The Raveonettes is an indie rock/shoegaze/noise pop duo formed in Copenhage… Read Full Bio ↴The Raveonettes is an indie rock/shoegaze/noise pop duo formed in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 2001. Comprising Sune Rose Wagner (guitar, instruments, vocals), formerly of Psyched Up Janis, and Sharin Foo (guitar and vocals), their music is characterized by close two-part vocal harmony inspired by The Everly Brothers, coupled with hard-edged electric guitar overlaid with liberal doses of noise.

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”.

Sleep Walking
The Raveonettes Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Think you look good today
Pretty in black you got it down
I can't hold my breath so long
When you pass me by without a sound
You got something more to give
To girls who never thought they'd love
Love

Upon a summer's night
I flicked my cig and looked at you
Feels like it's always been
Pretty in black knows what to do

Sleepwalking
Then came that beautiful day
When our collided in great sparks
I can't hold my breath so long
Something evil in our hearts
You gave all you had to give

Pretty in black is all you were
Were

Overall Meaning

The Raveonettes’s song "Sleep Walking" appears to be a love song that describes the attraction that the singer feels towards someone who is dressed in black. The lyrics suggest that the singer finds the person attractive, but is unable to express their feelings. The use of the term “sleepwalking” implies that the singer is unaware of their actions or feelings towards the object of their desire.

The first verse describes the singer's attraction towards the person they see walking by, suggesting that the singer thinks that they “look good today” and that they are “pretty in black.” The singer feels like they cannot hold their breath when this person passes them by. The second verse, which talks about a “summer’s night,” seems to suggest that the attraction has been going on for some time. The singer has been watching this person and feels like it has always been this way. The chorus, which repeats the phrase “sleepwalking,” seems to suggest that the singer is not fully aware of their feelings yet.

The second half of the song introduces a new element of darkness. The “beautiful day” on which the two collided in “great sparks” turns out to be a day when “something evil” entered their hearts. This shift in tone suggests that the attraction that the singer feels towards the person in black is not just innocent infatuation. The description of the person as “all you were” in the final line implies that their relationship has now ended, and they are no longer the object of the singer’s affection.

Line by Line Meaning

Think you look good today
You seem confident today and it suits you well

Pretty in black you got it down
Your style in wearing black is on point and you seem to know what you're doing

I can't hold my breath so long
I can't contain myself for too long when you're around

When you pass me by without a sound
You walk past me quietly and I can't help but notice you

You got something more to give
There's something special about you that makes you stand out

To girls who never thought they'd love
You have the ability to make girls fall in love who previously thought they never would

Upon a summer's night
On a warm summer evening

I flicked my cig and looked at you
I took a puff of my cigarette and gazed at you

Feels like it's always been
It seems like we've always known each other

Pretty in black knows what to do
You have a confident demeanor and know how to handle yourself

Sleepwalking
Going through life without really being aware of it