is on the second floor, listening with the curtains open to the rain and thunder outside. There's some regret from the singer for keeping someone waiting, but it seems like they want to leave with this person anywhere regardless. However, there's something holding them back, symbolized by the "tangerine dreams" that won't go away. Perhaps the singer is struggling to move on from a past love, which is hinted at with the line "Now I take everyday with a deep breath 'cause I found out the hard way when he left, suffering silently." The song ends with a repeated refrain of the singer lamenting that they won't be seeing someone again on Commonwealth.
Overall, the lyrics of "Behind Closed Doors" seem to be about longing for connection and companionship, but being held back by some sort of emotional baggage. The singer is drawn to someone and wants to go with them anywhere, but can't fully let go of the past. The song is melancholic and reflective, with a nostalgic tone.
Line by Line Meaning
You sing yourself to sleep at night
You calm yourself down by singing and gradually drift off to sleep at night
Melodies behind closed doors
The songs you sing while trying to sleep are not known to others, as you do it behind closed doors
I'm over by the corner
I am positioned in a corner of the room
Listening to you from the second floor
I'm on the floor above you and listening intently to the sound of your voice
I open up the curtains
I part the curtains to allow a better flow of sound and let in the nearby storm
To hear the thunder and the rain
I take advantage of the sounds of thunder and rain to mask your own voice at times
We dropped off all the flowers
We got rid of all the flowers as they only reminded us of past pain and trouble
To wash away the pain
We disposed of the flowers to get rid of the emotional pain they represented
Wanna go with you anywhere, anywhere
I want to go anywhere with you, no matter where we end up
I'm sorry I kept you waiting
I apologize for making you wait as I have no valid reason for it
I have no excuse
There is no justification for me making you wait
There's no room for debating
There isn't any ground for debate as I know I have wronged you
Why it took so long to get back to you
I understand your concern for why it took me this long to come back to you
But these tangerine dreams will not go away
My tangerine dreams of us together will not disappear
Build them right up and mold them out of clay
I nurture my dreams of us and shape them as I wish
They just keep me company
These dreams keep my company and comfort me
Now I take every day with a deep breath
I approach each day by taking a deep breath and bracing myself for what's to come
'Cause I found out the hard way when he left
I learned the hard way the pain of someone leaving me
Suffering silently
I bear my suffering in silence, not speaking about it to others
These last couple days I haven't been myself
I've been feeling different recently, not like my usual self
'Cause I know I won't be seeing you on commonwealth again
I'm aware that I won't be seeing you on Commonwealth again, which saddens me deeply
Commonwealth again
Repeating that I won't be seeing you on Commonwealth again
Writer(s): Stefanie Rose Franciotti
Contributed by Victoria Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Fheenix Moon
I wanna know how this song is over 9 yrs old and I'm just now hearing it. - I feel this song is deserving of more fame. π§‘
Wisteria Waves
This song is so amazing, it makes you feel so much emotion that you canβt explain.
Laura Valentine
This song is perfect. I remember when I heard this for the first time years ago it blew my mind. Still does after all this time
T Maxwell
I remember I found this song when my daughter died. The words stuck out to me and now it always reminds me of that time period. "Will you hold the stone in your heart if there's nothing to hold, it's the night that holds her close, nothing more, nothing more. My eyes can't see you, my arms can't hold you, and I can't hear your voice now..."
Gladeseason
nu un Iβm sorry for your loss. This song does truly speak some.
Crappy Old Account
Rip :(
FΓΆrbli Anonym
Much peace and strenght to you and your daughter. May you unite in eternity after this life.
pyro ok
This song feels like it should play during the credits sequence at the end of your life.
Ray W
Such a great song, thanks for the post, love them
Kylie Smith
Makes me think of walking into an abandoned social room that was using from the 1950s to the 1980s and imagining a group of happy teenagers gone by dancing on the tile floor.