Sleep Station is an American indie rock band on from Bergen County, New Jer… Read Full Bio ↴Sleep Station is an American indie rock band on from Bergen County, New Jersey. The band revolves around frontman David Debiak. Sleep Station began in 2001, with David Debiak having the intention of producing a movie. Unable to obtain funds to do so, he opted to write a soundtrack to the non-existent movie instead. The result was the concept album Anhedonia.

While some subsequent Sleep Station albums have been recorded with a full band (After the War, The Pride of Chester James), others have essentially been David Debiak solo albums (Von Cosel, The Blood of Our Our Fathers), featuring very little, if any, instrumentation other than David Debiak's own guitar playing.

Sleep Station is known for its concept albums; to date, all Sleep Station releases have called "rock operas" by some critics. David Debiak himself, however, has stated that he is not trying to tell a story in his songs, stating in a MySpace bulletin "Every record I have done as Sleep Station has been thematic in its nature, not trying to tell a story but just create a mood". Unconventional love affairs and war are common lyrical themes in Sleep Station's music.

Following the release of the album After the War in 2004, Sleep Station went on hiatus, with David Debiak starting a side project, New London Fire, with his brother Jason Debiak.

In 2008, Sleep Station returned from hiatus with the album The Pride of Chester James, an album about a fictional circus drifter who shows up in a small town.

All That Remains
Sleep Station Lyrics

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Pick up all the pieces,
Trailing behind the ashes that
Blow into your face.

I see sneering,
And I hear screaming,
Days that always last
Late into the evening.

Fate does change,
Everything moves out of place.
Sifting through the remains,
I remove the pieces of you.

Found there
Lying on a dead trail,
Moving like your heart failed
And never told your brain.

I am listening
To all your voices,
I hear them crying,
Please don't forget my name.

Fate does change,
Everyday is exactly the same.
Sifting through the remains,

I remove the pieces of you,
I remove the pieces of you

Overall Meaning

The opening line of Sleep Station's song All That Remains, "Pick up all the pieces, trailing behind the ashes that blow into your face", sets the tone for the song as one of reflection and digging through the remains of a past relationship or moment in life. The ashes blowing in the face evokes a sense of being overwhelmed and maybe even suffocated by the memories and emotions associated with what has been lost. The following lines, "I see sneering and I hear screaming, days that always last late into the evening", describe the pain and chaos of the situation. The singer is not only seeing and hearing these things but experiencing them as well. The days and nights seem to blur together, highlighting the ongoing struggle to move on.

As the song progresses, the singer reflects on the idea that fate does change and everything moves out of place. The line, "sifting through the remains, I remove the pieces of you", suggests that the singer is trying to make sense of what has been lost and perhaps move on from it. The imagery of the pieces being removed is significant as it evokes a sense of finality and closure.

The final verse seems to be a plea from the person who has been left behind. The line "Please don't forget my name" adds to the emotional weight of the song and makes it clear that this is not just a song about a relationship ending but also about the emotional toll it can take on both parties. The repetition of "I remove the pieces of you" in the final stanza reinforces the idea that the singer is trying to move on but also recognizes the lingering impact of what has been lost.

Line by Line Meaning

Pick up all the pieces,
Collect all the fragments left behind

Trailing behind the ashes that
Following the remnants that

Blow into your face.
Blow in front of you.

I see sneering,
I notice a look of contempt,

And I hear screaming,
And I hear loud pleas,

Days that always last
Endless days that go on

Late into the evening.
Late into the night.

Fate does change,
Destiny is capable of altering,

Everything moves out of place.
Everything falls out of order.

Sifting through the remains,
Sorting through what is left,

I remove the pieces of you.
I remove fragments of who you were.