Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Brickman enrolled in the Cleveland Institute of Music taking courses in composition and performance, while taking business classes at Case Western Reserve University. His music career started when he was nineteen, when Jim Henson hired him to write tunes for Sesame Street. He was also hired to write commercial jingles while in college.
Brickman writes a wide variety of music. Besides his piano compositions and love songs, he has also created arrangements of other songs. Several of his albums feature arrangements of children's music; he has produced two Christmas-themed albums The Gift (1997) and Peace (2003); and his 2005 album Grace concentrates on arrangements of well-known Christian music.
Jim Brickman has also starred in the now-on-DVD PBS specials "My Romance: An Evening with Jim Brickman", "Love Songs & Lullabies" and "The Disney Songbook." In 2006, he sponsored his first Jim Brickman Valentine's Day Cruise with Carnival Cruise Lines which has become an annual event.
Bedtime Story
Jim Brickman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the fan is blowing too loud
Even my heartbeat wakes me up
And I can't drown it out
Cause my eyelids ain′t heavy enough
And there ain't enough sheep on the ceiling to count
Ain't slept a wink since you left me
You′re my bedtime story
Bedtime but I can′t sleep
No bedtime story, bedtime story
Oh
I never really liked this apartment, no
There's not enough windows
That ain′t the reason you left
I did that by myself
But I wish you'd come back before the sun comes up again
Cause my eyelids ain′t heavy enough
And there ain't enough sheep on the ceiling to count
Ain′t slept a wink since you left me
No inspiration to dream, baby
You're my bedtime story
Bedtime but I can't sleep
No bedtime story, bedtime story
Oh
You gotta let me read just a page of you baby
You gotta help me sleep this ain′t healthy, no way
Where′s my bedtime story
Just three words to my bedtime story, bedtime story oh
Every time I lay my head down
Baby I, baby I, I'm thinking of you
Baby I, I′m thinking of you
Every time I lay my head down
Baby I, baby I, I'm thinking of you
Baby I, I′m thinking of you
Ain't slept a wink since you left me
No inspiration to dream
Baby you′re my bedtime story
Bedtime but I can't sleep
My bedtime story, bedtime story
You gotta let me read just a page of you baby
You gotta help me sleep this ain't healthy, no way
Where′s my bedtime story
Just three words in my bedtime story, bedtime story oh
I love you
I love you
The lyrics of Jim Brickman's "Bedtime Story" are about suffering from insomnia since the beloved partner left. The singer cannot find comfort on their pillows while the fan they have on is too loud for them to be able to sleep. They cannot even drown out their thoughts and heartbeat, no matter how much they try. The singer counts sheep on the ceiling, however, it does not help them at all. They cannot sleep, and the reason for that is the absence of their partner, which makes them unable to dream or even find inspiration to do so.
The singer expresses how much they miss and love their partner. They wish their partner would come back before they see the sun rise again. The singer is struggling with insomnia and wants their partner to help them manage it, "You gotta let me read just a page of you baby, You gotta help me sleep this ain′t healthy, no way. Where′s my bedtime story, just three words in my bedtime story, bedtime story oh, I love you, I love you."
The song speaks of a simple desire for comfort in a partner's presence. The singer seeks comfort in their partner's presence, and their absence causes them insomnia, a longing that only their partner can satiate. The song's title "Bedtime Story" refers to the singer's hope that their partner's return will allow them to sleep soundly like they did as children.
Line by Line Meaning
My pillows ain't giving no comfort
The singer's pillows are unable to provide any comfort.
And the fan is blowing too loud
The fan in the room is making too much noise.
Even my heartbeat wakes me up
The singer's own heartbeat is keeping them awake.
And I can't drown it out
The artist is unable to ignore the sound of their own heartbeat.
Cause my eyelids ain't heavy enough
The artist is unable to fall asleep, despite feeling tired.
And there ain't enough sheep on the ceiling to count
The singer has tried counting sheep to help them fall asleep, but it hasn't worked.
Ain't slept a wink since you left me
The singer hasn't been able to sleep since their partner left them.
No inspiration to dream, baby
The artist is unable to dream because they feel uninspired, possibly due to their heartbreak.
You're my bedtime story
The artist is thinking of their partner as a comforting story to help them fall asleep.
Bedtime but I can't sleep
Despite it being bedtime, the artist is still unable to fall asleep.
No bedtime story, bedtime story
The singer is looking for a bedtime story to help them sleep, but there is none available.
I never really liked this apartment, no
The artist is expressing their dislike for their current living situation.
There's not enough windows
The singer feels that there is not enough natural light in their apartment.
That ain't the reason you left
Their partner leaving them was not because of the apartment's lack of windows.
I did that by myself
The singer takes responsibility for their partner leaving them.
But I wish you'd come back before the sun comes up again
The artist wishes for their partner to return to their life as soon as possible.
You gotta let me read just a page of you baby
The artist is expressing their desire for their partner to be with them so they can feel comforted and fall asleep.
You gotta help me sleep this ain't healthy, no way
The singer acknowledges that their inability to sleep is unhealthy and asks for their partner's help to overcome it.
Where's my bedtime story
The singer is continuing to look for a comforting bedtime story.
Just three words in my bedtime story, bedtime story oh
The artist is asking for their partner to say 'I love you' as a comforting bedtime story.
Every time I lay my head down
The artist is expressing how often they lay down to try to sleep.
Baby I, baby I, I'm thinking of you
The artist is thinking of their partner when they try to fall asleep.
Ain't slept a wink since you left me
The singer repeats their inability to sleep since their partner left.
No inspiration to dream
The artist is unable to dream, further emphasizing their feelings of being uninspired and heartbroken.
My bedtime story, bedtime story
The singer still longs for a comforting bedtime story.
I love you
The final line is the comforting bedtime story that the singer was looking for: 'I love you.'
Writer(s): Jim Brickman
Contributed by Nicholas R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Tatonka Peach
I have a majority of your piano books and have been a fan since I was a kid. I can never get enough. I hope someday if I ever get married I will find a man that plays piano too and I can sing with him. Jim your music and your piano books have been a blessing in my life. Some nights like tonight when I’m sad I play waterfall and lake eerie in loops and I feel much better. Thank you for everything Jim. Xoxoxo
Marlene Colclough
Love Jim Brickmans music
Sandy C
Love this music♡♡Thankyou.
Kate Evans
this is just what I needed today . . . thanks, Jim!
Lee Ohley-tannebaum
Jim, incredible your gift.
Joseph Rizza
It makes me think of my old visiting nurse I had
Onegyun Yun
한국에서 듣고 있습니다.