Sleep
Big K.R.I.T./The Roots Lyrics
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Down from the trees
There goes my honey bee
I’ve lost a lot of sleep to dreams
And I do not miss them yet
I wouldn’t wish them on the worst of enemies
Let them burn, go from here
Like when autumn leaves
To catch a thief, who stole the soul I prayed to keep
Insomniac, bad dreams got me losing sleep
I’m dead tired, my mind playing tricks, deceit
A face in the glass, unable to admit defeat
All that I am, all that I was is history
The past unraveled, adding insult to this injury
I’m fighting the battle for the soul of the century
Destiny is everything that I pretend to be
Look, and what I did came back to me eventually
The music played on, and told me I was meant to be awake
It’s unresolved like everything I had at stake
Illegal activity controls my black symphony
Orchestrated like it happened incidentally
Oh, there I go, from a man to memory
Damn, I wonder if my fam will remember me
I've lost a lot of sleep to dreams
And I do not miss them yet
I wouldn't wish them on the worst of enemies
Let them burn, go from here
Like when autumn leaves
The first verse of "Sleep" by Big K.R.I.T.; The Roots starts with a metaphor comparing lost love to falling autumn leaves. The singer laments the loss of his "honey bee," a term of endearment for his lover. He admits that he has lost sleep over dreams of her, but he does not yet miss those dreams. In fact, he would not wish them on his enemies. He wants the pain of those dreams to burn away and leave him in peace, much like how autumn leaves fall from the trees to make room for new growth.
The second verse of the song takes a starkly different tone from the first. The singer becomes introspective about the loss of his soul, potentially to illegal activity. He describes himself as an insomniac, plagued by bad dreams that keep him from restful sleep. He feels tired both mentally and physically, struggling to differentiate illusion from reality. He feels as though his entire history has unraveled, adding injury to insult. He fights for the soul of the century, but it seems as though destiny has other plans for him. The music seems to be the only thing that tells him he is meant to be awake, despite everything that is at stake.
Overall, "Sleep" explores both lost love and the loss of oneself to unsavory actions. The song uses metaphors such as falling leaves and black symphonies to convey a sense of decay, while the focus on sleep and dreams highlights the struggle to find rest amidst turmoil.
Line by Line Meaning
Like when autumn leaves fall
Just like the way leaves fall in autumn, things that are loved also break free and leave us.
Down from the trees
The things that you loved once, will eventually leave you and fall down just like the leaves from the trees.
There goes my honey bee
The writer lost someone who was very important to him/her and someone who was very sweet and loving.
I’ve lost a lot of sleep to dreams
The writer has insomnia and is struggling with sleep because of bad dreams and stress.
And I do not miss them yet
Even though the writer is struggling with insomnia and bad dreams, they are not missing out on anything positive by not sleeping, so it's okay.
I wouldn’t wish them on the worst of enemies
The writer's bad dreams and stress are so bad that they wouldn't wish them upon anyone, even their worst enemies.
Let them burn, go from here
The writer wants their bad dreams and stress to disappear and to have peace of mind.
To catch a thief, who stole the soul I prayed to keep
The writer lost something very valuable to them and has to fight to get it back.
Insomniac, bad dreams got me losing sleep
The writer is struggling with insomnia and bad dreams, which is causing them to lose sleep.
I’m dead tired, my mind playing tricks, deceit
The writer is mentally and emotionally exhausted and their own mind is causing them to feel tricked or deceived.
A face in the glass, unable to admit defeat
The writer is looking at themselves in the mirror, but they are unable to come to terms with their own personal struggles and defeat.
All that I am, all that I was is history
The writer is acknowledging that their past is behind them and they can only move forward from this point in their life.
The past unraveled, adding insult to this injury
The writer's past is catching up with them and causing them more problems and distress.
I’m fighting the battle for the soul of the century
The writer is engaged in a battle or fight to save something that is very important or valuable to them.
Destiny is everything that I pretend to be
The writer is pretending to be something that is not their true self, maybe because of societal pressures or other factors.
Look, and what I did came back to me eventually
The writer's actions are coming back to them and they are experiencing the consequences of their past mistakes.
The music played on, and told me I was meant to be awake
The writer found inspiration in music and it helped them realize that they should be awake and aware of their surroundings.
It’s unresolved like everything I had at stake
The writer is struggling to resolve their past issues and conflicts and it is causing a lot of uncertainty in their life.
Illegal activity controls my black symphony
The writer is engaging in illegal activity, and this is taking over their life and is like a dark symphony that is controlling them.
Orchestrated like it happened incidentally
The writer's illegal activity is happening all too naturally, even though it was not really planned or orchestrated.
Oh, there I go, from a man to memory
The writer feels like they are no longer living their life, and they are merely turning into a memory, fading away into the past.
Damn, I wonder if my fam will remember me
The writer is worried that their family will forget about them or not have any good memories to remember them by.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: AARON LIVINGSTON, AHMIR K. THOMPSON, NICOLAS BRIA KOENIG-DZIALOWSKI, TARIK L. COLLINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind