With a drastic change from the hardcore scene, the Sleeping is now considered to be post-hardcore/Rock/Alternative, and has played with bands such as Fightstar, Halifax, Silverstein, Bayside, Stretch Armstrong, Spitalfield and Haste the Day.
On August 6, 2008 the band announced that after 6 months of auditioning for a new pianist/guitarist to replace Cameron Keym, they had recruited Paul Cadena (Guitar) and Christopher Evans (Keyboards/Synths), the newest members of The Sleeping.
The band proceeded to tour across the East Coast and Midwest US with Envy On The Coast and Secret Lives of the Freemasons.
On February 17, 2009, new album What It Takes was released.
Oh Gloria
The Sleeping Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The sun, bright on such a violent day,
See the blood on the shattered dinner plates
Six years old, frozen still,
I couldn't watch your rolling eyes escape
I could never be this brave without your face
Oh, Gloria, oh, oh, everything
Oh, I owe you everything
Devil′s hands, wrapped tight around your neck,
My feet kicking in defensive ways
Yeah, I can still envision blood on the shattered dinner plates
You sprung up... had enough
A second wind until the sirens came
I would never be this brave without your face
Oh, I owe you everything
Oh, Gloria, oh, oh, everything
Oh, I owe you everything
Yeah, I could never be this brave without your face
Oh, I owe you everything
Oh, Gloria, oh, oh, everything
Oh, I owe you everything.
The Sleeping's song Oh Gloria is a powerful and moving expression of gratitude towards someone who has played a critical role in the singer's life. The opening lines paint a picture of a traumatic event, possibly domestic violence, with a mother cornered and shaking up while the sun shines ominously on a violent day. The imagery of blood on shattered dinner plates reinforces the violence and danger of the situation, and the singer was only six years old at the time, frozen still and unable to help. The only reason the singer could muster the courage to face such a scary situation was due to the presence and support of this person, whom the singer addresses as Gloria.
The second verse continues with the imagery of violence, as the devil's hands are wrapped tight around Gloria's neck and the singer's feet are kicking in defensive ways. However, the tone of the song shifts as Gloria manages to escape and even finds a second wind, until the sirens came. The singer credits Gloria's bravery and strength with inspiring their own courage, declaring they could never have been so brave without her. The repeated refrain of "Oh, I owe you everything" expresses the depth of gratitude the singer feels towards Gloria.
Overall, Oh Gloria is a powerful and emotional tribute to someone who has had a significant impact on the singer's life. The violent imagery and trauma in the song only serve to make the gratitude expressed by the singer more impactful and profound.
Line by Line Meaning
Mother's love, cornered and shaking up
The love of a mother is scared and trapped
The sun, bright on such a violent day
The day is violent even though the sun is shining
See the blood on the shattered dinner plates
There is blood on broken plates from a traumatic event
Six years old, frozen still
A 6-year-old child is frozen and unable to move
I couldn't watch your rolling eyes escape
The child is unable to look away from the traumatic event
I could never be this brave without your face
The person owes their bravery to the memory of someone's face
Oh, I owe you everything
The person owes everything to the person they are talking about
Devil's hands, wrapped tight around your neck
Someone is being strangled by someone evil
My feet kicking in defensive ways
The person is fighting back to protect themselves
Yeah, I can still envision blood on the shattered dinner plates
The person is haunted by the memory of the traumatic event
You sprung up... had enough
The person gains strength and fights back
A second wind until the sirens came
The person continues to fight until help arrives
I would never be this brave without your face
The person owes their bravery to the memory of someone's face
Oh, Gloria, oh, oh, everything
The person is addressing someone named Gloria who means everything to them
Yeah, I could never be this brave without your face
The person owes their bravery to the memory of someone's face
Oh, I owe you everything
The person owes everything to the person they are talking about
Writer(s): Douglas Michael Robinson, Salvatore Mignano, Joseph Philip Zizzo, Christopher Douglas Evans, Paul Jaime Cadena
Contributed by Dylan F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.