Nader met Eddy in a blues bar in Beirut a couple of years ago. Well, technically, they met outside the bar on the sidewalk in the middle of a fistfight. Luckily, they weren’t punching each other, and their friendship developed over cheap tequila. They eventually decided to form a band together.
Eddy is influenced by stuff like the Rolling Stones, The Kinks, Oasis and the Arctic Monkeys, while Nader is more of a Muddy Waters, RL Burnside and Seasick Steve kind of man. They both agree on The Black Keys and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.
Finding common ground between stompy swamp blues and rock riffs, between acoustic and electric sounds, between garage rock and the blues, that’s where the Wanton Bishops have found their voice, and that’s where they’re at their best. Actually, where they’re really at their best is live. But that’s not something you should be reading, that’s something you should experience for yourself.
Between Nader’s guttural voice and his wailing harmonica, and Eddy’s rhythmic riffs, between the stomping, and the strings snapping on abused guitars, you’ll understand that there’s something there in the rawness of it all.
The Wanton Bishops released their debut album “Sleep With The Lights On” in December 2012, and in the year since they handed out bootleg EPs in a dive bar in Beirut, they’ve toured in Turkey, France, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, as well as supported Guns N’ Roses and Lana Del Rey in Lebanon.
Sleep With The Lights on is available on iTunes, Spotify, and a whole bunch of other places online.
Sleep With the Lights On
The Wanton Bishops Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sun went down,
I couldn’t see,
You around
I left the city,
Breeze of the mountain,
But the night had no pity,
Aaaaaaaaaaa, aaaaaaaa, aaaaaaaaa, aaaaaaaa
I cleaned up my act,
For judgment day,
Lord have mercy,
Pray for me pray
For my sins be forgiven,
So I can pass the test,
To see you again in heaven,
Where angels rest
Aaaaaaaa, aaaaaaaa, aaaaaa, aaaaaaa
Aaaaaaaaa, aaaaaa, aaaaa, aaaaa
Yeaaaaah, sleep with the lights on,
I sleep with the lights on,
I sleep with the lights on,
Ohh lord oh lord,
I sleep with the lights on,
I shiver and I shiver,
Cry me a river,
Now that you’re gone yeah
Yeeees yes, sleep with the lights on
Sleep with the lights on,
Sleep with the lights on,
Now that you’re gone,
Sleep with the lights on,
Oh shiver and I shiver
I’m all alone, oh
Now that you’re gone,
Sleep with the lights on,
Sleep with the lights on uhh,
Shiver shiver shiver shiver,
Now that you’re gone
You’re gone
You’re gone.
The Wanton Bishops's song Sleep With the Lights On describes a failed relationship as the singer narrates his difficulty sleeping without their partner. The lyrics describe the impact of the relationship's end on the singer's life. The beginning lines of the song immediately evoke a sense of sorrow and loneliness. The repetition of the phrase "Aaaaaaaaaaa, aaaaaaaa, aaaaaaaaa, aaaaaaaa" emphasizes the intensity of the singer's feelings. Despite the singer's attempts to move on from his emotions, he continues to sleep with the lights on as he shivers and cries alone.
The religious undertone is observable in the lyrics as the writer mentions 'judgement day' and praying for forgiveness for their sins. The writer admits his wrongs and speaks to his loved one through music, admitting that they want to be with them in heaven. The song expresses the insecurities that a break-up can leave behind and the importance of the memories shared.
Line by Line Meaning
Well the sun went up,
The day started
Sun went down,
The day ended
I couldn’t see,
You were not there
You around
You were not present
I left the city,
I went away
Breeze of the mountain,
Fresh air of the mountain
But the night had no pity,
Night was cruel
Shattered my dreams
Ruined my hopes and dreams
I cleaned up my act,
I reformed myself
For judgment day,
To face the consequences of my actions
Lord have mercy,
Requesting mercy from God
Pray for me pray
Asking for prayers
For my sins be forgiven,
To be absolved of my wrongdoings
So I can pass the test,
To pass the test of life
To see you again in heaven,
To be reunited with a loved one in the afterlife
Where angels rest
A place of peace and rest
Yeaaaaah, sleep with the lights on,
Being afraid and paranoid
I sleep with the lights on,
Keeping the lights on while sleeping
Ohh lord oh lord,
Requesting for help
I shiver and I shiver,
Trembling due to fear
Cry me a river,
Being sad and tearful
Now that you’re gone yeah
Feeling lonely and abandoned
Yeeees yes, sleep with the lights on
Continuing to be afraid and paranoid
Oh shiver and I shiver
Continuously trembling due to fear
I’m all alone, oh
Feeling very lonely
Now that you’re gone,
Feeling the absence of a loved one
Sleep with the lights on,
Continuing to keep the lights on while sleeping
Sleep with the lights on uhh,
Urging oneself to keep the lights on
Shiver shiver shiver shiver,
Continuous feeling of trembling due to fear
You’re gone
A loved one is no more
You’re gone.
A loved one is no more
Contributed by Riley O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@michaelfuss5357
Heard them today for the first time on german radio. Fucking hell, they are great.
@the_glitter_in_ur_face_bit9237
In my opinion, one of the best songs ever written
@darryladonai
Justice: Qalb Al Adala a Emirati series on netflix this is the title song in Arabic, after lot of searching found this ....amazing God bless you
@payalchandwani4450
Same here!! Still looking for the Arabic version! If you do find share the link with me.
@nikbalakhov
@@payalchandwani4450 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDi1Qtal3jU
@anasegovia6423
No entiendo lo que decís pero si es lo que creo yo también vine por la serie de Netflix 🤣
@nicoladenotarpietro
Arabic version: https://youtu.be/lnHClmjeOY4
@hugadarn5700
this is motorcycle music....this is the best
@kovlekjian
that intro hits me everytime
@MaCRoiCe45
Canlı dinlemek nasip olsun diye dua ettiğim guruplardan biridir, "The Wanton Bishops" I love you guys!