The group was formed in 1988 in Winnipeg, Manitoba by vocalist Daniel Greaves, guitarist Joey Serlin, bassist Pete Loewen and drummer Sammy Kohn. Serlin was a comic fan and named the group after the DC comic. They released their debut album, McLaren Furnace Room, in 1992. (The album was named for one of the band's rehearsal spaces, the furnace room of the McLaren Hotel in Winnipeg.) The single "Cracked" garnered the band significant airplay on rock stations, but was quickly eclipsed by the anti-spousal abuse anthem "Run and Hide", which became the band's breakthrough hit.
Loewen left the band, and was replaced by Ken Tizzard. The band's 1994 album In the Trees confirmed their place in Canadian rock with the hit singles "Boneyard Tree", "All Uncovered" and "Lusitana".
Their 1996 album Brand New Day was not as well-received by critics or audiences -- "Zoom", "Incarnate" and "Shut Up" were moderately successful singles, but none achieved the kind of success that the band's earlier singles had. 1998's Silent Radar was the band's return to commercial success, with the hit singles "Stereo", "Any Day Now" and "Brighter Hell".
Their 2001 album Slomotion saw the exit of Sammy Kohn and the remaining members experimenting with more industrial textures. As if prepared for a bad reception, the band also packaged the album with a second greatest hits disc. The album was, indeed, poorly received by fans and critics, with only the single "Absolutely Anytime" gaining any radio airplay.
The band subsequently broke up. Greaves went on to form Doctor with Rob Higgins, Tizzard joined Thornley, and Serlin appeared on Ryan Malcolm's debut album before forming his own new band, Redline.
In 2009, the band reformed and started touring again.
Sleep
The Watchmen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah, I keep them in my memory sort of filed away
I know they'll be around to visit one more time
To run beside me softly in the chambers of my mind
Oh, I know that feeling
The one that means I'm dreaming
Memories kind of wheeling
I had a dream of God?s machine the other night
And there were crowds of angels trying to help me fix my flight
To me it?s just another boring very sleepy time
But they just come right in and try to stir my mind
Oh, I like that feeling
I like you when you're screaming
Now I start you bleeding
Doesn't matter friends, it happens all the
Time to wake up, time to shake out, shake out all the madness going on
Time to wake up, time to shake out, shake out all the madness going on
I remember when the falled man would crush my fingers
The lady wouldn't help me ?til I screamed
And I was just an ordinary lonely child
So tell me what this crazy nonsense really means
My fingers hurt, I'm screaming
I don't wanna known that feeling
Now I start my bleeding
Doesn't matter kids, it happens all the
Time to wake up, time to shake out, shake out all the madness going on
Time to wake up, time to shake out, shake out all the madness going on
I'm, oh I'm, I'm scatterbrained today
But I know it?s in my memory
Time to wake up, time to shake out, shake out all the madness going on
Time to wake up, time to shake out, shake out all the madness going on
Time to wake up, time to shake out, shake out all the madness going on
(There?s a man inside my head, he maybe might just want you dead)
(There?s a man inside my head)
Time to wake up, time to shake out, shake out all the madness going on
(There?s a man inside my head, he maybe might just want you dead)
(There?s a man inside my head)
The Watchmen's song Sleep is a hypnotic and somewhat surrealist exploration of the intersection between dreams and memory. The lyrics portray the singer navigating through different memories stored in their mind, waiting to be re-visited. The opening lines "All the things I've heard and seen in this today, yeah I keep them in my memory sort of filed away" suggest that the singer is aware of their surroundings and is committing them to memory for later access in their dreams. The mention of "the chambers of my mind" reinforces the theme of memory as a physical space.
The chorus of the song is a repetition of "Time to wake up, time to shake out, shake out all the madness going on," which suggests the singer is aware that these memories and dreams are causing confusion and chaos in their mind. However, the dream depicted in the second verse – of "God's machine" and "crowds of angels trying to help me fix my flight" – ends up having the opposite effect as it stirs the singer's mind.
The final verse introduces a more sinister tone as it describes a past experience of being hurt, screamed at, and left to bleed. The lyrics "There's a man inside my head, he maybe might just want you dead" suggest that there might be a haunting presence in the singer's mind that is responsible for these painful memories.
Overall, Sleep is a song that blurs the boundaries between dreams and reality and questions the nature of memory as a physical, inhabitable space.
Line by Line Meaning
All the things I've heard and seen in this today
I remember all the experiences and information that I encountered throughout the day
Yeah, I keep them in my memory sort of filed away
I store these memories in my mind, categorized and organized
I know they'll be around to visit one more time
I anticipate reliving these memories again in the future
To run beside me softly in the chambers of my mind
These memories will accompany me quietly in my thoughts
Oh, I know that feeling
I am familiar with the sensation mentioned previously
The one that means I'm dreaming
This feeling is associated with being in a state of dreaming
Memories kind of wheeling
These memories are replaying in my mind
But like I thought, it happens all the time, all the time
This is a common occurrence for me
I had a dream of God?s machine the other night
I dreamt of a device created by a divine being recently
And there were crowds of angels trying to help me fix my flight
Angels were attempting to aid me in repairing my aircraft in the dream
To me it?s just another boring very sleepy time
I found the dream dull and tiring
But they just come right in and try to stir my mind
The angels interfered and disturbed my thoughts in the dream
Oh, I like that feeling
I enjoy experiencing the aforementioned sensation
I like you when you're screaming
I derived pleasure from witnessing you screaming or in pain
Now I start you bleeding
I cause you to start bleeding now
Doesn't matter friends, it happens all the
This is a common occurrence, whether or not my friends approve
Time to wake up, time to shake out, shake out all the madness going on
It's time to wake up and clear my mind of the chaos happening within it
I remember when the falled man would crush my fingers
I have a memory of a man who would squeeze my fingers tightly
The lady wouldn't help me ?til I screamed
The woman only offered help after I cried out in pain
And I was just an ordinary lonely child
I was simply a regular and isolated child at that time
So tell me what this crazy nonsense really means
Please explain the significance of this absurd situation to me
My fingers hurt, I'm screaming
I'm in pain and yelling out loud about it
I don't wanna known that feeling
I don't want to experience that sensation again
Now I start my bleeding
I am now beginning to bleed
Doesn't matter kids, it happens all the
This occurs regularly, regardless of what others believe
I'm, oh I'm, I'm scatterbrained today
I am disorganized and unfocused today
But I know it?s in my memory
However, I do recall the necessary information
(There?s a man inside my head, he maybe might just want you dead)
There is an individual within my mind who may have the intention of causing harm to you
(There?s a man inside my head)
This person remains present within my thoughts
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Goddess
on Zoom
I would love to know the interpretation of this song.
I’m thinking it starts with his birth but now he is dying and he recalls how safe he was with his mother and she is smiling through the lights(in the starlight in heavens) and will carry him home because as he is on the earth her voice is a voice that he doesn’t love more(being the first loving voice he heard and will be the one that calls him to the other side or calls him home) .... calling to the other side of the river evokes the ferryman to me .....mid lyrics he said he’s done all he can met all he can and he is ready to let go