The Big Sleep

Album: Two Suns (2009)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song features the legendary reclusive Scott Walker, formerly of The Walker Brothers.
  • After returning to her home in Brighton from New York to finish work on Two Suns, Natasha Khan (aka Bat For Lashes), penned this theatrical treatise on death. She told The Sun April 10, 2009 that the song reflected, in some way, the finish of her time in New York with her boyfriend. Khan explained: "It's like a drag queen's last ever performance but when I listened to it more subconsciously, I was seeing it as the death of all the drama and illusion in my relationship. I wanted to get over it, move back to Brighton, sort myself out. I wrote the song on piano, very classical. I started singing the low part and I thought, 'I'm just ripping off Scott Walker, this is rubbish'. So David (Kosten, her producer) and I got hold of his manager's email. I said, 'Would Scott be up for singing blah blah?' Scott wrote back asking for the song and some notes about the character he'd be. Even though he's shy and reclusive, he agreed. He was so gracious and such a sweetheart."
  • Khan told Mojo magazine April 2009 about Scott Walker's contribution: "He sang very softly for me, which is the first time he's done that in years. I felt he was very gracious in wanting to do it right. He wrote back to me saying, 'I really hope you're happy with it.' It's this sort of faceless voice in the dark, which gives it a bit of weird edginess."

Comments: 1

  • Ivy from Springfield, NeThat was creepy . . . 6/10
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Gary Lewis

Gary LewisSongwriter Interviews

Gary Lewis and the Playboys had seven Top 10 hits despite competition from The Beatles. Gary talks about the hits, his famous father, and getting drafted.

Joe Ely

Joe ElySongwriter Interviews

The renown Texas songwriter has been at it for 40 years, with tales to tell about The Flatlanders and The Clash - that's Joe's Tex-Mex on "Should I Stay or Should I Go?"

16 Songs With a Heartbeat

16 Songs With a HeartbeatSong Writing

We've heard of artists putting their hearts into their music, but some take it literally.

Creedence Clearwater Revival

Creedence Clearwater RevivalFact or Fiction

Is "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" about Vietnam? Was John Fogerty really born on a Bayou? It's the CCR edition of Fact or Fiction.

Country Song Titles

Country Song TitlesFact or Fiction

Country songs with titles so bizarre they can't possibly be real... or can they?

Cy Curnin of The Fixx

Cy Curnin of The FixxSongwriter Interviews

The man who brought us "Red Skies" and "Saved By Zero" is now an organic farmer in France.