When Naomi Judd found herself pregnant, she quickly got married but not to the father of her first child, daughter Christina Ciminella. Christina, born May 30, 1964, became known as Wynonna Judd when the mother-daughter duo stormed the country charts in the 1980s.
After Naomi Judd divorced, she moved from Hollywood, back to Morrill, Ky., with Wynonna and another daughter Ashley. There, she worked as a nurse in a local infirmary. Outside working and school hours, she and the children would sing anything from bluegrass to showbiz standards for their own amusement. However, when Wynonna nurtured aspirations to be a professional entertainer, her mother lent her encouragement, to the extent of moving the family to Nashville in 1979. Naomi's contralto subtly underlined Wynonna's tuneful drawl.
In addition to many performances on Ralph Emery's morning television show, Naomi elicited an audition for RCA Records while tending a hospitalized relation of label producer Brent Maher. With a past that read like a Judith Krantz novel, the Judds -- so the executives considered -- would have more than an even chance in the country market. An exploratory mini-album, which contained proved the executives correct. The single "Had a Dream (From the Heart)" peaked at No. 17 in 1984. Later that year, the Judds scored their first of 14 No. 1 hits with "Mama He's Crazy."
Self-composed songs included Naomi's 1989 composition "Change of Heart," dedicated to her future second husband (and former Elvis Presley backing vocalist) Larry Strickland. Meanwhile, Maher co-wrote hits such as 1985's Grammy-winning "Why Not Me," "Turn It Loose," "Girls Night Out," "Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout The Good Ol' Days)" and "Rockin' With the Rhythm of the Rain."
Most Judds records exhibited an acoustic bias and a penchant for star guests that included the Jordanaires on "Don't Be Cruel," Emmylou Harris on "The Sweetest Gift," Mark Knopfler on his "Water of Love" and Bonnie Raitt playing slide guitar on the album Love Can Build a Bridge. In 1988, the pair became the first female country act to found their own booking agency (Pro-Tours), but a chronic hepatitis infection forced Naomi to retire from the concert stage two years later.
The Judds toured America in a series of farewell concerts before Wynonna began her solo career. Wynonna got off to a strong start, as her first two singles both went to #1. Her 1994 single "Girls With Guitars" featured Naomi (as well as Lyle Lovett) on backup vocals.
In 1998, The Judds appeared in a commercial for the retail chain Kmart, singing Wynonna's single "Woman To Woman".
In 1999, Wynonna reunited with her mother for a New Year's Eve concert in Phoenix. The following year, the duo recorded four new tracks for a bonus disc issued with Wynonna's album New Day Dawning, and undertook a multi-city tour. The results were issued as the album Reunion Live. A 2004 single, "Flies On The Butter (You Can't Go Home Again)" was recorded with Naomi; however, the single was credited as "Wynonna with Naomi Judd" instead of "The Judds".
Endless Sleep
The Judds Lyrics
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Look for my baby, he's nowhere around.
I traced his footsteps down to the shore,
Afraid he's gone forever more.
[Chorus]
I looked at the sea, and it seemed to say,
"I took your baby from you, away."
"Come join your baby in my endless sleep."
Why did we quarrel? Why did we fight?
Why did I leave him alone tonight?
That's why his footsteps ran to the sea.
That's why my baby is gone from me.
[Chorus]
Ran in the water, heart full of fear.
There, in the breakers, I saw him near.
Reached for my baby, held him to me,
Stole him away from the endless sleep.
I looked at the sea and it seemed to say,
"You took your baby from me, away."
My heart cried out, "He's mine to keep!"
I saved my baby from that endless sleep.
I saved my baby from that endless sleep.
I saved my baby from that endless sleep.
The Judds’ song Endless Sleep tells the story of a woman who is searching for her lover who has gone missing. She is in a state of panic as she searches for him in the darkness of the night, with rain pouring down on her. She is afraid that he has left her forever, but follows his footsteps down to the shore. It is here that she realizes that he has walked out into the ocean and is gone forevermore.
As she stares out into the sea, she hears a voice calling out from the deep. The sea seems to be telling her that it took her lover away and that she should come to him in his endless sleep. She is haunted by the questions of why they quarreled and why she left him alone on this fateful night. She understands that it was her actions that led to him leaving her for good.
However, as she continues to look out into the sea, she sees her lover in the breakers, and rushes to him, holding him close. The sea once again speaks to her, telling her that she took her baby away from it, and that he belongs to the ocean. But she refuses to give up her lover to the sea’s endless sleep. She knows that she has to save her baby from that eternal slumber, and she does so by holding him tight and bringing him back to safety.
Overall, the song is a haunting tale of love and loss, and the lengths that one woman will go to in order to save her lover. It is a reflection on the choices we make and their consequences, and the pain that comes from losing someone we love.
Line by Line Meaning
The night was dark, rain fallin' down.
It was a somber and dreary night with heavy rainfall.
Look for my baby, he's nowhere around.
The singer is searching for their significant other who is missing.
I traced his footsteps down to the shore,
The singer followed their loved one's footprints leading towards the beach.
Afraid he's gone forever more.
The artist is anxious that their loved one may have left for good.
I looked at the sea, and it seemed to say,
The artist imagines the sea talking and giving a message.
"I took your baby from you, away."
The sea appears to be telling the singer that it is responsible for taking their loved one away.
I heard a voice, cryin' in the deep,
The singer hears a voice that is weeping from the sea.
"Come join your baby in my endless sleep."
The sea's voice is a call to the artist to reunite with their missing loved one in eternal rest.
Why did we quarrel? Why did we fight?
The artist is wondering why they had disagreements and conflicts with their loved one.
Why did I leave him alone tonight?
The artist is regretful of not being with their partner on that particular night.
That's why his footsteps ran to the sea.
The singer understands that their partner may have gone towards the sea due to their disagreements and the singer's absence.
That's why my baby is gone from me.
The artist connects their partner's absence to their own actions.
Ran in the water, heart full of fear.
The singer ran into the sea with anxiety and apprehension.
There, in the breakers, I saw him near.
The singer finds their loved one amidst the sea's waves.
Reached for my baby, held him to me,
The singer reaches out and embraces their loved one.
Stole him away from the endless sleep.
The artist saves their partner from the sea's call for eternal slumber.
My heart cried out, "He's mine to keep!"
The artist declares their love and ownership over their partner.
I saved my baby from that endless sleep.
The singer successfully rescues their loved one from the sea's lure of neverending rest.
I saved my baby from that endless sleep.
The singer emphasizes their triumph in saving their partner.
I saved my baby from that endless sleep.
The artist restates their success in rescuing their loved one.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DOLORES NANCE, JODY REYNOLDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind