McCarley currently calls Nashville home, but she cut her musical teeth in San Diego, where she’d moved after college to pursue a life that did not feature music at its center. It was during this bout that McCarley met producer/writer/keyboardist Jamie Kenney (the rare partner she felt 100 percent comfortable with), and the two began honing the songs that would make up Love, Save the Empty.
During 2008, she was part of the "Hotel Café Tour" playing across the United States, and also performed at the 2008 SxSW festival. She was also part of the "Ten Out of Tenn" tour in Winter 2008/2009. Erin spent 2009 on the road with various musicians including Brett Dennen, James Morrison, Paolo Nutini and Mat Kearney.
In 2008, McCarley traveled the annual SXSW Music Festival where she was discovered by her label Universal Republic Records. Love, Save the Empty, was released digitally on December 30, 2008 via iTunes debuting #86 on the Billboard Top 200 Album.Chart. A physical album followed on January 6, 2009. The first single from the album, "Pony (It's OK)" was the iTunes Single of the Week for the first week of 2009.
SleepWalking
Erin McCarley Lyrics
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Turn around into your past
Oh
You hide and seek the same addiction,
Hope you find the better one of the last
Oh
Wish on up a new star every night, oh yeah
I see you're at it again, sitting on your hands
Waiting around for the wind to change direction, oh yeah
And there you go again
Stuck in your head, having a ball as you throw your optimistic ways
It's a beautiful day
So off with your masquerade
All the people look so happy, safe beneath their plastic skin, oh
Get a rise from another's tragedy, but tip-toe so nobody can get in, oh
You're sweet-talking through you're big bed of lies
Wish on up your new star every night, oh yeah
I see you're at it again, sitting on your hands
Waiting around for the wind to change direction, Oh
There you go again
Stuck in your head, having a ball in you're fully optimistic way
Oh, doubt in you, you suffocate in your feather sleep
You twist inside your hollow eyes when the mirror speaks
I see you're at it again, sitting on your hands
Waiting around for the wind to change direction, oh yeah yeah yeah
There you go again
Stuck in your head, having ball in you're fully optimistic way, yeah
I see you're at it again, sitting on your hands
Waiting around for the wind to change direction, oh
There you go again
Stuck in your head, having a ball in you're fully optimistic way
So off with your masquerade
The lyrics to Erin McCarley's song SleepWalking appear to be focused on the theme of self-deception and the lies that people often tell themselves. The opening lines suggest the idea of turning a corner and finding oneself in a familiar place, representing a sense of going in circles and not making genuine progress. The line, "You hide and seek the same addiction, hope you find the better one of the last," reveals the idea that even though one may try to change their ways or habits, they ultimately end up back where they started.
In the chorus, the lyrics "sleepwalking through your big bed of lies" express the idea that the person is living in a state of self-deception and is not truly aware of the reality of their situation. They "wish on up a new star every night" and continue to wait for something to change without taking necessary actions to make it happen. The idea of being "stuck in your head" and "having a ball" in your optimistic ways reveals the danger of self-delusion.
The bridge of the song includes the lines "doubt in you, you suffocate in your feather sleep, you twist inside your hollow eyes when the mirror speaks," which further emphasizes the idea that the person is not facing reality and is allowing their self-deception to take control of their life. Overall, SleepWalking seems to be a commentary on the harm that comes with self-deception and the importance of facing the truth about oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
Turn the corner, too familiar
You've been down this road before and it feels all too familiar, like you're going in circles.
Turn around into your past
You're revisiting old memories and past mistakes.
You hide and seek the same addiction,
You're caught in a cycle of addiction and keep searching for a way out.
Hope you find the better one of the last
You're hopeful that you'll find a better solution to your addiction this time around.
You're sleepwalking through your big bed of lies
You're living in a world of lies and illusions, not facing reality.
Wish on up a new star every night, oh yeah
You're constantly hoping for a better future, but not taking active steps to make it happen.
I see you're at it again, sitting on your hands
You're not making any progress, just waiting for things to change on their own.
Waiting around for the wind to change direction, oh yeah
You're hoping for external circumstances to change without taking any responsibility for your own actions.
And there you go again
You're repeating the same mistakes over and over again.
Stuck in your head, having a ball as you throw your optimistic ways
You're trapped in your own thoughts and not making any effort to improve your situation, even though you pretend to be optimistic.
It's a beautiful day
Despite the positive external environment, you're still stuck in your negative mindset.
So off with your masquerade
It's time to let go of your pretenses and face reality.
All the people look so happy, safe beneath their plastic skin, oh
You're comparing yourself to others and thinking that they're all happy and carefree, but you don't know what's going on beneath the surface.
Get a rise from another's tragedy, but tip-toe so nobody can get in, oh
You take pleasure in other people's misfortunes, but don't want to be vulnerable or connected to anyone.
You're sweet-talking through your big bed of lies
You're trying to deceive yourself and others with your smooth talk and false promises.
I see you're at it again, sitting on your hands
You're not taking any active steps to change your situation.
There you go again
You're repeating the same patterns without learning from your mistakes.
Stuck in your head, having a ball in your fully optimistic way
You're feeling good about yourself, but not taking any real action to improve your life.
Oh, doubt in you, you suffocate in your feather sleep
Your doubts and fears are suffocating you, like a pillow over your face while you sleep.
You twist inside your hollow eyes when the mirror speaks
When you see yourself in the mirror, you feel empty and disconnected from your true self.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ERIN MCCARLEY, WAYNE RODRIGUEZ, JAMIE KENNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind