(2) The Maccabees (2002-2016) were an indie rock band from London, UK. The line-up consisted of Orlando Weeks (vocals), Hugo White (guitar), Felix White (guitar, vocals), Rupert Jarvis (bass) and Sam Doyle (drums), who replaced Robert Dylan Thomas. Weeks stated once that the band came up with the name by flicking through the Bible and picking out a random word. Despite adopting a name with religious connotations, he affirmed that none of the band are religious.
Debuting in 2004 with the You Make Noise I Make Sandwiches EP (released on Haircut Records), they released their first single X-Ray on Promise Records on November 28, 2005. Receiving just little significant exposure - some evening play on XFM London radio station - the band however scored a minor indie hit with their second post-punk influenced single Latchmere released in April 2006 on Fierce Panda Records.
Then inking a deal with the Polydor imprint (and former home of The Cure) Fiction Records the bands first studio album, Colour It In, was released on May 4, 2007 .
To date (late September 2007) they have released three (widely available) singles from the album (First Love, About Your Dress and Precious Time) with a fourth and final single Toothpaste Kisses released on October 8, 2007.
On May 4, 2009 the band released Wall of Arms, their second album. Preceded by the single Love You Better on April 27th. Markus Dravs, who collaborated in the past with artists such as Björk, Arcade Fire and Coldplay, produced the album. The album has been recorded in various cities including Liverpool and Paris, unlike their first long-player which was recorded in "dribs and drabs" like frontman Orlando Weeks said.
On January 9, 2012 the Maccabees released Given To The Wild, their third album. The band worked on the album at both Rockfield Studios in Wales and their rehearsal space in London's Elephant and Castle district, before decamping to Suffolk to finish the record.
Marks to Prove It, their last album, was released in 2015.
Official Website
Guitarist Felix White was initially in a band called Jack's Basement with fellow friend Jack Peñate. Felix and Hugo White are brothers, along with Will White, who is the frontman of another band called Talk Taxis. Former drummer Robert Dylan Thomas left the band in 2008.
Sleep
The Maccabees Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I'm fighting the monsters under my bed
Spinning me around
And round
And all come out in the wash
These tired eyes
This tired mind
These tired lungs of mine
Roll on
Sunshine, winter, roll on
Sunshine, winter, roll on
Sunshines, winter roll on
Roll on
Roll on!
The lyrics of The Maccabees's song Sleep depict a person struggling with their inner demons and trying to find peace in the midst of it. The opening lines "It's late and I'm fighting the monsters under my bed" convey a sense of vulnerability and insecurity. The singer feels like they are being spun around and around by their worries and fears.
As the song progresses, the singer acknowledges their exhaustion- "These tired eyes, this tired mind, these tired lungs of mine" and looks to find solace in sleep- "Lullaby". They are waiting for the peace that sleep brings and hoping that the troubles that they are experiencing will all "come out in the wash".
The chorus of the song with the repetition of "Roll on" gives a sense of moving forward with time. The words "sunshine, winter" imbue a cyclical sense of time- the changing of seasons, the ups and downs of life. The singer is wishing for time to keep moving, for the difficult times to pass and for better days to come.
Line by Line Meaning
It's late
The night has progressed considerably and it is getting very late
And I'm fighting the monsters under my bed
The singer is experiencing fear and anxiety, which he describes by using the metaphor of fighting monsters under his bed
Spinning me around
The fear and anxiety is causing the singer to feel unbalanced and dizzy, like he is spinning around
And round
The fear and anxiety are unrelenting and recurring, causing the singer to feel stuck in a continuous cycle
And all come out in the wash
The singer believes that all his troubles and worries will eventually be resolved, or washed away, over time
These tired eyes
The singer is physically exhausted, as evidenced by his tired eyes
This tired mind
The singer's mental state is also exhausted, as his mind is tired and worn out
These tired lungs of mine
The singer is experiencing physical exertion due to his anxiety and fear, which is causing him to feel like his lungs are tired
Lullaby
The singer is asking for a lullaby, or a soothing song, to help him calm down and fall asleep
Roll on
The singer is expressing his desire for time to keep moving, as he hopes that his troubles will eventually be resolved
Sunshine, winter, roll on
The singer is using the changing of the seasons as a metaphor for the passage of time
Sunshines, winter roll on
The singer again expresses his desire for time to keep passing
Roll on
The singer reiterates his desire for time to keep moving forward
Contributed by Nolan L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.