I Can't Sleep (song)
Encyclopedia
"I Can't Sleep" is a song co-written and recorded by American
country music singer Clay Walker
. It was released in January 2004 as the second single from his 2003 album, A Few Questions
, it peaked at #9 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs
) chart, and features Chely Wright
(with whom Walker co-wrote the song) on background vocals.
Walker said, "It's an R&B kind of song I started one day at the beach. Not long after that, Chely Wright and Lonestar's Richie McDonald came on my bus at a show in Colorado and we played songs we'd each started writing. When I played a piece of 'I Can't Sleep,' Chely said she could help me finish it. And when we played it at Chely's annual charity fundraiser during Fan Fair last June, it got a standing ovation."
Chely Wright told Jam!
"The most creative thing happened the other night when we were in Colorado and Clay Walker was on the show as well. I popped up on his bus to say hi ... we got to talkin' about songs and we passed the guitar back and forth a couple of times and played some new stuff we'd written. We sat there and wrote a brand new song. It's moments like that which are the most exciting ... a song just pops out because you love music."
In the second verse of the song, the narrator looks back at when his wife said, "We couldn't last / [He] couldn't swallow [his] pride", and that losing her wakes him up in the middle of the night.
commented in her review of "A Few Questions", "On "I Can't Sleep," you can almost hear Walker pleading for the crossover success of Garth Brooks or Tim McGraw.".
was directed by Trey Fanjoy
. It features Clay wandering the streets of a foreign city looking for the one he loves. Some scenes also feature him sitting on his bed singing the song. The music video premiered on CMT's "Most Wanted Live" on January 24, 2004.
The music video was filmed in Havana, Cuba in December 2003, Walker stated, "If anyone has any doubt as to what life would be like without the freedoms and liberties granted to us in America, I suggest they spend a little time in a Communist country like Cuba." During an interview with The Dallas Morning News
Walker said, "It's really different being in a communist country. I never realized how oppressive communism is. It was depressing to me. As Americans, we are all in 100 percent control of our attitudes. But when you live in a communist country, you have no hope. I don't care what you are, a conservative Republican or a liberal Democrat, before you open your mouth to run down this country, you should go spend a week in Cuba and see how things are in that country. There will be no food wasted on my plate. People have nothing to eat there."
Hot Country Singles & Tracks
chart dated December 13, 2003. The song charted for a total of 29 weeks, and finally peaked at #9 on the chart dated June 19, 2004. Additionally, it peaked at #61 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
country music singer Clay Walker
Clay Walker
Ernest Clayton "Clay" Walker Jr. is an American country music artist. He made his debut in 1993 with the single "What's It to You," which reached Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts, as did its follow-up, 1994's "Live Until I Die." Both singles were included on...
. It was released in January 2004 as the second single from his 2003 album, A Few Questions
A Few Questions
-Critical reception:Ralph Novak of People Magazine gave the album 2 and a half stars and wrote "The singer ponders a bit too much for his own good."...
, it peaked at #9 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
) chart, and features Chely Wright
Chely Wright
Richell Rene "Chely" Wright is an American country music artist and, starting in 2010, gay rights activist. On the strength of her debut album in 1994, the Academy of Country Music named her Top New Female Vocalist in 1995. Wright's first Top 40 country hit came in 1997 with "Shut Up and Drive"...
(with whom Walker co-wrote the song) on background vocals.
Background
In an interview with Country WeeklyCountry Weekly
Country Weekly is an American tabloid style weekly magazine established in 1994. The magazine focuses on country music stars and events, and regularly features exclusive interviews with recording artists and country music news...
Walker said, "It's an R&B kind of song I started one day at the beach. Not long after that, Chely Wright and Lonestar's Richie McDonald came on my bus at a show in Colorado and we played songs we'd each started writing. When I played a piece of 'I Can't Sleep,' Chely said she could help me finish it. And when we played it at Chely's annual charity fundraiser during Fan Fair last June, it got a standing ovation."
Chely Wright told Jam!
Jam!
Jam! is a Canadian website, which covers entertainment news. It is part of the CANOE online portal, owned and operated by Quebecor through its Sun Media division....
"The most creative thing happened the other night when we were in Colorado and Clay Walker was on the show as well. I popped up on his bus to say hi ... we got to talkin' about songs and we passed the guitar back and forth a couple of times and played some new stuff we'd written. We sat there and wrote a brand new song. It's moments like that which are the most exciting ... a song just pops out because you love music."
Content
The song describes a narrator who has been up all night long waiting for his wife to return home.In the second verse of the song, the narrator looks back at when his wife said, "We couldn't last / [He] couldn't swallow [his] pride", and that losing her wakes him up in the middle of the night.
Reception
Mandy Davis of the St. Louis Post-DispatchSt. Louis Post-Dispatch
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is the major city-wide newspaper in St. Louis, Missouri. Although written to serve Greater St. Louis, the Post-Dispatch is one of the largest newspapers in the Midwestern United States, and is available and read as far west as Kansas City, Missouri, as far south as...
commented in her review of "A Few Questions", "On "I Can't Sleep," you can almost hear Walker pleading for the crossover success of Garth Brooks or Tim McGraw.".
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was directed by Trey Fanjoy
Trey Fanjoy
Trey Fanjoy is a country music and pop music video director. Fanjoy has directed over 150 major label music videos. Her videos have appeared on CMT, VH-1, GAC, The Nashville Network, CMT Canada, and MTV.-Music videos:...
. It features Clay wandering the streets of a foreign city looking for the one he loves. Some scenes also feature him sitting on his bed singing the song. The music video premiered on CMT's "Most Wanted Live" on January 24, 2004.
The music video was filmed in Havana, Cuba in December 2003, Walker stated, "If anyone has any doubt as to what life would be like without the freedoms and liberties granted to us in America, I suggest they spend a little time in a Communist country like Cuba." During an interview with The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News is the major daily newspaper serving the Dallas, Texas area, with a circulation of 264,459 subscribers, the Audit Bureau of Circulations reported in September 2010...
Walker said, "It's really different being in a communist country. I never realized how oppressive communism is. It was depressing to me. As Americans, we are all in 100 percent control of our attitudes. But when you live in a communist country, you have no hope. I don't care what you are, a conservative Republican or a liberal Democrat, before you open your mouth to run down this country, you should go spend a week in Cuba and see how things are in that country. There will be no food wasted on my plate. People have nothing to eat there."
Chart performance
This song debuted at #55 on the U.S. BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Country Singles & Tracks
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart dated December 13, 2003. The song charted for a total of 29 weeks, and finally peaked at #9 on the chart dated June 19, 2004. Additionally, it peaked at #61 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
.
Charts
| Chart (2003-2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks | 9 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 61 |
Year-end charts
| End of year chart (2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs | 51 |