As I Lay Me Down

"As I Lay Me Down" is a song composed and performed by singer-songwriter Sophie B. Hawkins. It is from her album "Whaler" and also appears on "The Best of Sophie B. Hawkins". 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.
Song information.
The song is a 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 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 9 "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.
"As I Lay Me Down" was the second US single released from the album "Whaler". , 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.
The song was also included on the album "All Time Greatest Movie Songs", released by Columbia Records in 1999.
Music video.
The music video (directed by Sophie Muller) 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.