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My Gen X Playlist: Behind the Wall of Sleep – The Smithereens

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My clock is off.

I’ve strung together a few long days and have been dragging a bit. It finally caught up to me.

I fell asleep on the couch at 6:00 and woke up just after midnight. That’s already six hours of sleep. I’ve hit my nightly average and it’s another 6 til morning. I climb into bed hoping to crash out again.

I’m still up.

It’s 3:30 am, I’m weirdly tired yet still unable to fall back asleep. I venture out to the living room. It’s quiet. The refrigerator hum harmonizes with my tinnitus, creating an odd operetta with the voice in my head. I try drafting a blog post, but I’ve got nothing. There’s nothing on Netflix that catches my eye. I’m just left here to wrestle with my thoughts as it continuously pokes a stick at me, not leaving me alone. Unfortunately there’s no off switch. It’s become a staring contest I’m being forced to play, I’m losing badly and unable to look away.

I’m in a haze.

Where am I? Groggy, I sit up on the couch. I look at the time. 5:30. Not bad. At least I got a few more hours of shut eye.

I blink.

At least that’s what it felt like. 6:30. I’ll take it. When they say blink of an eye, that really was a blink of an eye. An hour passed in a mere second. Time can bend in really weird ways sometimes.

Coffee.

If I could insert an intravenous drip, I’d hook myself up right here and now. Caffeine direct to the blood stream. Sounds euphoric. Note to self: new business idea. An intravenous coffee drip. I’ll make millions.

First sip.

Ah. All is right in the world again. The power of coffee. What a wonderful way to start the day. I almost said what a wonderful drug, but I caught myself. I don’t want to decry something so lovely and pure. This is definitely one of my favorite creations.

Second cup.

I’m good. Really good. Wide awake, I begin mental preparation to start the day. Then a couple of stretches. A few deep breaths. I shake out the arms and legs. I look over my shoulder at the clock. It’s time.

Ready. Set. Go.

I’m off.

I finished the post with Green Day’s Brain Stew only to find out I’d already added this song to the playlist already. Delete. It was back to the drawing board.

In my search, I rediscovered the Smithereen’s Behind the Wall of Sleep from the 80’s.

Lead singer Pat DiNizio wrote the lyrics to the song on the back of a cocktail napkin on a flight home from Boston to New York City. The Smithereens had shared a bill with the Boston band The Bristols, whose bassist Kim Ernst had caught DiNizio’s attention. DiNizio: “My crush on her led me to write that on a very hung-over morning after a party in Boston.”

The melody came to DiNizio at the same time: “I’m singing the thing to myself for the whole flight, like a mantra, so I don’t forget it. Then I get stuck in traffic for two hours and I’m nearly losing my mind, because I knew I had a good song.”

Wikipedia

The song is about a guy that falls for a girl he can’t attain and all he can do is think about her in his dreams. That didn’t really match up to my sleepless night, so I was going to pass. But I couldn’t get the melody out of my head, so I relented and it made the list. Such a great song from memory lane.

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For a complete playlist, please click here.

For the Spotify playlist, please click here.

She had hair like Jeannie Shrimpton back in 1965
She had legs that never ended
I was halfway paralyzed
She was tall and cool and pretty and she dressed as black as coal
If she asked me to I'd murder, I would gladly lose my soul

Now I lie in bed and think of her
Sometimes I even weep
Then I dream of her behind the wall of sleep

She held a bass guitar and she was playing in a band
And she stood just like Bill Wyman
Now I am her biggest fan
Now I know I'm one of many who would like to be your friend
And I've got to find a way to let you know I'm not like them

Now I lie in bed and think of her
Sometimes I even weep
Then I dream of her behind the wall of sleep

Now I lie in bed and think of her
Sometimes I even weep
Then I dream of her behind the wall of sleep

Got your number from a friend of mine who lives in your hometown
Called you up to have a drink
Your roommate said you weren't around
Now I know I'm one of many who would like to be your friend
And I've got to find a way to let you know I'm not like them

Now I lie in bed and think of her
Sometimes I even weep
Then I dream of her behind the wall of sleep
Behind the wall of sleep
Behind the wall of sleep
Behind the wall of sleep

16 thoughts on “My Gen X Playlist: Behind the Wall of Sleep – The Smithereens”

  2. Ugh, my habit of accidentally commenting twice has now morphed into me leaving a very long comment and coming back to find it gone (it never was there, apparently). Very much like the way the brain works in the deep dark night. For the next time you can’t sleep in this kind of situation, I recommend a podcast that has helped me in pinches for the past 15 years of my insomnia, called Sleep with Me Podcast. He’s our age, widely read with similar listening habits, but absolutely hilarious and has perfected the art of talking in circles so that you pay enough attention in the beginning so you want to listen when nothing else is appealing but boring enough that you eventually fall off to sleep, or if not at least you are entertained in ways that match the deep dark night.

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    1. I just listened to the first five minutes of an episode. I enjoyed the meandering dialogue and the tone. I typically put on a podcast to fall asleep but my usual podcasts were getting stale. This will be perfect. I really appreciate the recommendation, Shelly. Much appreciated.

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      1. I listen to most types of his episodes (there are many flavors) at .7 times the regular speed – i find him too energetic for actual sleep, ironically. I hope it helps, or at least entertains!

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  3. I remember this song, though only barely. Fun to hear it again.

    I really feel for your sleep dilemma, and can only say there are a few things that have helped me make it through the night if it’s a regular struggle (L-theanine is the main one). And what’s up with netflix not having anything worth watching? I’ve found that too.. switching streaming channels and scrolling for something, anything, but nada. Summer programming maybe, but it’s smoky in the air here, so Washingtonians are inside looking for diversions!

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  4. I can relate to falling asleep on the couch at 6:00, but then I’d be out until 4:00 am. That’s when the pain in my back wakes me up.
    My husband has trouble sleeping and has tried just about everything. I think the thing that has helped him the most is a sleep mask with Bluetooth headphones. He listens to the Boring Books for Bedtime podcast where people read in a monotone voice. 🤷

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  7. Hopefully this is a one off and you will return to your normal sleep pattern.

    During the menopause I experienced a period of time where I could fall asleep at a normal time every night but would be awake at about 3.30 in the morning n would toss n turn until it was time to get up. I’d then need a couple of hours in the afternoon to catch up.
    I addressed it with a “ sleep cleanse” routine ( there are loads of ideas on line) and when I woke up in the early hours I allowed myself a given amount of time ( 30 mins) to go back to sleep. If I was still awake I would then pick up my book and read for up to an hour in order to disconnect my brain. On the odd occasion that didn’t work I’d go down n make a cup of tea n bring it back to bed n read for a while longer. I found having a routine like this reset my brain back to sleep

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