The Good Natured, recently signed to Regal/Parlophone Records, offer a catchy gothic twist on electropop with their new EP titled Skeleton, released on 20 June 2011. In the songs featured on the Skeleton EP, Sarah displays her compellingly mature command of the nuances of serious pop music, combined with the darker, and often more sensual, emotional and lyrical content of the gothic. Both "Skeleton" and "Wolves" are produced by Patrik Berger, known for his work with Robyn.
The title track "Skeleton" has an energetic blend of raw passion, synthpop and a murky, driving rhythm section. The track describes being stripped of emotional and physical coverings, leaving you with nothing to hide; metaphorically stripped down to two skeletons standing alone.
"Wolves" is a fast-paced, intimate dance track which sees Sarah in the deep dark wood, “dancing ’round fires, lost in desire” and ready to surrender to the howling of the wolves. The clarity of the interplay between the instruments is a stark contrast to the cheerfully morbid metaphor for escapism – feral and sensual.
The band have already been making a name for themselves with their previous EPs; Be My Animal, Your Body Is A Machine and their cover of Sufjan Stevens's "For the Widows in Paradise", retitled "For the Fatherless in Ypsilanti". These have helped their popularity on music blogs so much that they were in the top 10 most searched acts on Hypemachine last December. The band have also received strong support from Nick Grimshaw, Huw Stephens and Jo Whiley on Radio 1 amongst others on Radio 1, plus XFM and 6 Music.
With such catchy songs able to stay true to the dark pop theme it's no surprise that The Good Natured’s fans are so loyal, or that blogs and forums and all over the web are already clamouring for more music.
"A compelling new talent” The Sunday Times
"A talented and passionate force to be reckoned with" The Fly
"Swirling exciting Synth pop” The Times
"An exciting prospect indeed" Artrocker
"This is how pop should be done" Time Out
Official site: http://www.thegoodnatured.co.uk
Sleep in Dust
The Good Natured Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There are many rooms
He has prepared a place for you
Heard him say a prayer
For you my love
A cold and broken cry
Echoes above
Now you dream
You are out of sight
Will you gain everlasting life?
You feel his fingers
Run through your hair
He’s watching
His spirit lingers in the air
You sleep in dust
Gone, going now you’re gone
You sleep in dust
The Good Natured's song Sleep in Dust is a powerful and emotional piece that explores the themes of death, the afterlife, and the idea of a higher power. The lyrics are full of religious references, including mentions of "our father's house," which suggests the idea of heaven as a holy place prepared for those who pass away. The line "Heard him say a prayer for you, my love" could be interpreted as a loved one praying for the departed soul's safe passage into the afterlife.
The lines "You sleep in dust, now you dream" suggest a different view of death - that it is a sleep from which one can awaken in the afterlife. The idea of gaining "everlasting life" speaks to the belief that there is something beyond death, something that can transcend time and space. The imagery of the departed soul feeling the fingers of a loved one running through their hair suggests a peaceful and comforting journey into the afterlife.
The final lines of the song, "Gone, going now you're gone, you sleep in dust," bring the listener back to the reality of death and the fact that the physical body returns to the elements of the earth. Overall, Sleep in Dust is a song that grapples with the mystery of death and what may or may not lie beyond it.
Line by Line Meaning
In our father's house
In the place where we belong
There are many rooms
Opportunities and paths for us to take
He has prepared a place for you
He has provided a path for you to follow
Heard him say a prayer
He has asked for guidance and blessings for us
For you my love
For the ones close to us
A cold and broken cry
The sadness and despair we feel
Echoes above
Is felt by those around us
You sleep in dust
Our journey in this world will come to an end
Now you dream
Our hopes and aspirations for the future
You are out of sight
The unforeseeable nature of the future
Will you gain everlasting life?
Will we find meaning and purpose in the afterlife?
You feel his fingers
The presence of those who have left us
Run through your hair
As a comforting and familiar feeling
He's watching
Their memories and legacy live on
His spirit lingers in the air
Their influence can still be felt around us
Gone, going now you're gone
The inevitability of death and departure
You sleep in dust
Our journey in this world will come to an end
Contributed by Henry Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.