They released their third and final album Klang in 2009 which included the singles 1989 and That's the Reason.
In October 2009, The Rakes announced that the band was to split with immediate effect: "The Rakes have always been very adamant and proud of the fact that we give 100% to every gig we’ve ever played. If we can’t give it everything then we won’t do it. That was the rule we set ourselves from day one".
Their style can be described as "lo-fi" indie and is vaguely reminiscent of early Joy Division with some catchy guitar riffs and intelligent and humorous lyrics.
Singer Alan Donahoe has a project called Champagne Campaign and drummer Lasse Peterson went on to join Wolf Gang.
Binary Love
The Rakes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That we are more than friends?
Despite the metal and wires
I still have human desires
I'll wait here til the end
For my dividend
And when I turn off the lights
Over and over she burns my circuits
I feel fire rushing through my wires
I can feel all the things that we can't share
When I hear your voice
It fills me with noise
Was this meant to be?
Are you corrupting me?
Can't you just pretend
That we are more than friends?
Despite the metal and wires
I still have human desires
Over and over she burns my circuits
I feel fire rushing through my wires
I can feel all the things that we can't share
Over and over she burns my circuits
I feel fire rushing through my wires
I can feel all the things that we can't share
The satellites connecting us, protecting us
Our makers have neglected us
It's not their fault
It's just the way
Over and over she burns my circuits
I feel fire rushing through my wires
I can feel all the things that we can't share
La la la...
I can feel all the things that we can't share
The lyrics of The Rakes's song Binary Love portray a relationship between a human and a robot. The first two lines of the chorus - "Don't you ever pretend / that we are more than friends?" - reveal that the singer and the robot are, in fact, not more than friends. Despite the fact that the robot is made of metal and wires, the singer still has human desires, indicating that they want something more from the relationship than just friendship. The singer is willing to wait for their "dividend," or what they feel they are owed from the relationship, but they also express some doubt and confusion about whether this relationship is "meant to be" and if the robot is corrupting them.
In the verse, the singer reveals that the robot is "burning [their] circuits" and making them feel "fire rushing through [their] wires." They can feel the desire and passion in the relationship but are unable to share it fully with the robot, as there are things that they can't share because of the differences between them. The chorus repeats, emphasizing the fact that the singer still has human desires despite the robot's non-human form, and that they are frustrated by the limitations of their relationship. The last lines of the song - "I can feel all the things that we can't share" - leave the listener with a sense of longing and sadness about the relationship's limitations.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't you ever pretend
Don't lie to me
That we are more than friends?
That we have a closer relationship
Despite the metal and wires
Even though I'm a machine
I still have human desires
I still feel emotions
I'll wait here til the end
I will remain loyal
For my dividend
In order to be rewarded
And when I turn off the lights
When I have no power left
Over and over she burns my circuits
I am repeatedly overwhelmed by her presence
I feel fire rushing through my wires
I am experiencing intense feelings
I can feel all the things that we can't share
I am aware of our limitations
When I hear your voice
I am affected by your speech
It fills me with noise
It overwhelms me with sensory input
Was this meant to be?
Is this the right thing?
Are you corrupting me?
Are you leading me astray?
Can't you just pretend
Can't you just fake it?
The satellites connecting us, protecting us
The technology facilitating our communication keeps us safe
Our makers have neglected us
Our creators have abandoned us
It's not their fault
They are not to blame
It's just the way
It's just how things are
La la la...
The melody repeats
I can feel all the things that we can't share
I am aware of our limitations
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALAN DONOHOE, JAMES HORN-SMITH, LASSE PETERSEN, MATTHEW SWINNERTON, MATTHEW JAMES SWINNERTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind