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.
Sun
Sleeping at Last Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sleeping at Last
With golden streams
Our universe was clothed in light
Pulling at the seams
Our once flaring world now friends with fire
Every time we open up our eyes
I get spaced in time
Takes violent things, angry things
And makes them kind
We are the dust of dust
We are the apple of God’s eye
We are infinite
As the universe will hold you inside
Infinity times infinity
Infinity times infinity times infinity
Infinity times infinity times infinity times infinity
Let there be light, let there be light
Let me be right
The dust of dust
We are the apple of God’s eye
We are infinite
As the universe will hold you inside
We are the dust of dust
We are the apple of God’s eye
We are infinite
As the universe will hold us inside
Ooohhh ooohh ooohhh
Ooohhh ooohh oohhh
Let there be light, let there be light
Let me be right
With golden streams
Our universe was brought to light
That we may fall in love
Every time we open up our eyes
The song "Sun" by Sleeping at Last reflects on the idea of creation and the beauty of the universe. The first verse, "With golden streams, our universe was clothed in light, pulling at the seams, our once flaring world now friends with fire," depicts the creation of the universe and the beauty that comes with it. The metaphorical imagery of the universe being clothed in light and pulling at the seams suggests an energetic and expansive beginning. The idea of a "flaring world" that is now "friends with fire" speaks to the idea of progress and growth.
The chorus, "We are the dust of dust, we are the apple of God's eye, we are infinite, as the universe will hold you inside," reinforces the theme of creation and the idea that humans are small but significant parts of the universe. The phrase "dust of dust" reflects the idea that humans are made of atoms and elements that are part of the natural world. "The apple of God's eye" is a biblical reference to a chosen or cherished people, suggesting that humans are special and loved. The repetition of "infinity" emphasizes the vastness of the universe.
The second verse, "Takes violent things, angry things and makes them kind," suggests that the universe has the power to transform negative things into positive ones. It implies that even when things seem destructive or chaotic, there is always potential for growth and rebuilding. The final chorus, "Let there be light, let there be light, let me be right," reinforces the idea of creation and the importance of light for growth and life.
Overall, "Sun" is a reflective and contemplative song about the beauty of creation and humanity's place in the universe. It suggests that humans are small but significant parts of a larger whole and that even in chaos, there is potential for growth and transformation.
Line by Line Meaning
With golden streams
Our universe was created with magnificent light
Our universe was clothed in light
Light surrounds our world
Pulling at the seams
The universe is expanding and growing
Our once flaring world now friends with fire
A once volatile world now has found peace
We may fall in love
Love can happen at any moment
Every time we open up our eyes
Being alive brings new opportunities and experiences
I get spaced in time
Time seems to slow down when experiencing something special
Takes violent things, angry things
Even negative emotions can be transformed by love
And makes them kind
Love can change people for the better
We are the dust of dust
Our physical bodies are made of atoms and stardust
We are the apple of God's eye
We are precious and valued by a higher power
We are infinite
Our potential and possibilities are endless
As the universe will hold you inside
We are connected to the universe and everything in it
Infinity times infinity
There are infinite possibilities and outcomes
Let there be light, let there be light
Hope and light are needed in a world that can be dark and uncertain
Let me be right
Desire for clarity and understanding
We are the apple of God’s eye
We are valued and cherished
As the universe will hold us inside
We are part of something bigger than ourselves
Ooohhh ooohh ooohhh
Musical interlude
Ooohhh ooohh oohhh
Musical interlude
With golden streams
Our universe was created with magnificent light
Our universe was brought to light
Light brought the universe into existence
That we may fall in love
The world around us is filled with beauty and wonder that can inspire love
Every time we open up our eyes
Being awake and present in the world allows us to experience and appreciate it
Contributed by Wyatt Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@olliecon5385
LYRICS
With golden string
Our universe was clothed in light
Pulling at the seams
Our once barren world now brims with life
That we may fall in love
Every time we open up our eyes
I guess space, and time
Takes violent things, angry things
And makes them kind
We are the dust of dust
We are the apple of God's eye
We are infinite as the universe we hold inside
Infinity times infinity
Infinity times infinity times infinity
Infinity times infinity times infinity times infinity
Let there be light, let there be light, let me be right
The dust of dust
We are the apple of God's eye
We are infinite as the universe we hold inside
We are the dust of dust
We are the apple of God's eye
We are infinite as the universe we hold inside
Let there be light, let there be light, let me be right
With golden string
Our universe was brought to life
That we may fall in love
Every time we open up our eyes
@tara3096
THE GIRL OF THE SUN
One day the people on earth woke up at dawn on a heavenly bright light coming out of the sun.
