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.
Turning Page
Sleeping at Last Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I'd wait a million more for you
Nothing prepared me for
What the privilege of being yours would do
If I had only felt the warmth within your touch
If I had only seen how you smile when you blush
Or how you curl your lip when you concentrate enough
What I was living for all along
What I've been living for
Your love is my turning page
Where only the sweetest words remain
Every kiss is a cursive line
Every touch is a redefining phrase
I surrender who I've been for who you are
For nothing makes me stronger than your fragile heart
If I had only felt how it feels to be yours
Well, I would have known
What I've been living for all along
What I've been living for
Though we're tethered to the story we must tell
When I saw you, well, I knew we'd tell it well
With a whisper we will tame the vicious seas
Like a feather bringing kingdoms to their knees
The lyrics to Sleeping at Last's song "Turning Page" are about love and the impact it can have on a person's life. The singer reflects on waiting a long time for their loved one, but acknowledges that they would wait even longer for them, emphasizing the depth of their love. The lyrics express how being in a relationship changes and enhances the singer's life, and how our experiences with love can shape who we are as individuals.
The verse "If I had only felt the warmth within your touch, If I had only seen how you smile when you blush, Or how you curl your lip when you concentrate enough, Well I would have known, What I was living for all along" is particularly poignant, as it speaks to the idea that love can give one's life purpose and meaning. The chorus emphasizes the transformative power of love, likening it to a turning page - something that marks the start of a new chapter, or perhaps a new life altogether.
The final verse "Though we're tethered to the story we must tell, When I saw you, well I knew we'd tell it well, With a whisper we will tame the vicious seas, Like a feather bringing kingdoms to their knees" speaks to the idea that love can conquer all obstacles, and that it is capable of taming even the most tumultuous situations. It is a hopeful message that speaks to the power of love to transform and overcome challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
I've waited a hundred years
I've waited eagerly for so long for the right person to come into my life.
But I'd wait a million more for you
My eagerness for you is so strong that I'd endure significant lengths of time just to be with you.
Nothing prepared me for
What the privilege of being yours would do
I had no idea how much my life would change for the better once I met you and became a part of your life.
If I had only felt the warmth within your touch
There is no greater feeling than the warmth I feel when I am touched by you.
If I had only seen how you smile when you blush
Your bashfulness and how your face lights up when you are happy or excited is one of the many things that endear you to me.
Or how you curl your lip when you concentrate enough
Even the little things you do that show how focused and determined you are make me love you even more
Well I would have known
What I was living for all along
What I've been living for
If only I had met you earlier, I would have realized what I was missing all along and what I truly wanted in my life
Your love is my turning page
Where only the sweetest words remain
Your love is like the turning of a new chapter in a book, where only the most beautiful and loving words exist
Every kiss is a cursive line
Every touch is a redefining phrase
Every kiss and touch from you is like writing in cursive, beautifully unique and meaningful in its own way.
I surrender who I've been for who you are
I willingly give up who I used to be to be with you, because you bring out the best version of myself.
For nothing makes me stronger than your fragile heart
The vulnerability and fragility of your heart only make me love and admire you more, and give me a sense of strength to protect and care for you.
If I had only felt how it feels to be yours
The feeling of being loved and cared for by you is unlike anything else, and I wish I had felt it sooner
Though we're tethered to the story we must tell
When I saw you, well I knew we'd tell it well
We may be bound by our own histories and struggles, but I knew from the moment I saw you that our love would be able to conquer anything and make for a beautiful story.
With a whisper we will tame the vicious seas
Like a feather bringing kingdoms to their knees
Our love is so powerful that we can conquer even the toughest obstacles with just a whisper. It is a force to be reckoned with, and can bring even the most powerful kingdoms to their knees.
Lyrics © REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: Ryan Curtis O'Neal
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind