For My Sunday Song #277, we are going to dive in to the song “Wide Awake” by Rick Springfield. The song is off his 2012 album ‘Songs For the End of the World’. Sadly, I think the song and album went fairly unnoticed and its shame as Rick had been tearing it up for the last decade giving us tons of music and some really great tracks, including this one. The song was written by Rick Springfield and his writing partner on the album Matt Bissonette and they kept a common theme on the album so check it out and see what you think.
The song is really dark in its subject matter while at the same time optimistic and joyful. Rick was in a really dark place and stuck in a nightmare. He had been sleeping around on his wife and having more issues than you and I could probably handle. You can see in the lyrics he was insecure, lonley and doing things without even thinking of the consequences. Thanks to his true love, he eventually woke up the fact that he was being destructive and going down paths that he shouldn’t. She saved him and now he is wide awake and can enjoy life again the way it should be. He let the pressures and temptations get to him and she saved him.
The song is a hard rocking track, upbeat and quick tempo with an energy that is infectious and will get you moving. It is so quick you will have a hard time catching your breath. The drums are so powerful and machine gun style and there is a great guitar riff throughout that seems bouncy and joyful despite some dark topics. The “Wide Awake” theme is definitely captured in the power of the music. And let’s not forget Rick as he sings with such gusto and passion you feel like he is happy and enjoying things again. He sounds like the kid he once was.
Give the song a listen and let me know what you think. I think it sounds like a refreshed Rick who seems to be in a better place, at least at this point in time. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a wonderful an Happy Sunday!
“Wide Awake”
So nice to meet you
So good to see your friendly face
Living in shadows
I was walking a wire without a safety net
Fighting to breakthrough
Trying to outrun the human race
Sleeping with voodoo
I opened my eyes and I saw your face
You showed me there’s a place
Where I am wide awake
I’m wide awake
The mountains shake to my earthquake
And everyone is my friend
I’m wide awake
So wide awake
The future’s bright alive with light
And I am free to be a kid again
One hand on the throttle
But I always had one hand on the break
Under the spotlight
I was never alone but I always was by myself
I want to be famous
Willing to sleep with a rattlesnake
Looking for daylight
Trying to wake up from this nightmare screaming
You showed me my mistake
And now I’m wide awake
I’m wide awake
The ramparts fall love conquers all
And everyone is my friend
I’m wide awake forever wide awake
The future’s bright alive with light
I can see a place where I could always be a hopeless case
And if I didn’t learn to bend
You know that I would break
But now I’m wide awake
I’m wide awake
The mountains shake to my earthquake
And everyone is my friend
I’m wide awake
So wide awake
The future’s bright alive with light
And I am free to be a kid again
I’m wide awake
I’m wide awake
The ramparts fall love conquers all
And everyone is my friend
(And everyone is my friend)
Everyone is my friend
Everyone is my friend)
And I am free to be a kid again
2 Loud 2 Old Music 
It’s a good uptempo track. Amazing that he has this stuff out but the masses only know him for two songs like myself. lol Guess thats why I come here every Sunday to get schooled! lol
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He has quietly been keeping at it. He has a set fan base that will always buy his stuff no matter what and I guess it is enough to support him.
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I’ve stopped using the term ‘1-hit wonder’ – as with most cases, I might only be familiar with 1 particular hit, the artist tends to have lots of other solid stuff that I just didn’t know about. And thanks to the 10 song series, John, I’ve learned that’s the case with Rick!
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You are right, a lot of 1 hit Wonders still put out music throughout the years, it is just radio doesn’t pay attention. Doesn’t mean the fans aren’t paying attention.
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A good song. Sad to hear that Rick went through such a period of personal turmoil. Also sad that most artists & bands seem to have a brief shining period in the sun where their songs top the charts, then are largely forgotten, despite the fact they keep putting out quality music. Legendary artists like Bruce Springsteen, the Foo Fighters, Green Day, Billy Idol and even newer bands like twenty one pilots or Bastille may have songs that appear on the Alternative or Rock charts, but they never make the Billboard Hot 100 anymore (which nowadays is filled mostly with crap).
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The Hot 100 chart is mostly awful. My kids love it, but I only like a handful of songs. There are enough charts for the older more established artist to still get hits on thankfully.
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Yes I remember hearing this when it came out and I remember really enjoying track 2 “ship sinkin”
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I’ll have to go revisit that one. I can’t recall off the top of my head.
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It was a melodic rock song.
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Decent power pop-punk rocker!
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I think so.
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