Black/White
The Raveonettes Lyrics


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Crickets are chirpin' the water is high
There's a soft cotton dress on the line, hangin' dry
The window's wide open, African trees
Bent over backwards in a hurricane breeze
Not a word, a goodbye, not even a note
She's gone with the man in the long black coat
Somebody seen him hangin' around
At the old dance hall on the outskirts of town
He looked into her eyes when she stopped him to ask
If he wanted to dance, he had a face like a mask
Somebody said, from the Bible he quote
There was dust on the man in the long black coat
Preacher was talkin' there's a sermon he gave
He said every man's conscience is vile and depraved
You cannot depend on it to be your guide
When it's you who must keep it satisfied
It ain't easy to swallow, it sticks in the throat
She gave her heart to the man in the long black coat
One, two
There are no mistakes in life some people say
It's true sometimes you can see it that way
People don't live or die, people just float
She give her heart to the man in the long black coat
There's smoke on the water, it's been there since June
Tree trunks uprooted in the high crescent moon
Hear the pulse and vibrations and the rumblin' force
Somebody's out there beating on a dead horse
She never said nothin', there was nothin' she wrote
She's gone with the man in the long black coat
She's gone with the man in the long black coat




She's gone, she's gone, gone with the man in the long black coat
Gone with the man in the long black coat

Overall Meaning

The Raveonettes's song "Black/White" tells the story of a woman who has left without a word or goodbye note with a mysterious man in a long black coat, leaving behind only a soft, cotton dress on the line. The song paints a vivid image of a scene that encompasses nature, wind, African trees that bent over in a hurricane, and crickets. The man in the long black coat is believed to have been seen hanging around the old dance hall on the edge of town, and he had a face like a mask, refusing to reveal his true identity. The preacher at the funeral claims that every man's conscience is vile and depraved, and you cannot depend on it to guide you. This message acts as a warning that the woman who fell for the man in the long black coat should have been careful of who she gives her heart to.


The lyrics are mesmerizing, and the song seems to be characterized by a sort of fatalistic attitude. The idea of life being predestined with no mistakes creates an ominous feel, which is highlighted by the abrupt ending of the song with the repetition of "gone with the man in the long black coat." The song leaves a lot to interpretation but overall appears to be a tragic tale of a woman who is seduced by a mysterious man, leading her towards her doom.


Line by Line Meaning

Crickets are chirpin' the water is high
The environment is calm and peaceful, but things are bound to change.


There's a soft cotton dress on the line, hangin' dry
The dress on the clothesline symbolizes a woman left behind.


The window's wide open, African trees
The open window represents vulnerability and the trees are an ominous sight.


Bent over backwards in a hurricane breeze
The trees have been knocked over by a violent storm.


Not a word, a goodbye, not even a note
The woman left without any explanation or farewell.


She's gone with the man in the long black coat
The woman left with a mysterious, ominous man that she may not know well.


Somebody seen him hangin' around
The man in the black coat has been spotted lurking around.


At the old dance hall on the outskirts of town
The man was seen near a place where people gather, but he didn't seem to belong.


He looked into her eyes when she stopped him to ask
The man made eye contact with the woman when she approached him, but his expression was unreadable.


If he wanted to dance, he had a face like a mask
The man's face was blank and emotionless, like a mask.


Somebody said, from the Bible he quote
The man quoted a biblical passage, possibly to give himself an air of authority or wisdom.


There was dust on the man in the long black coat
The dust on the man's coat could indicate that he has been traveling or hiding something.


Preacher was talkin' there's a sermon he gave
The preacher gave a sermon about the nature of humanity.


He said every man's conscience is vile and depraved
The preacher believes that people have evil within them.


You cannot depend on it to be your guide
The preacher warns against blindly following one's conscience.


When it's you who must keep it satisfied
It is up to the individual to make morally sound decisions.


It ain't easy to swallow, it sticks in the throat
The message is difficult to accept, but important to understand.


She gave her heart to the man in the long black coat
The woman fell in love with the mysterious man, despite his ominous appearance.


There are no mistakes in life some people say
Some believe that every choice is meant to be made.


It's true sometimes you can see it that way
Occasionally, things seem to fall into place.


People don't live or die, people just float
Life can feel aimless and meandering with no clear direction or purpose.


She give her heart to the man in the long black coat
The woman's heart was given away to the man, who may not have deserved it.


There's smoke on the water, it's been there since June
Something destructive has been lingering in the woman's life for a while.


Tree trunks uprooted in the high crescent moon
The environmental destruction mirrors the upheaval in the woman's life.


Hear the pulse and vibrations and the rumblin' force
The world around the woman feels chaotic and tumultuous.


Somebody's out there beating on a dead horse
Someone is wasting their energy on a fruitless endeavor.


She never said nothin', there was nothin' she wrote
The woman never spoke out about her troubles or left behind any sign of her intentions.


She's gone with the man in the long black coat
The woman has left with the mysterious man, leaving everything else behind.


She's gone, she's gone, gone with the man in the long black coat
The repetition underscores the finality of the woman's decision to leave with the man.




Writer(s): WAGNER SUNE ROSE

Contributed by Jeremiah L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

Hestehviskeren

Nice to hear something new from The Raveonettes. And I sure aint disappointed! Great work, Sune!

Gretsche87

they've got a great sound. So ethereal.

Jenn A

Great video, great song, I'm fond of the Raveonettes!

greg carpenter

the lyrics bring color to the vid... what a great work!!!!

Body Calm - Nurturing the Mind and Body

Wicked track. Great animation.

funkusmaximus

great track, but what else would you expect from them

dollsmeow

wow how beautiful!!!

soundnotnoise666

HOOWWW DO THEY GET THAT REVERB FUZZ TONE IN THEIR GUITAR?!?!

Nathan Sprinkle

it is for sure Black/White. Its on the Beauty Dies EP.

Nathan Sprinkle

I believe haveyouseen is right on that song. I Don't have that in my raveonettes library and I have all their albums and EP's released in the US.

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