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"As I Lay Me Down" is a pop song composed and performed by singer-songwriter Sophie B. Hawkins. It was released as the third single from her second album, Whaler (1994), and also appears on The Best of Sophie B. Hawkins (2002). The song is one of her two biggest hits, reaching number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Adult Contemporary chart for six weeks during 1995. Outside the United States, the song reached number six in Canada, number seven in Australia, number 19 in New Zealand, and number 24 in the United Kingdom.

For the Wiktoria song, see As I Lay Me Down (Wiktoria song).

"As I Lay Me Down"
Single by Sophie B. Hawkins
from the album Whaler
ReleasedFebruary 7, 1995
GenrePop
Length4:11
LabelColumbia
Sony Records[1]
Songwriter(s)Sophie B. Hawkins
Producer(s)Stephen Lipson
Sophie B. Hawkins singles chronology
"Don't Don't Tell Me No"
(1994)		 "As I Lay Me Down"
(1995)		 "Did We Not Choose Each Other"
(1995)
Music video
"As I Lay Me Down" on YouTube

Release


The song is a pop ballad in which the singer reminisces about a faraway loved one as she goes to bed and hopes to see him again. It was written in memory of her father. It was the second US single released from the album Whaler. With disappointing sales of the first single, "Right Beside You",[citation needed] the song was released with little fanfare (a photograph of Sophie dressed as a sailor was the focus of the cover). Sophie then insisted that her label (Columbia) allow her to tour the country with only an acoustic piano. The song then began receiving airplay on adult contemporary stations. During the summer of 1995, it became a huge A/C hit as well as a top ten song. A remix also helped the song gain airplay on other kinds of stations. "As I Lay Me Down" (with two different video versions) peaked on the charts in the autumn of 1995. "As I Lay Me Down" was also included on the album All Time Greatest Movie Songs, released by Columbia Records in 1999.


Critical reception


Steve Baltin from Cash Box picked the song as Pick of the Week, describing it as "a lovely song, gentle as its title indicates. The keyboard music that drives the song behind Hawkins’ vocals calls to mind the Police’s “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic”." He added, "“As I Lay Me Down” is a refreshing change of pace for the singer/songwriter, who has not received the same attention for this album as for her first simply because she doesn’t fit neatly into any category. While this single doesn’t necessarily change that, its easygoing and lighthearted charm may help Hawkins to reepature some of the magic as AC and Top 40 should havea place for this one."[2] Music writer and columnist James Masterton felt that it "is the kind of gentle ballad that is either best appreciated first thing in the morning or at the end of a long tired day. If nothing else in the chart deserves to go Top 20 - this certainly does."[3]


Music video


The accompanying music video for "As I Lay Me Down" was directed by English director Sophie Muller. It depicts Hawkins singing while sitting on stairs outside an apartment building in her hometown of New York City. It flashes to Hawkins in a forest swinging on a swing, lying on a tree branch, sitting in a boat, and sitting on a bench. It also shows a little girl running through the forest representing Hawkins as a child.

The video was later published on Sophie B. Hawkins' official YouTube channel in October 2009. It has amassed more than 8.2 million views as of May 2022.[4]


Usage in media


It appeared in Now and Then and the TV series Party of Five (with Hawkins performing it as a guest star) in 1995 and the 1998 pilot of Dawson's Creek. Hawkins also performed the songs "Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover" and "As I Lay Me Down" in the season 4 episode 8 "Herstory of Dance" of the television show Community. In the episode, Britta organizes a "Sophie B. Hawkins" dance in protest to Greendale's “Sadie Hawkins” dance. It also appeared in the original episode 4 of the webseries The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo.


Chart



Certifications


Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[25] Gold 35,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.


References


  1. "As I Lay Me Down / I Need Nothing Else: Sophie B Hawkins: Music". Retrieved January 9, 2012.
  2. Baltin, Steve (January 28, 1995). "Pop Singles" (PDF). Cash Box. p. 7. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  3. Masterton, James (March 5, 1995). "Week Ending March 11th 1995". Chart Watch UK. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
  4. "Sophie B. Hawkins - As I Lay Me Down". YouTube. October 25, 2009. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  5. "Sophie B. Hawkins – As I Lay Me Down". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  6. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2807." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  7. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 2802." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  8. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 11. March 18, 1995. p. 27. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  9. "Sophie B. Hawkins – As I Lay Me Down" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  10. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (18.3. '95 – 24.3. '95)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). March 18, 1995. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  11. "Sophie B. Hawkins – As I Lay Me Down". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  12. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  13. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  14. "Sophie B Hawkins Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  15. "Sophie B Hawkins Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  16. "Sophie B Hawkins Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  17. "Sophie B Hawkins Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  18. "ARIA Top 50 Singles for 1995". ARIA. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  19. "RPM Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1995". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  20. "RPM Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks of 1995". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  21. "Billboard Top 100 – 1995". Archived from the original on August 15, 2009. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
  22. "1995 The Year in Music" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 51. December 23, 1995. p. YE-80. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 28, 2021. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  23. "Billboard Top 100 – 1996". Archived from the original on March 1, 2009. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
  24. "1996 The Year in Music". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 52. December 28, 1996. p. YE-84. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  25. "1995 ARIA Singles Chart". ARIA. Retrieved October 27, 2018.




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