Sleep
The Roots Feat. Aaron Livingston Lyrics


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Like when autumn leaves fall
Down from the trees
There goes my honey bee
I’ve lost a lot of sleep to dreams
And I do not miss them yet
I wouldn’t wish them on the worst of enemies
Let them burn, go from here
Like when autumn leaves

To catch a thief, who stole the soul I prayed to keep
Insomniac, bad dreams got me losing sleep
I’m dead tired, my mind playing tricks, deceit
A face in the glass, unable to admit defeat
All that I am, all that I was is history
The past unraveled, adding insult to this injury
I’m fighting the battle for the soul of the century
Destiny is everything that I pretend to be
Look, and what I did came back to me eventually
The music played on, and told me I was meant to be awake
It’s unresolved like everything I had at stake
Illegal activity controls my black symphony
Orchestrated like it happened incidentally
Oh, there I go, from a man to memory
Damn, I wonder if my fam will remember me

I've lost a lot of sleep to dreams
And I do not miss them yet
I wouldn't wish them on the worst of enemies




Let them burn, go from here
Like when autumn leaves

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Roots' song Sleep are powerful and introspective. The first few lines, "Like when autumn leaves fall, down from the trees, there goes my honey bee," are a metaphor for the loss of a loved one. The falling leaves represent the loss and the honey bee represents the person who has left. The singer acknowledges that they have lost a lot of sleep to dreams about this person, but they do not miss those dreams yet because they were not good dreams. In fact, they wouldn't wish those dreams on their worst enemy.


The second verse delves deeper into the singer's personal struggles, as they describe feeling like their soul has been stolen and experiencing insomnia and bad dreams. They feel tired and unable to admit defeat, and their past mistakes and failures are adding insult to injury. The line "I'm fighting the battle for the soul of the century" suggests that the singer is locked in a struggle to define their own identity and purpose in life.


Overall, Sleep is a deeply emotional song that explores themes of loss, regret, and personal struggle. The lyrics are expertly crafted to create vivid images and metaphors, and the music perfectly complements the mood and tone of the song.


Line by Line Meaning

Like when autumn leaves fall
Just like how leaves fall during autumn season


Down from the trees
Leaves plummeting to the ground from tree branches


There goes my honey bee
A person close to me has departed


I've lost a lot of sleep to dreams
I've been haunted by bad dreams that have caused me to lose sleep


And I do not miss them yet
I don't have any longing feelings for those dreams


I wouldn't wish them on the worst of enemies
Those dreams are so bad that I wouldn't even wish them on someone I hate


Let them burn, go from here
I want those dreams to disappear and never come back


To catch a thief, who stole the soul I prayed to keep
To regain what was once mine but was taken away from me by someone else


Insomniac, bad dreams got me losing sleep
Being an insomniac due to bad dreams and not being able to sleep


I'm dead tired, my mind playing tricks, deceit
Feeling extremely exhausted while my mind is playing tricks on me with false thoughts


A face in the glass, unable to admit defeat
Seeing my own reflection in the mirror while refusing to accept my failures


All that I am, all that I was is history
Everything that defines me now and previously has already happened and is in the past


The past unraveled, adding insult to this injury
Examining my past and realizing how much harm it has caused me


I'm fighting the battle for the soul of the century
Struggling with a major inner conflict that impacts the core of my being


Destiny is everything that I pretend to be
What I'm destined to be is not what I'm portraying or pretending to be


Look, and what I did came back to me eventually
I'm paying for the repercussions of past deeds that have come back to haunt me


The music played on, and told me I was meant to be awake
The melody of the music urged me to remain conscious and aware


It's unresolved like everything I had at stake
Everything that mattered to me is left in a state of uncertainty


Illegal activity controls my black symphony
My unlawful activities are dictating the course of my life, which feels like a dark and somber music piece


Orchestrated like it happened incidentally
The plan feels random, but it's actually part of a bigger scheme


Oh, there I go, from a man to memory
I'm rapidly transitioning from an actual person to just a recollection of the past


Damn, I wonder if my fam will remember me
I'm feeling uncertain about whether my family will still recall my existence after I'm gone


I've lost a lot of sleep to dreams
I've been haunted by bad dreams that have caused me to lose sleep


And I do not miss them yet
I don't have any longing feelings for those dreams


I wouldn't wish them on the worst of enemies
Those dreams are so bad that I wouldn't even wish them on someone I hate


Let them burn, go from here
I want those dreams to disappear and never come back


Like when autumn leaves
Just like how leaves fall during autumn season




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: AARON LIVINGSTON, AHMIR K. THOMPSON, NICOLAS BRIA KOENIG-DZIALOWSKI, TARIK L. COLLINS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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