Their first studio album, Horse of a Different Color, was released in 2004. This album produced four straight Top 40 country hits, including the number 11 "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)", plus collaborations with Cowboy Troy, Gretchen Wilson, and Martina McBride. Comin' to Your City was released in November 2005 followed by another Top 20 single the Vietnam War-inspired "8th of November", and two more Top 40 hits. Joining the duo on this album were Cowboy Troy, Wilson, and Kris Kristofferson. Between Raising Hell and Amazing Grace, released in 2007, produced their only No. 1 single, "Lost in This Moment". Both before and during the duo's hiatus, Rich has worked as a producer and songwriter for several other artists.
After this album, both members went on hiatus and released solo albums in 2009 — Big Kenny's The Quiet Times of a Rock and Roll Farm Boy and Rich's Son of a Preacher Man. These also produced the duo's first Top 40 solo entries — Big Kenny with "Long After I'm Gone" and Rich with "Shuttin' Detroit Down". In 2010, Big Kenny released his second solo country album, Big Kenny's Love Everybody Traveling Musical Medicine Show Mix Tape, Vol. 1 and in 2011, Rich released the extended plays For the Kids and Rich Rocks, the latter of which included the Top 40 country single "Country Done Come to Town". Big & Rich reunited in May 2011 to release "Fake ID", a cut from the soundtrack to the 2011 film Footloose. A year later, the duo released their fourth album, Hillbilly Jedi, which produced the Top 20 hit "That's Why I Pray. In July 2013, Rich announced that the duo had begun work on their fifth studio album, Gravity, which was released independently. Another independent album, Did it For the Party, was announced in 2017 for release in September, led by the single "California.
Don't Wake Me Up
Big & Rich Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never knew it could feel like this
Blown away will?
You're everything that I miss
I'd love to kiss you when the
Sunrise breaks. But if your heart
Won't let you stay
Don't wake me up, before you go. If you gotta leave, I don't wanna know
Let me sleep, tangled in the sheets
Dreaming you're right there next to me
Don't wanna hear any footsteps on that floor. Don't even close my door
Don't wake me, don't wake me
Don't wake me up
Don't wake me up
Started slow, now we're moving fast, lipstick stain on an empty glass
You whisper close, in my ear
Oh, I'd love to stay right here
I don't wanna go when we lay down, will you be here when the sun come back around?
Don't wake me up, before you go. If you gotta leave, I don't wanna know
Let me sleep, tangled in the sheets
Dreaming you're right there next to me
Don't wanna hear any footsteps on that floor. Don't even close my door
Don't wake me, don't wake me
Don't wake me up
Don't wake me up
Yeahh, yeahh, yeahh
If you gotta leave, I don't wanna know.
Let me sleep, tangled in the sheets
Dreaming you're right there next to me
Don't wanna hear any footsteps on that floor. Don't even close my door
Don't wake me, don't wake me
Don't wake me up
Don't wake me up
Don't wake me up
The song "Don't Wake Me Up" by Big & Rich is a romantic ballad depicting a man's desire for his lover not to leave him. The opening verse describes their intimate moment together, with a candle-lit atmosphere and red wine. The singer is so captivated by her that he can't believe how good he's feeling. He wants to kiss her again when the sun rises, but he also fears that she might leave him. So, he wants her to leave without waking him up so that he can continue to dream about her being with him.
The chorus is a plea for the woman not to wake him up before she leaves. He doesn't want to know that she's gone; he wants to stay in bed, tangled up in the sheets, and continue to dream that she's still there. He doesn't even want to hear her footsteps or have her close the door, as he fears that these might be reminders that she's left him.
The second verse describes how their relationship started off slowly but has now progressed to a point where they are moving fast. The lipstick stain on the glass is a symbol of their passion and intimacy. He wants her to stay with him when the sun comes up, but he is once again plagued with the fear that she will leave him.
Overall, the song is a poignant portrayal of the vulnerability and fear experienced in a new relationship. The singer is so entranced by his lover that he can't bear the thought of losing her, and the lyrics express this as a wish to stay in a dream-like state where she's still with him.
Line by Line Meaning
Candle light, red wine kiss
Settling in a romantic atmosphere, enjoying the blissful kisses over red wine
Never knew it could feel like this
Didn't imagine experiencing such an intense feeling of love
Blown away will?
Feeling astonished and lost in the moment
You're everything that I miss
Realizing that the person is everything they've been missing in their life
I'd love to kiss you when the sunrise breaks. But if your heart won't let you stay
Expressing a desire to kiss the person even when the sun sets, but acknowledging that if they don't want to stay, they won't force them
Don't wake me up, before you go. If you gotta leave, I don't wanna know
Preferring to stay in a dreamlike state than to face the reality of the person leaving
Let me sleep, tangled in the sheets. Dreaming you're right there next to me
Wanting to hold onto the feeling of being close to the person by imagining they're still there
Don't wanna hear any footsteps on that floor. Don't even close my door. Don't wake me, don't wake me
Avoiding any indication of the person leaving, refusing to acknowledge their departure
Started slow, now we're moving fast, lipstick stain on an empty glass
Reflecting on how the evening started off quietly and ended up with an empty glass and a lipstick stain, feeling like it all happened too quickly
You whisper close, in my ear. Oh, I'd love to stay right here
Enjoying the intimacy of being whispered to and expressing a desire to stay in the moment
I don't wanna go when we lay down, will you be here when the sun come back around?
Hoping to continue the moment even when they lay down to sleep, wondering if the person will still be there in the morning
Don't wake me up, before you go. If you gotta leave, I don't wanna know
Reiterating the desire to stay in a state of blissful ignorance
Let me sleep, tangled in the sheets. Dreaming you're right there next to me
Holding onto the feeling of being close to the person through a dream state
Don't wanna hear any footsteps on that floor. Don't even close my door. Don't wake me, don't wake me
Continuing to refuse to acknowledge the person's departure and preferring to stay in a dreamlike state
Don't wake me up
Insisting on not being disturbed or woken up
Yeahh, yeahh, yeahh
A musical interlude with no particular meaning
Don't wake me up, before you go. If you gotta leave, I don't wanna know
Once again expressing the preference to stay unaware of the person's departure
Let me sleep, tangled in the sheets. Dreaming you're right there next to me
Holding onto the feeling of being close to the person through a dream state
Don't wanna hear any footsteps on that floor. Don't even close my door. Don't wake me, don't wake me
Continuing to avoid any indication of the person's departure and refusing to be disturbed
Don't wake me up
Insisting on staying asleep and not being disturbed
Don't wake me up
Reiterating the desire to not be woken up
Don't wake me up
Finalizing the desire to remain asleep and avoid reality
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MICHAEL ARTHUR RAY, JOHN RICH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind