The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Last week I had the strangest dream
where everything was exactly how it seemed
where there was never any mystery
of who shot John F Kennedy
It was just a man with something to prove,
slightly bored and severely confused
He steadied his rifle with his target in the center
and became famous on that day in November
Don't wake me, I plan on sleeping in
Don't wake me, I plan on sleeping in
Don't wake me, I plan on sleeping in
Don't wake me, I plan on sleeping in
Again last night I had that strange dream
where everything was exactly how it seemed
concerns about the world getting warmer
people thought that they were just being rewarded
for treating others as they'd like to be treated
for obeying stop signs and curing diseases
for mailing letters with the address of the sender
Now we can swim any day in November
Don't wake me, I plan on sleeping in (Now we can swim any day in November)
Don't wake me, I plan on sleeping in
Don't wake me, I plan on sleeping in
Don't wake me, I plan on sleeping in
Don't wake me, I plan on sleeping
where everything was exactly how it seemed
where there was never any mystery
of who shot John F Kennedy
It was just a man with something to prove,
slightly bored and severely confused
He steadied his rifle with his target in the center
and became famous on that day in November
Don't wake me, I plan on sleeping in
Don't wake me, I plan on sleeping in
Don't wake me, I plan on sleeping in
Don't wake me, I plan on sleeping in
Again last night I had that strange dream
where everything was exactly how it seemed
concerns about the world getting warmer
people thought that they were just being rewarded
for treating others as they'd like to be treated
for obeying stop signs and curing diseases
for mailing letters with the address of the sender
Now we can swim any day in November
Don't wake me, I plan on sleeping in (Now we can swim any day in November)
Don't wake me, I plan on sleeping in
Don't wake me, I plan on sleeping in
Don't wake me, I plan on sleeping in
Don't wake me, I plan on sleeping
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
My interpretation of this song is a simple one. Not about political statements or ignoring the issues, but someone dreaming about, and longing for a world where things aren't so complicated. That's why he wants to sleep in.
I don't know, my first impression was that "no concerns about the world getting warmer / people thought that they were just being rewarded" meant that people are not taking the earth-threatening problem of global-warming seriously. The way the singer says "now we can swim any day in november" sounds so sarcastic. For these reasons, I think "sleeping in" refers to ignoring the real problems in the world. Those who "sleep in" believe everything as it seems, without looking deeper. Obviously, the ultimate destruction of the earth (reality) outweighs the ability to swim in November (the way it seems)... hence the sarcasm.
@toasterhead i very much agree
this song means everything to me.
I think he's going to his dreams to escape the complexity of modern life. There's so many weighty consequences and unexplained phenomena everywhere, in history, science, all that. There's so much conspiracy and controversy over how JFK was killed; there's so much debate about global warming, its effects, its causes.
In the dream he's looking at all these things that we get wound up in and his dream world is a little more innocent - he can take everything at face value, and the facade of the warm, pleasant society we live in is totally real instead of totally false. And the fantasy and security of that thought is something he wants to prolong by staying asleep.
This song is so simple, and people keep trying to cram it with political propaganda! He's saying things aren't as complicated as we make them. Global warming isn't real, if anything were just being rewarded. He's telling you to just calm down about everything that we blow up to seem catastrophic. The sky is not going to fall, and there is no mystery behind JFK being shot. It was just a man that felt he had something to prove. Just take things as they are and life will be a lot less stressful. You can just sleep in.
wow u people are all missing the point. this song is about QUESTIONING the STATUS QUO...asking if there's something more to general held beliefs of the world- looking below the surface!
most people are content to believe, and fully accept, that JFK was murdered by a crazed lone gunman. they don't try to LOOK below the surface and see who was really involved. same with global warming. hmmm, maybe summers are getting warmer because we're being rewarded! again, people don't want to search for TRUTH.
this 'dream' is foreign to the songwriter because he's an out-of-the-box thinker and knows there more to the story, more than what it seems on the surface! however, he finds it strangely comforting to live in this world and doesn't want to woken up...kinda like a majority of the population living in their fantasy world.
Totally agree with you!
this is definatly one of my favorite postal service songs. aparently they were on MTV2 or something... that saddens me greatly.
what has this world come to? haha
that woudl suck if they were on MTV, postal serivce is great. DNTEL and death cab are great together
wait...why does it matter if they are on MTV?
this song is great, i like the part about global warming, its as if he has the mind of a young child