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.
Land and Come For Us
Sleep Station Lyrics
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The song "Land and Come for Us" by Sleep Station explores the fear and uncertainty that comes with living in a world full of contradictions and hidden dangers. The first few lines express this feeling of unease, suggesting that even the sky may be falling, and that it would be wrong to simply walk away from the problems confronting us. The sounds that "put the fear in us" could be any number of things, but the singer hints that they have lost someone's trust because they chose to stay and face these fears instead of running away. Throughout the song, there is a sense of regret or longing for things that could have been, if only the singer had known better or been more aware of the dangers that lurked beneath the surface of everyday life.
The chorus poses a question or a plea for help, asking whether the person being addressed will be there "for us" when the "planes get through" and "they land and come for us". It is unclear who "they" are, but it seems likely that the singer is referring to some kind of threat or danger that is approaching, and that they need someone to rely on in order to face it. The final lines of the song suggest that the singer is still playing "simple games" and doesn't really understand what's going on, but they know that they need someone else to help them navigate this strange and terrifying world.
Overall, "Land and Come for Us" is a haunting exploration of fear and uncertainty, and a plea for connection and support in the face of overwhelming odds.
Line by Line Meaning
Maybe the sky has fallen too.
Perhaps something terrible has happened that we are unable to fix.
It wouldn't be right to walk away.
It's not ethical to abandon everything and everyone just because of a problem.
The sounds that put the fear in us,
The noise that scares us the most,
I never would have lost your trust,
I would have never betrayed you and made you doubt me.
they just wanted me to walk away.
Others were urging me to leave, but I didn't want to.
Remember the first time that I knew.
I recall the moment when everything became clear to me.
The drawings all fell into place.
All of the pieces of the puzzle finally came together.
Had I known that you would, really be walking through this world,
If I had known that you would eventually face the world like this,
I think I'd change my point of view.
I would have altered my perspective at the time.
Will you be here for us, when the planes get through,
Will you stick around and help us when we're threatened by overwhelming danger.
Will you be here for us, when they land and come for us.
Will you support us when they arrive to take us or threaten us?
Was it really the wind that threw off your brain.
Is it truly possible for an external factor like the wind to adversely affect your mind?
I'm back in line playing, simple games.
I've gone back to simple pursuits after all that has happened.
Had I known I had your luck,
If I had realised that I have the same fortune as you,
I never would have gave it up,
I would have never abandoned it.
I thought I did but you never knew.
I believed I had given it up, but you never caught on.
Contributed by Jeremiah D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.