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.
T Bone
The Rakes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Then I threw a bottle of drink down my throat
I went at first looking for assistance
T-Bone burst in with both guns blazing
T-Bone
Clear out the till
Mother spilled her veils and her baby's milk
Stepping through glass and past a cadaver
Up to the counter, I could smell the sulphur
Honey
Makes me feel ill
T-Bone
Clear out the till
I took two hills with both rifles empty
I ran for miles when T-Bone went to town
As he ran around, the people had their hands up
All that he found was his next victim
Honey
Makes me feel ill
T-Bone
Clear out the till
T-Bone
T-Bone
T-Bone
The lyrics to The Rakes's song T Bone seem to be describing a violent situation where the singer has taken a pill and drunk a bottle of alcohol before going out to look for help. However, instead of finding assistance, he encounters a man named T Bone who bursts in with guns blazing and demands that the till be cleared out. As chaos ensues and people are running and screaming, the singer seems to revel in the violence and destruction, walking past shattered glass and a dead body on his way to the counter. Throughout the song, the repeated refrain of "Honey makes me feel ill" seems to add to the sense of disgust and nihilism.
The overall tone of the song is one of nihilistic violence and chaos, with T Bone representing some sort of force of destruction or reckoning. The lyrics are somewhat ambiguous and hard to interpret, but seem to be conveying a sense of detachment and disaffection with the world, with the singer seeming to enjoy the destruction and chaos around him. The lyrics also make use of graphic imagery, such as the spilled veils and baby's milk, to further emphasize the sense of violence and horror.
Line by Line Meaning
Shoot to kill, I dropped a pill
I intentionally took drugs and was ready to harm someone.
Then I threw a bottle of drink down my throat
I consumed alcohol to get drunk and courageous for my malicious intent.
I went at first looking for assistance
I pretended to need help to infiltrate the place without arousing suspicion.
T-Bone burst in with both guns blazing
An associate named T-Bone burst in with guns firing with the aim of causing fear and chaos.
T-Bone
Referring to the dangerous associate who caused havoc.
Clear out the till
Empty the cash register without hesitation or care for others.
Mother spilled her veils and her baby's milk
Innocent civilians, including mothers and babies, were frightened and hurt by our actions.
When I walk past in my balaclava
I wore a mask to conceal my identity and intimidate others.
Stepping through glass and past a cadaver
I didn't care about the destruction and death caused by our actions as I continued on to the main target.
Up to the counter, I could smell the sulphur
I was so close to the cash that I could sense the profit and excitement.
Honey
Referring to the singer's lover or a term of endearment.
Makes me feel ill
Despite the artist's love for Honey, their actions in this situation make them feel guilty.
T-Bone
Reinforcing the presence and threat of the dangerous associate named T-Bone.
Clear out the till
Not only the singer, but also T-Bone, prioritize stealing and profiting over everything else.
I took two hills with both rifles empty
The singer ran away from the crime scene when T-Bone was busy causing chaos and violence.
I ran for miles when T-Bone went to town
The artist prioritizes their own safety over loyalty to their associate T-Bone.
As he ran around, the people had their hands up
T-Bone continued his reign of terror and forced innocent people to surrender to him.
All that he found was his next victim
T-Bone only seems to care about causing trouble and harm, not about the people he hurts or the consequences of his actions.
T-Bone
Reinforcing the presence and threat of the dangerous associate named T-Bone.
Clear out the till
The artist repeats the same phrase as a reminder of their and T-Bone's main motive for the robbery.
T-Bone
The song ends with a repetition of T-Bone's name, emphasizing his violent and dangerous nature.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALAN DONOHOE, JAMES HORN-SMITH, LASSE PETERSEN, MATTHEW SWINNERTON, MATTHEW JAMES SWINNERTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind