The name, The Raveonettes, is a direct reference to The Ronettes, and Buddy Holly's song Rave On!.
Their songs juxtapose the structural and chordal simplicity of 50s and 60s rock with intense electric instrumentation, driving beats and often dark lyrical content, similar to another of the band's influences, The Velvet Underground. Altogether, they sound very much like a slightly more melodic version of The Jesus and Mary Chain.
http://www.theraveonettes.com
On April 4th, 2011, they released "Raven in the Grave", a nine-track studio album with Vice Records. It's their 5th studio album.
From their site bio:
“I think we have finally hit on something quite important and different for this album,” explains Sune. “This is the first Raveonettes album we've done which doesn't feature the signature Raveonettes surf drumbeat. None of the tunes have any real sunshine to them. It’s all very un-Rave.”
“It has a mood of ethereal defiance” Sharin adds. “It’s dark but not bleak, like the single minded determination caused by crisis that is not quite hope but just as powerful. It’s the perfect winter soundtrack just in time for spring”.
Black Wave
The Raveonettes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Told you it'd never come back home
What if that wave turned into thunder
Roared and crashed and left you all alone
What if that thunder turned into sunshine
Left you on a beach madly in love
What if that love turned into heartbreak
Left you on that wave where you once were.
What if your girl said she loved you
Told you she'd stay with you forever
What if forever turned into nothing
You saw here drive away in a beat up car.
What if that car turned into a fireball
Across the sky she burned while you just smiled
What if that smile turned into tears
You wiped away the broken dreams and more.
What if your life took a strange turn
Left you bewildered in the night
What if the night turned into day
I guess it always does so let's move on
What if we couldn't move on
I guess I'd rather die than stare at you
But what if death was your best friend
I guess I'd rather go right now than wait.
The lyrics to The Raveonettes's song "Black Wave" explore the themes of uncertainty, heartbreak, and the unexpected turns that life can take. The repeated rhetorical question of "what if" expresses the singer's fears and anxieties about what could happen, while the changing imagery of a wave, thunder, sunshine, love, heartbreak, a girl, a car, a fireball, tears, and death is used to illustrate the different scenarios that could unfold.
The opening lines of the song set the scene: "What if your heart rode a black wave / Told you it'd never come back home." Here, the black wave represents the unknown, the unpredictable things that can happen that we have no control over. The following lines suggest that this wave could turn into thunder and leave the singer alone, but then again, it could turn into sunshine and leave them madly in love. The uncertainty of what lies ahead is daunting, and the possibility of heartbreak is always present.
The second verse continues this theme, this time with the imagery of a girl driving away in a beat-up car that turns into a fireball across the sky. The suddenness and unexpectedness of this event is emphasized by the fact that the singer was left just smiling, perhaps in shock or disbelief. The bridge of the song briefly touches on the possibility of death as the ultimate uncertainty and the singer's preference for not waiting for it.
Overall, "Black Wave" is a song that captures the human experience of uncertainty and the fear of the unknown. While the lyrics don't offer any concrete answers, they do express the universal emotions that many of us feel when facing difficult or unexpected situations.
Line by Line Meaning
What if your heart rode a black wave
Imagine if your emotions were overwhelming and unstable like a turbulent black wave.
Told you it'd never come back home
The wavering emotions caused doubt and insecurity that made you feel like you'll never be at peace again.
What if that wave turned into thunder
And the rush of emotions turned into a loud, angry thunder.
Roared and crashed and left you all alone
It all became too much, and the crashing thunder washed everything away, leaving you feeling completely isolated.
What if that thunder turned into sunshine
Yet the sun still rises, and with it comes a new day where everything feels light and hopeful.
Left you on a beach madly in love
The overwhelming sensation of happiness fills your heart to the point of feeling madly in love with life itself.
What if that love turned into heartbreak
However, just like how the tide recedes, the happiness fades, and you were left heartbroken again.
Left you on that wave where you once were.
You find yourself back where you started, alone with your turbulent emotions.
What if your girl said she loved you
What if someone you loved told you everything you could have ever wanted to hear.
Told you she'd stay with you forever
She made a promise to never leave and to spend the rest of her life with you.
What if forever turned into nothing
Eventually, though, everything ends, and the bond between you two dissolved into nothingness.
You saw her drive away in a beat-up car.
This person you loved was gone, and all that remains is the image of her leaving in a car that was falling apart.
What if that car turned into a fireball
You imagine the worst, her death, and her car exploding into a fireball in the sky.
Across the sky she burned while you just smiled
You could only deal with the situation with a smile, unable to process your emotions fully.
What if that smile turned into tears
The facade of a smile finally fell apart, and the sadness broke out in tears.
You wiped away the broken dreams and more.
As you cried, you also let go of all the hopes and dreams you had for the future.
What if your life took a strange turn
Picture having the plans you've set for your life all fall apart and not knowing what to do next.
Left you bewildered in the night
It's like wandering in the dark, confused and unable to find your way.
What if the night turned into day
Finally, after who knows how long, things start to look better, and dawn breaks.
I guess it always does so let's move on
Nothing can stay the same forever, and it's time to face that fact and move on.
What if we couldn't move on
Looking ahead still seems impossible, and the thought of being stuck in the same place is almost unbearable.
I guess I'd rather die than stare at you
If your current situation doesn't change, death seems like a better alternative to living each day and being constantly reminded of what you've lost.
But what if death was your best friend
Death can seem like a friend when life is unbearable, but it's important to reflect on what you still have to live for.
I guess I'd rather go right now than wait.
If things don't change soon, you'd rather cease to exist than wait any longer for things to change.
Contributed by Julia S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Teri Carrillo
What if... I LOVE the Raveonettes, so under rated... their sound makes my heart of darkness feel like bursting.
Will
i know that feel
hiroka29
This make me feel in a Tarantino movie :)
lemonkooler
so dreamy and beautiful!!!
Keith Woods-Holder
so rare to find something which evokes the 60's with such authenticity - have to check out their other stuff - wonderful guitar tone, wonder which guitar they used?
marianna1014
I like very much this group...Nice Job guys!!! <3
Charlie P
It's on an extended version of Pretty In Black that came out in Europe. I strongly recommend finding this version. It also has a song called Railroad Tracks and a really good cover of Buddy Holly's Everyday. They also appear on a promo EP called A Touch of Black.
Shell Thomas
Quirk brought me here too,and had to find this band love new music so much out there ;-)
Pete Lucas
Joe Meek produced stuff like this in the 60s.. GREAT!!!
zmajnadzmajevima
🖤🌊