Sleeping in the Ground
Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood Lyrics


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I would rather see you
Sleeping in the ground
I would rather see you
Sleeping in the ground
Than to stay around here
If you're gonna put me down

Well, I give you all my money
Everything I own
Well, I give you all my money
Everything I own
Well, some day I'm gonna get lucky
And down the road you know I'm goin'

Well, I would rather see you
Sleeping in the ground
Well, I would rather see you
Sleeping in the ground
Than to stay around here
If you're gonna put me down

You know I give you all my money
Yeah little girl, everything I own
Well, I give you all my money
Everything I own




Well, today I'm gonna get lucky
And down the road you know I'm goin'

Overall Meaning

In the song "Sleeping in the Ground," Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood express the pain of a romantic relationship that has ended in betrayal. The opening lines of the song show the singer’s desire for his lover to be dead and buried rather than having to endure the pain of being left by the person he loves. The lyrics "I would rather see you sleeping in the ground / than to stay around here if you're gonna put me down" reveal the depth of the singer’s hurt and how he feels he can never forgive the betrayal that has led to the end of their relationship.


The remainder of the song reinforces this sentiment. The singer acknowledges how much he gave to the relationship—“I give you all my money, everything I own,” and how much he has lost because of his lover's betrayal. Despite this, the singer maintains his resilience and will to move on, singing, "someday I'm gonna get lucky / and down the road you know I'm goin'." The singer ultimately concludes that he would rather see his lover dead and buried than to stay around and be with someone who betrayed him.


Line by Line Meaning

I would rather see you
I'd prefer not to have to see you


Sleeping in the ground
Dead and buried underground


I would rather see you
I'd prefer not to have to see you


Sleeping in the ground
Dead and buried underground


Than to stay around here
It's better than sticking around


If you're gonna put me down
If you're going to insult me or belittle me


Well, I give you all my money
I gave you all the money I had


Everything I own
All of my possessions


Well, some day I'm gonna get lucky
Someday I'll have some good fortune


And down the road you know I'm goin'
I'll be leaving you and moving on


Well, I would rather see you
I'd prefer not to have to see you


Sleeping in the ground
Dead and buried underground


Well, I would rather see you
I'd prefer not to have to see you


Sleeping in the ground
Dead and buried underground


Than to stay around here
It's better than sticking around


If you're gonna put me down
If you're going to insult me or belittle me


You know I give you all my money
You know I gave you all the money I had


Yeah little girl, everything I own
All of my possessions, my dear


Well, today I'm gonna get lucky
Today I'll have some good fortune


And down the road you know I'm goin'
I'll be leaving you and moving on




Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: SAM MYERS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@evanhowell7429

Great tune. How come this isn't getting more likes cause it definitely doesn't suck. Real respectable legendary musicians playing real instruments.

@salvator-fh7hl

Eric & Steve 🤗

@kellythornton6583

Perfect together.

@shaykatz5648

Pretty darned great together.

@miriamgreen3973

I like Mr Winwood on piano more than on the Hammond organ.

@thedynamicsolo4232

BUY THIS DVD, I did and was fully satisfied. I did it on Itunes in the store. So unhappy with Apples Ipod system now. Scrubbed it and I have to DL it AGAIN. This time I'm going to find out how to put it on another drive. Worth every dollar to have it seen on a big screen TV with the right speakers and your EQ set on "Reggae" it pulls the fuzz and pop and Wahhh's out of EC's guitar. You also hear the piano better.

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