Following an EP on Ambivalent Records in summer 2003, So Many Dynamos released its debut full-length, When I Explode (mixed by the Dismemberment Plan's Jason Caddell), in 2004 on Skrocki Records. Flashlights, which expanded the band's sound with a four-piece horn section and 30-member choir, arrived in September 2006. After extensive touring, writing, and recording, the band released "The Loud Wars" on Vagrant Records in June 2009 (recorded by Death Cab for Cutie's Chris Walla). In August of that same year, founding guitarist Ryan Wasoba announced his departure from the band; making him the second Ryan to quit So Many Dynamos (Ryan Ballew quit shortly after the release of When I Explode). He was replaced by former Target Market front man and St. Louis heavyhitter Nathan Bernaix.
The band currently plays songs in peoples vans.
In Our Sleep
So Many Dynamos Lyrics
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No trumpets, no cymbals, just the deadest silence.
And in our sleep there were no lights on.
Pitch black, unromantic, is this all we lived for?
They needed words that weren't invented
To condense our lifetimes to a graveside headstone.
And in our sleep we started laughing,
That they expected much more.
What more could we wish for?
The lyrics of So Many Dynamos's song In Our Sleep poignantly capture the feelings of disillusionment when faced with the reality of death. The opening lines, "This isn't what we had expected / No trumpets, no cymbals, just the deadest silence," suggests that the expectation of a grand, life-affirming moment to mark the end of our lives is not always the case. Instead, death can be quiet and unremarkable, leaving us with a sense of disappointment.
The line "And in our sleep there were no lights on" further adds to this sense of desolation, suggesting that even in our final moments, there is no warmth or comfort to be found. The question posed in the next line, "Pitch black, unromantic, is this all we lived for?" underscores the sense of disappointment, as if to suggest that perhaps we hoped for more from the fleeting existence we call life.
The final lines of the song, "And in our sleep we started laughing, / That they expected much more. / What more could we wish for?" presents a sense of resignation, almost a grim acceptance of the ultimate truth that death is a part of life. In the face of this finality, the laughter suggests that perhaps the only way to cope is to find humor in the absurdity of it all.
Line by Line Meaning
This isn't what we had expected:
Our expectations were not met.
No trumpets, no cymbals, just the deadest silence.
There was no grand celebration or acknowledgement, only a silent emptiness.
And in our sleep there were no lights on.
We were in a dark, unconscious state.
Pitch black, unromantic, is this all we lived for?
Our lives seem dull and meaningless.
They needed words that weren't invented
It is impossible to capture the essence of our lives with the vocabulary available.
To condense our lifetimes to a graveside headstone.
Our existence will be summed up on a simple tombstone.
And in our sleep we started laughing,
Even in our unconscious state, we find humor in the situation.
That they expected much more.
Others had higher hopes for our lives.
What more could we wish for?
We are content with what we have lived and accomplished.
Contributed by Claire R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.