They freaked out and had nothing else to do but watch and wait,
all of sudden the sun split off into two pieces and the light went madly bright.
That's when they saw a breathtaking scene; there was a girl coming out of the core of the sun.
She had the skin color of pale gold, perfect lips made with the texture of marble, deep eyes that had the sparking of everyone's favorite sunshine, a body that presented the greatest dawns, and two hands that held the warmth of the whole sun. They were all amazed by her personality that was as strong as the sun of July.
They called her 'the girl of the sun'.
The days passed by and the birth of this girl started to become a legend.. And I didn't believe those legends until I myself, met the girl of the sun.
Until I drowned in her sunshiny eyes, until I melt in her lovely arms and touched her perfect hair, I didn't believe it until I realized how perfect she was for just a normal girl.
But of course she wasn't a normal girl, she was "The Girl Of The Sun".
The girl of the sun wore a reflection of my broken heart as necklace because her heart was full. The girl of the sun wore sadness in her eyes just to remind us of how sad beauty it. The girl of the sun doesn't need maps because she'll always find her way to my heart.
My heart was so precious and no ordinary girl deserved it, so I gave it to the girl of the sun.
(If you read this, thanks for your time)
@dergeneral5916
[Traducción al español]
Con hilo de oro
Nuestro universo fue vestido de luz
Estirando de las telas
Nuestro estéril mundo fue llevado a la vida
Que nos volvamos a enamorar
Cada vez que abramos nuestros ojos
Supongo que el espacio-tiempo
toma cosas malas, cosas violentas
y las hace buenas.
Somos el polvo del polvo.
Somos la manzana del ojo de dios.
Somos infinitos,
como en universo que nos alberga.
Infinitas veces infinito.
Infinitas veces infinito, Infinitas veces infinito.
Infinitas veces infinito, Infinitas veces infinito, Infinitas veces infinito.
Deja que haya luz,
Deja que haya luz,
Deja que tenga la razón.
El polvo del polvo.
Somos la manzana del ojo de dios.
Somos infinitos,
como en universo que nos alberga.
Deja que haya luz,
Deja que haya luz,
Deja que tenga la razón.
Con hilo de oro,
nuestro universo fue traído a la vida,
(De manera) Que nos volvamos a enamorar
cada vez que abrimos los ojos.
@phildapickll
This entire album has me shook
@redrowlet5481
Melanie Lamrock can you tell me which album this is from? :(
@flowerchild-44
Just listening to the whole thing. Never heard of them before, but I'm in love. Have a feeling I will cherish these songs for years❤
@EveleaSolgos
+Shannon Murphy 'Space' by Sleeping at Last. (Note: it's part of an ongoing project which is a collection of albums called Atlas, so in some places it might be titled Atlas: Space) :)
@ryyeah6248
Melanie Lamrock Yeah 🐾🐾💚💚
@dudeno5811
@@redrowlet5481 space by sleeping at last
@curiousniffler
This song pulses. I don't know how to explain what that means but it just does.
@rainbow-on1be
it's alive 🦋
@wannabedrewafualo
Mm, I think I know what you mean! It’s almost as if the song itself is so personable it has a pulse. ✨💕
@UCLAdrummer
I know exactly what you mean, I feel it too.