Be Bop Deluxe – Sleep That Burns lyrics

In this song Nelson describes the half real and surreal world one experiences while dreaming. It sets out the stream of consciousness nature of dream reality where "hearts hold the key" and scenes often flit from one 'set' to another with no apparent interlinking logic. He references two dream sequences in the song, conveying the searing sensation each imparts on his psyche. The first sequence features a brass band playing hard and is rather pleasant, especially for a musician dreamer whereas the second, the cafe scene, is slightly nightmarish, surreal and scary as well as exciting and sexually charged, with a generous dose of guilt and paranoia, possibly religion inspired, with a hint of judgement day supplied into the bargain. Our protagonist feels he is cool but posing and as he is "naked as a razor and loaded as a dice" he feels vulnerable as well as superficially confident. The strong emotions stirred up are exacerbated by the wild night with howling winds that greet the dreamer who suddenly awakes from the dream in a disturbed and exhausted state in reaction to the visions he has just witnessed - and probably too scared to go back to sleep as he stares into the darkness. We've all been there but in this brilliant song Nelson is expressing his fears as a young performer who knows he's good but feels unworthy of adulation and that he may be heading the wrong way. He feels under pressure to find the right path before his flimsy youth mask comes undone and the real person beneath is exposed. "Now is the moment of truth" shows that he is at the crossroads and will be punished if he takes the wrong turn by selling out to the "waitresses" or music business folk and fans who all want a piece of him. The reference to Hell underlines his anguish.Poor Bill, the band was doomed. I wonder if the other members of Bebop Deluxe realised the writing was already on the wall?