After the acclaimed goth rock band Dreadful Shadows decided to split and go their separate ways, Sven and Norman collaborated with ex-Dreadful Shadows producer Thommy Hein on a project called Helix. However, since the Helix name was under copyright by another band, they were forced to rename themselves Zeraphine - taken from the Hebrew bible's concepts of the 'seraph' (or seraphim), which is a class of angel in traditional Judaism. This concept was purposely taken as an ironic gesture, given Sven's lyrics are often critical of organized religion. Once Zeraphine, the band signed onto the Drakkar Entertainment record label.
Originally, additional band members Manuel Senger (guitars), Michael Nepp (bass), and Marcellus Puhlemann (drums) joined the project as studio musicians. This changed after their debut album was released, and each member began contributing music and ideas to all following releases.
Zeraphine's debut album, 'Kalte Sonne' (2002), gained notoriety for it's lyrics; unlike Dreadful Shadows, whose songs were written entirely in English, Sven elected to pen an album completely in German, citing that "I simply tried to transfer my style of writing to my mother tongue and I liked it quite a lot. I always thought it would be impossible." Their following album, 'Traumaworld' (2003), saw Sven return to English, with only two songs written in German. Tonally, the album's lyrics were harsher, as the band drew inspiration from their feelings on the Iraq war. However, when it came to promoting the album, the more upbeat 'Be My Rain' (2003) was chosen as the single. A music video was made for 'Be My Rain' (consisting of live footage), and a limited promo CD was released, featuring album, radio, and club mixes of the title track, and a cover of the Depeche Mode song 'In Your Room'.
In 2004, Zeraphine joined HIM on an acclaimed tour of Europe, which exposed the band to an even wider audience. In anticipation for the tour, Zeraphine hit the studio again to record the single 'New Year's Day' (2004), featuring a cover version of the U2 song, and two other original tracks. Promptly after the tour finished, Zeraphine again entered the studio and churned out another single, 'Die Macht In Dir' (2004), which promised a full album at the beginning of the following year; The single, as well as the title track, consisted of alternative versions of 'Kaltes Herz', 'Die Macht In Dir', (and on the limited edition release) 'Until I Finally Drown'. 'Blind Camera' (2005) was released with a positive response by both fans and critics, and sent Zeraphine on the road once more, headlining their own trip across Europe. A particular point of well-reception was the balance in German and English lyrics - nearly half the songs on 'Blind Camera' are written in German. The record itself was written as a semi-concept album, dealing with themes such as perception and reality.
In 2006, Zeraphine announced that they were severing their ties with their label, Drakkar Entertainment, so that they could have more creative control over their next record. 'Still' (2006), released on the Phonyx Records label (a record label managed by the band themselves, and producer Thommy Hein), was handled with noticeably less 'polish' than their previous albums. This was per the band's decision to move to a less studio-oriented, more live sounding style of recording. Two editions of the album were released, a regular and an enhanced version; the enhanced featuring an additional song, and the music video (and outtakes) to the title track and single, 'Still'. The record's title is meant to represent both it's German and English meanings, commenting on the duality of the album's lyrical content.
The band was decidedly less active in 2007, when Sven and Norman rejoined Dreadful Shadows for live shows exclusively. Also during this time, Sven began working on a side project, an electronic solo project titled Solar Fake. A compilation album was also released during this time, titled 'Years in Black' (2007), by Phoynx Records and Drakkar Entertainment; It contained songs from all four albums, and while no unreleased material was put on it (an update on their official website cited such an act as a 'fan rip-off'), the currently out-of-print radio mix of 'Be My Rain' was added in place of the album version. Zeraphine continued to tour and do festivals throughout 2007 and 2008, with a few new songs slipping into setlists during the later half of 2008.
As of March 2009, it is rumored that the band is working on a fifth album.
Louisa
Zeraphine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I’m counting the hours in sleepless nights
My thoughts get lost, I see your eyes
And I’m still waiting to see you again
The steps we take are equalized
We don’t need the old disguise
And I’m still waiting to feel you again
We don’t care about the rest of the world
We just believe what we believe in
Living seems so easy when we melt in our embrace
Oh Louisa, you’re in my wonderland
Reach out and touch my hand again to fill the emptiness in me
Oh Louisa, you’re my last memory
I can’t remember how it felt before we met
Oh Louisa
The hours pass, the miles go by
The early clouds, a grayish sky
And I’m still waiting to hear you again
You’re in my mind but too far away
The echo fades, it can’t light the way
I’m still waiting to feel you again
We don’t care about the world around
We only trust what we can trust in
Living seems so easy when we melt in our embrace
Oh Louisa, you’re in my wonderland
Reach out and touch my hand again to fill the emptiness in me
Oh Louisa, you’re my last memory
I can’t remember how it felt before we met
Oh Louisa, you’re in my wonderland
Reach out and touch my hand again to fill the emptiness in me
Oh Louisa, you’re my last memory
I can’t remember how it felt before we met
Oh Louisa
The song "Louisa" by Zeraphine is about longing for someone who is far away. The singer is sleepless, counting the hours and lost in thought about the person they miss. The lyrics express the desire to see and feel that person again, and the emotions are intensified by the fact that they are alone and the sky is gray. The singer finds solace in the belief that they and their love interest only need each other and that their love makes everything else easier.
The lyrics are addressed directly to "Louisa," who is described as being in the singer's "wonderland." It is unclear what the specific significance of this is, but it could be interpreted as a reference to a personal relationship or even a collective emotional state. The repetition of the name "Louisa" throughout the song emphasizes the subject's importance to the singer and the power their connection holds.
Overall, "Louisa" is a poignant expression of the intensity of love and desire for someone far away. The emotions conveyed in the song are relatable to anyone who has experienced a long distance relationship or longing for someone who is physically distant.
Line by Line Meaning
I’m counting the hours in sleepless nights
I cannot sleep because I am constantly thinking about you and the time we spent together
My thoughts get lost, I see your eyes
My mind wanders back to memories of your eyes and the way they made me feel when we were together
And I’m still waiting to see you again
I am eagerly anticipating the next time we will be able to see each other in person
The steps we take are equalized
We are united in our journey through life and the obstacles we face together
We don’t need the old disguise
We do not need to hide who we really are when we are together
And I’m still waiting to feel you again
I long to physically be with you again and experience the closeness we share
We don’t care about the rest of the world
Our love is all that matters to us, and we do not let the opinions of others affect our relationship
We just believe what we believe in
We have unwavering faith in one another and in our love for each other
Living seems so easy when we melt in our embrace
Everything else fades away when we are in each other's arms and all of life's struggles feel insignificant
Oh Louisa, you’re in my wonderland
You make me feel like I am living in a magical world, full of wonder and excitement
Reach out and touch my hand again to fill the emptiness in me
Your touch has the power to heal any emptiness I feel and bring me back to a state of wholeness
You’re my last memory
If I were to lose all of my memories, the memory of you would be the last to fade away
I can’t remember how it felt before we met
Meeting you has changed me so significantly that I cannot even remember what life felt like before you entered it
The hours pass, the miles go by
Time and distance cannot diminish the love that we share for each other
The early clouds, a grayish sky
Even when the world around us seems dull and bleak, our love shines bright and brings color into our lives
You’re in my mind but too far away
I am constantly thinking about you, but the distance between us makes it difficult to be together
The echo fades, it can’t light the way
The echoes of our memories together are starting to fade, and I am struggling to find my way without you
We don’t care about the world around
Our focus is solely on each other, and we do not let external factors disrupt our bond
We only trust what we can trust in
We have complete faith in each other, and we only trust in what we know to be true
Contributed by Katherine N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.