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”.
I'm so Lonesome I Could Cry
The Raveonettes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He sounds too blue to fly
The midnight train is whining low
I'm so lonesome I could cry
I've never seen a night so long
When time goes crawling by
The moon just went behind a cloud
Did you ever see a robin weep
When leaves begin to die
That means he's lost the will to live
I'm so lonesome I could cry
The silence of a falling star
Lights up a purple sky
And as I wonder where you are
I'm so lonesome I could cry
The lyrics to The Raveonettes's song "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" are a poetic and melancholic exploration of the depths of loneliness. The opening lines set the scene with the tragic image of a lonesome whiperwill too blue to fly, accompanied by the mournful sound of a midnight train whining low. The singer's loneliness is palpable in the repeating refrain, "I'm so lonesome I could cry."
Throughout the song, the lyrics draw on powerful natural imagery to convey the depth of the singer's sadness. The long night seems to stretch on forever, and even the moon has hidden its face to cry. The image of a robin weeping when the leaves begin to die reinforces the sense of hopelessness and despair.
The final lines of the song tie together the themes of loneliness and loss, as the singer looks up at a falling star and wonders where their loved one might be. The silence is broken by the beautiful and tragic light of the star, underscoring the keen sense of isolation and longing.
Line by Line Meaning
Hear the lonesome whiperwill
Listen to the sad, melancholic bird crying out in loneliness
He sounds too blue to fly
The bird sounds too upset and depressed to even think of flying
The midnight train is whining low
The train's whining sound echoes the singer's sadness and loneliness
I'm so lonesome I could cry
The artist is extremely lonely and sad, to the point of tears
I've never seen a night so long
The artist feels like the night is dragging on forever, it seems never-ending
When time goes crawling by
Time seems to pass by incredibly slowly, almost like it's crawling
The moon just went behind a cloud
Even the moon is trying to hide from the singer's sadness and loneliness
To hide it's face and cry
The moon is so upset by the artist's loneliness that it hides its face and cries
Did you ever see a robin weep
Have you ever witnessed a bird grieving and crying?
When leaves begin to die
The sadness caused by the dying leaves has caused the bird to lose its hope for living
That means he's lost the will to live
The bird has lost all motivation to keep living
I'm so lonesome I could cry
The artist is feeling extremely lonely and sad
The silence of a falling star
The singer is experiencing a moment of lonely silence, like a falling star
Lights up a purple sky
The beautiful purple sky is illuminated by the falling star
And as I wonder where you are
The singer is wondering about the whereabouts of someone they miss and love
I'm so lonesome I could cry
The artist's loneliness is causing them great emotional pain
Contributed by Chase T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.