Cash released her first single in 1979, a duet with Bobby Bare called "We Don't Need No Memories Hangin' 'Round". Two years later, she had her first country No. 1 (and the biggest commercial hit of her career), "Seven Year Ache". Although Cash was a prominent country star throughout the '80s, alongside fellow decade-defining artists Emmylou Harris, Juice Newton, and Dolly Parton, her music was anything but traditional: She topped the charts with songs written not only by herself, but by her father ("Tennessee Flat Top Box"), John Hiatt ("The Way We Make a Broken Heart"), Tom Petty ("Never Be You") and the Beatles ("I Don't Want to Spoil the Party"), "I Don't Know Why You Don't Want Me", which won her a Grammy in 1985, and "It's Such a Small World", a 1987 duet with Rodney Crowell on his album Diamonds & Dirt, provided further hits. A sampling of these songs and more are included on the compilation Hits 1979-1989. In 1979, she married Rodney Crowell, who was to produce most of her hit records. Their stormy marriage lasted until 1992; its break-up is chronicled in Cash's Interiors and in Crowell's album Life Is Messy. Cash later married John Leventhal, who produced her albums The Wheel, 10 Song Demo, Rules of Travel, and Black Cadillac.
To date, Cash has had more than twenty top 40 country singles, including eleven chart-toppers, but none since 1990, and she has left Nashville in both spirit and body to pursue her artistic vision. Although she had recorded all of her hits for Columbia Records' Nashville division, she released 10 Song Demo for the pop division of Capitol. Cash resurfaced in 2003 with Rules of Travel. The album features guest appearances by Sheryl Crow and Steve Earle, as well as a tune penned by Joe Henry and the Wallflowers' Jakob Dylan. Cash's latest album, entitled Black Cadillac, was released by Capitol Records in January 2006 to critical acclaim. Many of the songs were written by Cash and address the losses (within a 24-month span) of her step-mother, her father, her step-sister (Rosey Nix Adams) and then finally her mother on Cash's fiftieth birthday.
Sleeping In Paris
Rosanne Cash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Over you tonight
And you send them right back
To me
A lonely road is a bodyguard
If we really want it to be
There's a fascination behind
Every window
And soon we'll be sleeping in Paris
And we can set those angels free
No one sees behind the mask
No one knows I'm sinking fast
But soon we'll be sleeping in Paris
And we can set those angels free
Love is just a lunar slave
It's tied to the ebb and flow
Generations get glued to the waves
Just to see which way they'll go
There's a desperation on wild street corners
But I think you're just waiting for me
And soon we'll be sleeping in Paris
And we can set those wild ones free
No one sees behind the door
But everyday it's one step forward
And soon we'll be sleeping in Paris
And we can set those wild ones free
All those nights I laid with my eyes closed
But not sleeping at all
Those nights
I thought I knew which way the wind blows
But now its blowing me back to you
And the wind speaks French too
No one sees and no one knows
But every day I'm letting go
And soon we'll be sleeping in Paris
Soon we'll we sleeping in Paris
And we can set those angels free
In the first verse of Sleeping In Paris, Rosanne Cash sets a tone of hope and reassurance for her loved one. She promises to send angels to watch over them, and that they will also send the angels right back to her. The idea of these angels watching over them creates a sense of protection and safety, as they are on a lonely road together. Cash suggests that this road can be a bodyguard for them, but only if they truly want it to be.
In the second verse, Cash talks about the desperation on wild street corners, but explains that she believes her loved one is waiting for her. This creates a sense of longing and anticipation that is present throughout the song. She goes on to suggest that love is a lunar slave, tied to the ebb and flow of the tides. Here, she is acknowledging the fact that relationships can be unpredictable and constantly changing, but that they are willing to face whatever comes their way.
In the final verse, Cash reflects on nights where she laid with her eyes closed but was not sleeping at all. She thought she knew which way the wind blew, but now it's blowing her back to her loved one. The wind speaking French is a nod to the idea of them sleeping in Paris, and it symbolizes the idea of being swept away by the romantic and enchanting city. Overall, Sleeping In Paris is a song about two people who are willing to face whatever challenges come their way as long as they have each other.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll send the angels to watch
I will ensure that you are protected tonight.
Over you tonight
I will make sure the angels are watching over you tonight.
And you send them right back
Send back the angels to me.
To me
Send back the angels to me.
A lonely road is a bodyguard
Traveling alone can be protective of oneself.
If we really want it to be
Only if we think of it as such.
There's a fascination behind
There's always something intriguing on the other side of the window.
Every window
Every window holds a fascination.
But I know you really care for me
I am certain that you love and care for me.
And soon we'll be sleeping in Paris
Soon we'll be together, resting in Paris.
And we can set those angels free
We can release the angels from duty.
No one sees behind the mask
No one sees the true self behind the persona I present.
No one knows I'm sinking fast
I am struggling but nobody is aware of it.
Love is just a lunar slave
Love can keep us trapped like the moon is by tides.
It's tied to the ebb and flow
Love is tied to the ebb and flow of life.
Generations get glued to the waves
Families often get stuck in the same cycles passed down through each generation.
Just to see which way they'll go
To see if they will finally break free of the cycle or if it will continue on.
There's a desperation on wild street corners
There is a sense of hopelessness felt in dangerous areas of town.
But I think you're just waiting for me
But I believe that you are waiting for me to join you.
And we can set those wild ones free
We can leave behind that dangerous environment and start anew.
No one sees behind the door
Nobody knows what goes on behind closed doors.
But everyday it's one step forward
Each day, I take one step closer to moving on from the past.
All those nights I laid with my eyes closed
All those nights I pretended to sleep.
But not sleeping at all
But never really finding rest.
Those nights
Those restless nights.
I thought I knew which way the wind blows
I thought I knew the direction my life was headed.
But now its blowing me back to you
But now it is leading me back to you.
And the wind speaks French too
The wind in Paris speaks the same language of love we share.
But every day I'm letting go
Every day I work on accepting my past and moving on.
Soon we'll be sleeping in Paris
Soon we will rest together in the city of love.
Soon we'll be sleeping in Paris
Soon we will rest together in the city of love.
And we can set those angels free
We can release the angels from duty.
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: ROSANNE CASH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jeffery Dewberry
my absolute favorite song...it breaks me every time I hear it
Nicky Mc
One of my favorites of this beautiful songwriter.
notsodelusional
It's a shame RC doesn't get the credit she should as a musician and song writer.
kevingoto0123
Second best song on "The Wheel" album - I actually got to request "The Wheel" at her concert in Folsom and she played it as her next song. Awesome ...
Mike Bailey
I finally got to see her in Greensboro, NC. The show was just the two of them... It was wonderful.
Jeff Williams
Our greatest living songwriter
Christine Pace
Song brought me to Tears 😭
kayt
My first wedding dance song
kelly begaye
Rosanne Cash can you do a Sleeping In Pairs Music Video and love you so much
hill2mason
I love this. is her husband angry? he seems unhappy and doesn't smile......handsome though