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.
Wilderness
Sleeping at Last Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Her armor is thin as the fabric of her dress.
I know the rules: the weaker trees bend.
But make her immune
When your temper storms in.
When she gains her balance,
Be as still as you can be.
Be the feathers underneath.
When she regains her balance,
Be as steady as she needs.
When she trusts you blindly,
Be her worthy lock and key.
Though it goes against
Every grain of your sand,
Like turning wolves
Into lambs,
Be your best for her,
Your best for her.
When she holds her balance,
Be as gentle as she needs.
When she shines her brightest,
Let no dark cloud intervene.
The song “Wilderness” by Sleeping at Last is a beautiful and heart-touching ode to the concept of wilderness. The song speaks directly to the wilderness and asks it to protect someone who is weak and in need of help. The singer wants the wilderness to be at its best and protect her. He acknowledges that she is vulnerable and her armor is thin as the fabric of her dress. He knows that the weaker trees bend, but he wants the wilderness to make her immune when the tempest storms in.
The lyrics of this song have a lot of symbolic meaning. The wilderness is not just a place, but it represents something greater. The vulnerability of the person in the song is represented by the thin armor, and the wilderness is taking care of it by protecting her from the storm. The singer acknowledges the rules of the wilderness, that weaker trees bend, but he wants it to be different for the weak person he is asking the wilderness to protect. He doesn’t want her to bend but to be immune to the storm, to be strong and able to withstand any obstacle.
The song is urging the wilderness to be present in their life, to be the feathers underneath when they are climbing, to be steady when they need, to be gentle when they hold their balance, and to let no dark cloud intervene when she shines her brightest. The wilderness is asked to be their lock and key, to protect her and keep her safe. The song is telling us that in life, we all face periods of darkness and struggle, but we need to be strong and resilient. The wilderness, with its power and beauty, represents an idea of resilience that we should all adopt.
Line by Line Meaning
Dear wilderness, be at your best.
Addressing the wilderness to bring forth its best.
Her armor is thin as the fabric of her dress.
The person being referred to is vulnerable and needs protection.
I know the rules: the weaker trees bend.
In tough situations, the person may falter and needs support.
But make her immune When your temper storms in.
The person needs protection from harm, even from those trying to help.
When she gains her balance, Be as still as you can be.
When the person is stable and strong, creating a calm environment becomes important.
When she's climbing branches, Be the feathers underneath.
Providing a soft landing or support is essential when the person is taking risks.
When she regains her balance, Be as steady as she needs.
Continuing to support and be present for the person is important even after they have regained their footing.
When she trusts you blindly, Be her worthy lock and key.
Holding trust is crucial, and being worthy of that trust is essential in any relationship.
Though it goes against Every grain of your sand, Like turning wolves Into lambs, Be your best for her, Your best for her.
Giving one's all, even when it is difficult, is the only way to provide the best support for someone in need.
When she holds her balance, Be as gentle as she needs.
Being gentle and supportive is crucial, both in times of struggle and success.
When she shines her brightest, Let no dark cloud intervene.
Celebrating others' successes and protecting those positive moments is essential for healthy relationships.
Contributed by Nolan P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.