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.
Chicago
Sleep Station Lyrics
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The lyrics of Sleep Station's song "Chicago" hint at the struggles of being young and finding your place in the world. The main character is talking to someone else, presumably a friend or significant other, who is tugging on their sleeve. The setting is Chicago, a city known for its harsh winters and urban noise. The coldness of the city is reminiscent of the struggles of growing up and finding your way in the world. The character talks about finding their own place someday, but seems to acknowledge that the noise of the city may break that dream apart. However, even in the midst of the cold and the noise, the character reflects on the beauty of the present moment, where they have everything they need.
The lyrics conjure up feelings of isolation and uncertainty, common themes in the coming-of-age experience many young people face. The character talks about someday rising above the illusions of the world, perhaps referring to the false promises of success and happiness that society feeds us. But ultimately the song seems to suggest that we are all just here, in this moment, trying to find our way forward.
Line by Line Meaning
We were young and you were tugging on my sleeve, well it gets so cold in Chicago,
When we were young, you were pulling on my sleeve while we were freezing in Chicago.
Maybe someday we will find our own but the noise will break it wide open, today it's so cold in Chicago.
Perhaps we will find our own place, but the noise will destroy it completely. Today, Chicago is frigid.
Listen now as time splits open, for the moment we have everything,
Pay attention as time fractures, because we currently have all we could desire.
maybe someday we will rise above this illusion, that some day, we wont be, here in Chicago
Possibly in the future, we will reject this falsehood that someday we will no longer be living in Chicago.
Contributed by Lincoln N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.