Near its inception, Sleeping At Last's amateur debut album, Capture, was noticed by Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan, who helped expose the music to the major-label world. Soon after, the band signed to Interscope Records and released 2003's Ghosts , their first official full-length album. Two independently-released full-length records followed: 2006's Keep No Score and 2009's Storyboards . In between the writing and recording of albums, the band has established a reputation for a pitch-perfect live show, successfully headlining several U.S. tours and sharing the stage with such artists as Switchfoot, Yellowcard, Something Corporate, Billy Corgan's Zwan, Alanis Morrisette, Lifehouse, and Phantom Planet, just to name a few. The creative process has always been protected, as the band self-produced each record, working with respected mixers such as John Goodmanson and Alan Moulder.
After the departure of drummer Chad O'Neal in 2011, the remaining duo embarked on the ambitious Yearbook project, in which O'Neal and Perdue released three songs on the first of every month in individual EPs. After its completion, all EPs were compiled into an LP and published independently. However, upon the final release of the Yearbook series, Perdue stepped down from the duo, leaving Ryan O'Neal a solo artist under the group's pre-existing moniker.
On December 10, 2012, O'Neal announced his largest project to date: the Atlas series, a three-part project approaching the themes of the origins of the universe and human development. Similar to 2011's Yearbook compilation, each set of new songs would be released as individual EPs until each part's completion, at which time the compilation of songs would be released as an LP. Up to now, 2014's Atlas I and 2019's Atlas II remain as stellar examples of O'Neal's accomplishments as a solo independent artist. Production on Atlas III is in progress, and its first two songs, "Overture III" and "Awake" have been released as singles.
Besides the Atlas series, O'Neal has kept busy with other projects, including three albums of covers commissioned by ABC's "Grey's Anatomy", in which Sleeping At Last has appeared a whopping 77 times. Sleeping At Last also produced the scores for the documentaries Many Beautiful Things (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) and charity:water's The Spring (Original Score). Finally, O'Neal has released multiple singles surrounding significant astronomical events, published as a compilation in 2020 under the title of Astronomy, Vol. 1.
Sleeping At Last has long been a beacon shining brightly on behalf of independent artists. In the ever-changing climate of the music industry, the quest for a successful independent career seems evermore difficult to attain. From his new home in L.A., O'Neal pursues this challenge relentlessly through his commitment to musical integrity in his songwriting, and in this way nurtures a unique and personal relationship with his listeners. He has remained true to the things that brought him to music in the first place: his love of melody and the power of words. His music and lyrics emerge from a place that is honest, raw, and spiritual: Says Ryan, "Our faith is a big part of who we are, but we have always intended our music to be for anyone that cares to listen, no matter who they are or what they believe in. Everyone hears a song in a different light."
In keeping with this, Ryan's lyrics ask every important question that occurs. While he promises no fast, sure answers, he somehow always offers hope as the consistent, overarching theme.
I'm Gonna Be
Sleeping at Last Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm gonna be the man who wakes up next to you
And when I go out, yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who goes along with you
And when I come home, yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's coming home to you
And when I'm dreamin', well I know I'm gonna dream
I'm gonna dream about the time when I'm with you
But I would walk five hundred miles
And I would walk five hundred more
Just to be the man who walked a thousand miles
To fall down at your door
When I'm workin', yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's workin' hard for you
And when the money comes in for the work I do
I'll pass along every cent of it to you
And when I'm lonely, well I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's lonely without you
And if I grow old, well I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's growing old with you
But I would walk five hundred miles
And I would walk five hundred more
Just to be the man who walked a thousand miles
To fall down at your door
But I would walk five hundred miles
And I would walk five hundred more
Just to be the man who walked a thousand miles
To fall down at your door
When I wake up, well I hope I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's waking up to you
And when I'm dreamin', well I know I'm gonna dream
I'm gonna dream about the time I had with you
The lyrics to Sleeping at Last's "I'm Gonna Be" convey a sense of dedication and devotion from the singer to the person they love. The singer is telling the listener that no matter what life throws at them, they will always be there for them. The lyrics are filled with promises and vows of loyalty, from waking up next to them every morning to dreaming about their time spent together. The repetition of the phrase "I'm gonna be" emphasizes the singer's commitment to being a constant presence in their love interest's life.
The chorus of the song, featuring the memorable line "But I would walk five hundred miles, and I would walk five hundred more, just to be the man who walked a thousand miles, to fall down at your door," further emphasizes the singer's dedication. The distance mentioned in the lyrics is an exaggeration, but it reinforces the idea that nothing can keep the singer apart from the person they love. The imagery of walking such a great distance to be with someone is powerful, and it reflects the lengths the singer is willing to go to show their affection.
Line by Line Meaning
When I wake up, well I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who wakes up next to you
I am confident that as soon as I wake up, I will be the first thing you will see as I am the man who sleeps and wakes up next to you
And when I go out, yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who goes along with you
Whenever you decide to go out, I will always be your companion and partner as I am the man who wants to be by your side wherever you go
And when I come home, yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's coming home to you
Every time I come home, I am certain that I will be the man who walks through the door to be with you
And when I'm dreamin', well I know I'm gonna dream
I'm gonna dream about the time when I'm with you
Even in my dreams, all I can think of is spending time with you, and I am certain that I will see you even in my sleep
But I would walk five hundred miles
And I would walk five hundred more
Just to be the man who walked a thousand miles
To fall down at your door
I am willing to go to great lengths to be with you as the man who would walk 1000 miles, no matter the difficulties or challenges that may arise on the way, just to be close to you and be with you
When I'm workin', yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's workin' hard for you
Every time I am at work, I always have you in my mind, and I know I will work tirelessly and diligently to ensure that I provide for you because I am the man who is working hard for your sake
And when the money comes in for the work I do
I'll pass along every cent of it to you
I am dedicated to making sure that you are well taken care of, and whenever I receive payment for my work, I will not hesitate to give it all to you to ensure that you have everything you need
And when I'm lonely, well I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's lonely without you
Whenever you are not with me, I feel alone and incomplete because I am the man who cannot do without you by my side
And if I grow old, well I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's growing old with you
As I grow old, I am confident that I will have you by my side, and I will always be the man who grows old with you
When I wake up, well I hope I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's waking up to you
Every time I wake up, I always hope that I will be able to wake up to you, and I will always be the man who wants to start his day with you
And when I'm dreamin', well I know I'm gonna dream
I'm gonna dream about the time I had with you
Even when we are apart, I still experience moments of us being together, and I will always be the man who dreams about the wonderful time we spent together
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Charles S. Reid, Craig M. Reid
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind