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12 Reasons
As everything we do at Devon Duvets is about helping people to sleep better, through our luxurious, individually handcrafted wool bedding, we thought it would be fun to look at songs about sleep. When we then we started to research songs, we found there were literally hundreds and it was quite difficult to narrow the list down, but here is our top ten…and the stories behind them.
1. Dreams by Fleetwood Mac: From the 1978 multi award-winning album ‘Rumours’, which spent 1051 weeks in the charts between 1977 and 1989 and re-entered at various times in the 15 years after. Stevie Nicks was inspired to write the song about an old childhood friend who experienced bizarre dreams. The lyrics are about her wondering if the dreams had hidden messages.
2. I go to sleep by The Pretenders: Another song about dreams and the state of dreaming as a joyful place. Although written (but never recorded) by Ray Davies of the Kinks, the song was first released by Peggy Lee in 1965. The Pretenders successful cover version was a hit in 1981.
3. I don’t want to miss a thing by Aerosmith: A Grammy award-winner in 1999, this song was used in the film soundtrack to the 1998 summer blockbuster Armageddon. In the lyrics, the singer would rather stay awake and watch their partner dream and is determined not to miss anything during their time together. The song was written by the award-winning American songwriter Diane Warren, who had originally thought it might be sung by Celine Dion.
4. Golden Slumbers by The Beatles: Inspired by a lullaby attributed to poet Thomas Dekker, this classic Beatles song captures the nostalgia often felt when you realise childhood moments cannot be recreated after reaching adulthood. Released in 1969, it has since been covered by Ben Folds and Dua Lipa.
5. Wake me up before you go-go by Wham: A smash hit single in 1984, the lyrics originated from a message that George Michael had written to his parents asking them to wake him up from his sleep before they left home. The song was featured on the Wham! album ‘Make It Big’, which sold over two million copies worldwide – and was later used in the Ben Stiller film Zoolander.
6. Sweet Dreams by The Eurythmics: Released in 1983 this was the duo’s breakthrough hit. The lyrics refer to a metaphor for inner motivations, the drive in each of us in our journey for personal growth and satisfaction. At the end of the song, listeners are encouraged to focus on a positive outlook and not give up on their dreams.
7. Dreaming by Blondie: In 1979, the iconic Debbie Harry and her band released this song about not dreaming away too much as a way to face reality. Although Blondie started out as a New York punk and new wave band, their chart-topping repertoire included rock, reggae, rap and disco influences.
8. Fireflies by Owl City: A pop/indie 2009 song about overcoming insomnia by falling peacefully asleep, after which the lyrics describe how the singer wakes to a semi-dream state where he sees 10,000 fireflies. The magical flashing lights created by these remarkable little insects brightens his whole universe.
9. I guess I should go to sleep by Jack White: A 2012 ‘indie’ song that describes sleep as a haven whenever you feel you’ve had a tiring or possibly difficult day. The style of the song is swinging blues, played in waltz time. Jack is also known for the song he wrote and recorded with Alicia Keys for the 2008 Bond movie Quantum of Solace, although it received mixed reviews about its ‘fit’ as a Bond theme.
10. Mr Sandman by The Chordettes: A classic, first recorded by Vaughn Monroe, but is probably best known for the version released in 1954 by The Chordettes. Incorporating stunning harmonies, the song asks the ‘sandman’ to bring a dream about the perfect partner. It has been covered at least 29 times by artists such as Bette Midler, The Supremes, Emmylou Harris and Bobby Vee. It’s also been featured in several films, including Deadpool and Uncle Buck.
Last but not least… we can’t write about songs and sleep, without mentioning lullabies. The oldest known lullaby is about 4,000 years old and is a Babylonian lullaby found inscribed on a clay tablet. However, one of the most famous and most instantly recognisable, ‘Weingenlied’ (‘Cradle Song’), was written by Johannes Brahms and published in 1868. It was first performed in Vienna in December 1869, by Luise Dustmann (singer) and Clara Schumann (piano).
For more information on how our duvets, toppers and pillows can help you to achieve a better sleep, please contact the team on 01752 345399 or via email – we’re here to help!
