There are aspects of the band's sound - abrasive guitar hooks, immediate drumming, and incessant codas - that speak to living in a big city. But there's also a dreary sparseness, a David Lynch-esque darkness, culled from the other members' native Washington.
The band's skeletal sound began to take shape, with Robert's rust-belt guitar parts lending a restless, sinister edge to Molly's subdued melodies and soft vocal style. Writing became a collaborative effort, and Widowspeak racked up an arsenal of songs. By fall the trio had recorded a six-track cassette using only a built-in laptop microphone and Garageband. The self-released October Tape, as it was called, fell into the hands of Brooklyn's Captured Tracks. Weeks later, after only their sixth show, Widowspeak recorded the 7" single Harsh Realm, in anticipation of a full LP.
Their eponymous debut LP was released on August 9th, 2011 on Captured Tracks.
http://widowspeak.bandcamp.com
Half Awake
Widowspeak Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Head down, heartache.
White ground, yellow lights.
If you sleep, I might.
In the car we were found.
We were just messing around.
White ground, yellow lights.
Dark side, on the side.
The lyrics to Widowspeak's song "Half Awake" describe the experience of feeling numb and disconnected from reality. The singer is half awake, with their head down and a heartache, suggesting a sense of emotional exhaustion. They are surrounded by a white ground and yellow lights, which could signify a cold and artificial environment. The singer mentions that if the other person falls asleep, they might do the same. This could suggest a desire to escape from their problems and retreat into unconsciousness.
The second verse introduces the image of a car. The two people were "just messing around", which could imply a lack of purpose or direction in their lives. The white ground and yellow lights from the previous verse are repeated, emphasizing the bleakness of their surroundings. The singer again mentions the possibility of falling asleep if the other person does.
The line "dark side, on the side" is more enigmatic. It could suggest a hidden or secret aspect of the singer's personality, or a sense of being on the margins of society. Overall, the lyrics create a mood of detachment and melancholy, with a hint of longing for escape.
Line by Line Meaning
When you're half awake
The state between asleep and fully awake, where the mind is still foggy
Head down, heartache.
Bowed head, feeling broken and pained emotionally
White ground, yellow lights.
The scenery is covered in snow with small light sources creating an eerie lighting
If you sleep, I might.
If you nod off, I could fall asleep too
In the car we were found.
We were discovered in a vehicle
We were just messing around.
We were being playful, not serious or committed
White ground, yellow lights.
The environment is still covered in snow and illuminated by yellow lights
If you sleep, I might.
If you doze off, I might be compelled to follow suit
Dark side, on the side.
There exists a side that can't be seen or acknowledged, lurking in the shadows
Contributed by Michael F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.