Near its inception, Sleeping At Last's amateur debut album, Capture, was noticed by Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan, who helped expose the music to the major-label world. Soon after, the band signed to Interscope Records and released 2003's Ghosts , their first official full-length album. Two independently-released full-length records followed: 2006's Keep No Score and 2009's Storyboards . In between the writing and recording of albums, the band has established a reputation for a pitch-perfect live show, successfully headlining several U.S. tours and sharing the stage with such artists as Switchfoot, Yellowcard, Something Corporate, Billy Corgan's Zwan, Alanis Morrisette, Lifehouse, and Phantom Planet, just to name a few. The creative process has always been protected, as the band self-produced each record, working with respected mixers such as John Goodmanson and Alan Moulder.
After the departure of drummer Chad O'Neal in 2011, the remaining duo embarked on the ambitious Yearbook project, in which O'Neal and Perdue released three songs on the first of every month in individual EPs. After its completion, all EPs were compiled into an LP and published independently. However, upon the final release of the Yearbook series, Perdue stepped down from the duo, leaving Ryan O'Neal a solo artist under the group's pre-existing moniker.
On December 10, 2012, O'Neal announced his largest project to date: the Atlas series, a three-part project approaching the themes of the origins of the universe and human development. Similar to 2011's Yearbook compilation, each set of new songs would be released as individual EPs until each part's completion, at which time the compilation of songs would be released as an LP. Up to now, 2014's Atlas I and 2019's Atlas II remain as stellar examples of O'Neal's accomplishments as a solo independent artist. Production on Atlas III is in progress, and its first two songs, "Overture III" and "Awake" have been released as singles.
Besides the Atlas series, O'Neal has kept busy with other projects, including three albums of covers commissioned by ABC's "Grey's Anatomy", in which Sleeping At Last has appeared a whopping 77 times. Sleeping At Last also produced the scores for the documentaries Many Beautiful Things (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) and charity:water's The Spring (Original Score). Finally, O'Neal has released multiple singles surrounding significant astronomical events, published as a compilation in 2020 under the title of Astronomy, Vol. 1.
Sleeping At Last has long been a beacon shining brightly on behalf of independent artists. In the ever-changing climate of the music industry, the quest for a successful independent career seems evermore difficult to attain. From his new home in L.A., O'Neal pursues this challenge relentlessly through his commitment to musical integrity in his songwriting, and in this way nurtures a unique and personal relationship with his listeners. He has remained true to the things that brought him to music in the first place: his love of melody and the power of words. His music and lyrics emerge from a place that is honest, raw, and spiritual: Says Ryan, "Our faith is a big part of who we are, but we have always intended our music to be for anyone that cares to listen, no matter who they are or what they believe in. Everyone hears a song in a different light."
In keeping with this, Ryan's lyrics ask every important question that occurs. While he promises no fast, sure answers, he somehow always offers hope as the consistent, overarching theme.
Aperture
Sleeping at Last Lyrics
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A blurry photograph that i have since ignored.
I'll carefully adjust the aperture once more,
Until i set the record straight.
I'll brush aside the dim, make room for the bright.
I'll be an editor, no, a curator of light.
I'll let my better angels always set me right,
Until i even out the score.
God, it has been quite a year-
I've lived a little bit and i've died a little more.
I know that i've asked it before,
But please let the scale tip here in my favor.
What was once the sweetest melody i've heard
Is now a memory reduced to little words.
I'll tune the orchestra and play the overture,
Until i pinpoint every note.
Give me the heart of an archeologist,
That i may dig until i prove that i exist.
A subterranean cathedral in my midst,
Where echos come to rest.
Where echos come to rest.
Is this where echos come to rest?
God, it has been quite a year-
I've lived a little bit and i've died a little more.
I know that i've asked it before,
But please let the scale tip here in my favor.
Until i set the record straight,
Until i set the record straight,
Until i can set the record straight.
The first stanza of Sleeping at Last's song Aperture speaks of the search for happiness and how it can be a fleeting and elusive feeling. The singer compares happiness to a blurry photograph, something that has been experienced before but forgotten or ignored over time. The metaphor of adjusting the aperture of a camera is used to signify the singer's attempt to focus on and capture happiness once again. The phrase "set the record straight" suggests that the singer wants to correct any past misunderstandings or mistakes in their search for happiness.
The second stanza addresses the highs and lows of life, with the singer acknowledging that they have both lived and suffered throughout this year. The metaphor of the scale tipping in their favor indicates a desire for balance and positivity in their life. The singer then reflects on a past memory that was once a beautiful melody, but has now been reduced to mere words. They express a desire to tune the orchestra and play the overture until they can hear every note and fully understand the beauty of that memory.
The final stanza continues the theme of exploration and discovery, with the singer wishing for the heart of an archeologist to dig deep and uncover their own existence. The subterranean cathedral represents the innermost depths of the singer's being, where echoes come to rest. The song concludes with a repetition of the desire to set the record straight, to capture happiness and balance, and to fully understand and embrace one's own existence.
Line by Line Meaning
Happiness is somewhere i have been before-
I have felt happiness in the past, but I have neglected to cherish it and it has become a distant memory.
A blurry photograph that i have since ignored.
The happy memory has become fuzzy and unclear due to my neglect.
I'll carefully adjust the aperture once more,
I will consciously make an effort to bring the happy memory back into focus and relive it.
Until i set the record straight.
I will work to correct my neglect of the happy memory and make it a clear and present part of my life.
I'll brush aside the dim, make room for the bright.
I will push aside the negative aspects of my life and allow the positive aspects to shine through.
I'll be an editor, no, a curator of light.
I will carefully curate the positive aspects of my life and present them in the best possible light.
I'll let my better angels always set me right,
I will listen to my conscience and allow it to guide me towards doing what is right.
Until i even out the score.
I will work to balance out the negative aspects of my life with the positive ones.
God, it has been quite a year-
The past year has been difficult.
I've lived a little bit and i've died a little more.
I have experienced both good and bad times, but the bad times have taken a toll on me.
I know that i've asked it before,
I have previously asked for help or a change in my circumstances.
But please let the scale tip here in my favor.
I am hoping for a shift towards positive experiences and outcomes in my life.
What was once the sweetest melody i've heard
A positive experience or memory that was once the most enjoyable thing I have experienced.
Is now a memory reduced to little words.
The experience has become a distant and faded memory.
I'll tune the orchestra and play the overture,
I will make an effort to relive the positive memory and make it prominent in my life.
Until i pinpoint every note.
I will fully immerse myself in the positive experience and relish every aspect of it.
Give me the heart of an archeologist,
I desire to dig deep and uncover hidden aspects of myself and my life.
That i may dig until i prove that i exist.
I want to explore myself and my experiences to the extent that I can validate my own existence.
A subterranean cathedral in my midst,
I see myself as having hidden depths that are worth exploring.
Where echos come to rest.
These hidden depths are where my memories and experiences reside.
Is this where echos come to rest?
I am questioning whether my hidden depths truly contain my memories and experiences.
Until i can set the record straight.
I will continue to work towards making positive aspects of my life more prominent and correcting neglect of positive memories.
Contributed by Zachary P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.