The original band, billed simply as "The Modern Lovers", existed from 1970–74 but their recordings were not released until 1976 or later. It featured Jonathan Richman and bassist Ernie Brooks with drummer David Robinson (later of The Cars) and keyboardist Jerry Harrison (later of Talking Heads). The sound of the band owed a great deal to the influence of The Velvet Underground, and is now considered one of the leading bands of the "proto-punk" scene. It pointed the way towards much of the Punk, New Wave and Indie rock music of later decades. Their only album, the eponymous The Modern Lovers, contained stylistically unprecedented[citation needed] songs about dating awkwardness, growing up in Massachusetts, and love of life and the USA.
After recording several tracks in 1972 and '73, including "I'm Straight" (referring here to abstaining from drug use), and "Government Center", Richman wanted to scrap the tracks that were recorded and start over with a mellower, more lyrical sound. The rest of the band, while not opposed to such a shift later, insisted at the time that they record as they already sounded. They continued and eventually, the first album was released in 1976. Long before its release, however, creative differences split the band apart.
Later, Richman used the name Modern Lovers for a variety of backing bands, always billed as "Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers." These bands were quieter and featured more low-key, often near-childlike, songs, as Richman drew on folk-rock and other genres. Out of Richman's original bandmates, only Robinson was part of any of the other Modern Lovers incarnations.
Wake Up Sleepyheads
The Modern Lovers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
His introduction to it for us because it's called wake up sleepyheads
I think this song is one of the worst
Songs that I've ever heard in my whole life
Thank you John
It's really disgusting and I really
Don't wanna play on it but they're making me
He likes the chord changes
It's okay I sing the words so it's alright
Okay but I hate the song
Its okay cause last night I said goodbye to Anne
I tried to tell her my dreams but she couldn't understand
She talked about Freud like he was an important man
After all that trash I knew she didn't have a chance
I said wake up sleepyheads
Wake up Anne
I say wake up you
I say wake up sleepyheads
The old time world awake is asleep or dead
I said wake up you wake up sleepyheads
I say wake up I
I couldn't remember any of my dreams last night
I say wake up me
Our dreams late at night are the only thing that I know is real
I say wake up babe
Wake up I
When we're awake or asleep
When we're asleep that's that's when we're awake
Well I told it all to Anne but she didn't understand
I say wake up sleepyheads, wake up Anne
Hey!
I say wake up sleepyheads
We're only awake when asleep or dead
I say wake up sleepyheads
The only thing better when at home in bed
I said wake up you
Wake up sleepyheads
Wake up wake up
I said wake up wake up now
We been better last night than we do right now
I said wake up sleepyheads
Boston is so pretty but we're half-dead
I say wake up wake up sleepyheads
In "Wake Up Sleepyheads," The Modern Lovers present a song that is both rebellious and introspective. At the beginning of the song, John Felice seems to express a very negative opinion about the song, calling it "disgusting" and stating that he doesn't want to play it. However, this apparent self-criticism is quickly revealed to be the work of an ironic and sarcastic voice. The main message of the song is to implore its listeners to "wake up" and become more aware of their life situation. The song seems to argue that the only time we are truly alive is when we are dreaming, and it suggests that we need to wake up from our daily routines and live a more fulfilling life.
The song's opening lines feature the singer saying goodbye to Anne and lamenting her inability to understand his dreams. He implies that she is too invested in the work of Freud and other "important" people to appreciate the simple things in life. The song then transitions into the chorus, with the singer urging his audience to "wake up." He repeats this message several times throughout the song, even identifying his hometown of Boston as being "half-dead."
One of the most striking features of "Wake Up Sleepyheads" is its use of ironic self-awareness. The song begins with John Felice criticizing it, but it then becomes clear that this criticism is part of the song's message. Additionally, the song's repeated use of the phrase "wake up" can be understood as a commentary on the importance of conscious awareness. Indeed, the song seems to suggest that we need to "wake up" in order to truly live.
Line by Line Meaning
Yes we're doing our last song now and John Felice is going to give
Announcing the last performance of the night and introducing John Felice to introduce the next song
His introduction to it for us because it's called wake up sleepyheads
John is introducing the song which is titled Wake Up Sleepyheads
I think this song is one of the worst
The singer believes that this song is terrible
Songs that I've ever heard in my whole life
The artist believes that the song is among the worst they've ever heard
Thank you John
Expressing gratitude to John Felice for the introduction
It's really disgusting and I really
The singer finds the song revolting
Don't wanna play on it but they're making me
The singer doesn't want to perform the song but is being compelled to do so by someone else
He likes the chord changes
John Felice enjoys the chord changes in the song
I like the chord changes but the words are horrible
The artist finds the music to be decent, but the lyrics are bad
It's okay I sing the words so it's alright
Although the artist doesn't like the lyrics, they are willing to sing them
Okay but I hate the song
Despite having the willingness to sing, the singer still dislikes the song
Its okay cause last night I said goodbye to Anne
The artist is feeling okay about their break up with Anne that happened last night
I tried to tell her my dreams but she couldn't understand
The singer attempted to communicate their dreams to Anne, but she couldn't grasp the meaning
She talked about Freud like he was an important man
Anne spoke about Freud in a way that suggested he was highly significant
After all that trash I knew she didn't have a chance
Following the conversation, the singer concluded that Anne was not capable of understanding their dreams
I said wake up sleepyheads
The artist is urging people to wake up from their slumber
Wake up Anne
The artist directly addresses Anne, inviting her to wake up from her sleep
I say wake up you
The singer is urging someone to wake up
I say wake up sleepyheads
The singer is addressing a group, asking them to wake up from sleeping
The old time world awake is asleep or dead
The artist suggests that the waking world is stagnant and lacking in vitality
I said wake up you wake up sleepyheads
The artist repeats their previous request to wake up the group from their sleep
I say wake up I
The artist is telling themselves to wake up
I couldn't remember any of my dreams last night
The singer cannot recall any of their dreams from the previous night
I say wake up me
The artist is telling themselves to wake up
Our dreams late at night are the only thing that I know is real
The singer believes that their dreams are the only real things they experience
I say wake up babe
The singer is addressing someone affectionately and asking them to wake up
Wake up I
The singer is urging themselves to wake up
When we're awake or asleep
The artist is referencing both states of consciousness
When we're asleep that's that's when we're awake
The artist suggests that true wakefulness can only be achieved during sleep
Well I told it all to Anne but she didn't understand
The singer relayed information to Anne, but she was unable to grasp the concept
I say wake up sleepyheads, wake up Anne
The singer is addressing both a group and Anne, asking them to wake up from their sleep
Hey!
An exclamation of attention-grabbing
We been better last night than we do right now
The artist implies that the previous night was better than the current moment
Boston is so pretty but we're half-dead
Boston is beautiful, but the artist feels a sense of lifelessness
I say wake up wake up sleepyheads
The singer repeats their earlier exhortation to wake up from sleep
Writer(s): RICHMAN JONATHAN MICHAEL
Contributed by Adam B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.