For My Sunday Song #279, we are going with “Every Night I Wake Up Screaming” by Rick Springfield. This is the second track in the series from my favorite Springfield album called ‘Shock/Denial/Anger/Acceptance’ which came out on February 24, 2004 and it is freaking brilliant. This is another of my favorite tracks from the album obviously. It was not a single and I don’t believe charted, but that doesn’t take away from its greatness.

The song is about how the world is gone to hell. The song feels like Rick is suffering from Anxiety with all the turmoil going on the world from terrorists to any other bad stuff you can think of. The “breathe” comments lead me to believe it is a panic attack and that the nightmares are occurring while he is awake. The line “everything looks better with my eyes close” that he can’t take watching it anymore. He sees it while sleeping and while awake and it is frightening. The song was 17 years ago and I don’t feel anything is better. In fact, I think things are worse, but that topic could be talked about for hours.

Musically, it starts of with some quiet guitar notes and a more quiet, reserved first verse before the song explodes and the volume gets turned up to 11. The song is heavy, it is angry and Rick attacks it with the ferocity that is needed. It goes back and forth between the quiet and the heavy. The drum beats during the quieter verses still give it that ominous vibe that things aren’t all rosy and then all hell breaks loose again. It is one of the heaviest songs I think he’s done.

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Give the song a listen and let me know what you think. I don’t think you expect this from Rick Springfield. And if you listen to this album, you get more of what you don’t expect. It is a crazy ride. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all have a wonderful and Happy Sunday. You’ll need to after this one.

“Every Night I Wake Up Screaming”

If it’s all a magnificent mistake
There goes the universe and its order
I was dreaming wide awake
When something pulled me under the water (Breathe)
I can’t surface I.. (Breathe)
It’s in my fear (Breathe)
And I can’t stop it (Breathe)
I can’t , I can’t breathe (Breathe)
I’m choking (Breathe)
And I don’t want to sleep

[Chorus:]
Everynight I wake up screaming
We’re the last tribe as the world stops turning
Everynight I wake up screaming
My car crash isn’t far from here
And everything looks better with my eyes closed
Everything looks better with my eyes closed

There’s a terrorist somewhere
With my name on a bullet he’s loading
There’s a meteor out there
With the world in its sights and it’s closing (Breathe)
I can’t surface I.. (Breathe)
It’s in my fear (Breathe)
And I can’t stop it (Breathe)
I can’t , I can’t breathe (Breathe)
I’m choking (Breathe)
And I don’t want to sleep

[Chorus:]
Everynight I wake up screaming
We’re the last you and me as the world stops turning
Everynight I wake up screaming
The end of everything’s very near
Everything looks better with my eyes closed
Everything looks better with my eyes closed

[Chorus:]
Everynight I wake up screaming
I’m the last man as the world stops turning
Everynight I wake up screaming
Dreaming that I’m blind again
And everything looks better with my eyes closed
Everything looks better with my eyes closed…