Jason Michael Carroll - “I Can Sleep When I’m Dead”
Listening to this song was a rather surreal experience for me, as I’m used to hearing “I can sleep when I’m dead” from workaholics who are referring to anything but painting up the town. Furthermore, I’m not sure that there isn’t some clash here between the hook and the rest of the song. There are lots of country songs about having a barn-burning good time, but the “I can sleep when I’m dead” mantra advocates a particularly self-destructive variant of the party lifestyle. In my experience, those who use the phrase — whether to mean raising hell or pulling a 100 hour work week — rarely celebrate the practice. Besides, I get the impression that the singer of this song is getting plenty of sleep, it’s just not happening while the sun is down.
However, all that’s probably too intensive an interpretation of what is just a fun song. It’s hard not to smile at the image of Jason Michael Carroll racing his paperboy home and his baritone voice sounds really great on this track. If we must have country rock, this is what is should be: this song’s loud, but in a country kind of way.
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January 31, 2008 at 1:45 am Permalink
I purchased Jason’s CD the day it was released and really like about half the songs on it. Unfortunately my tastes are quite opposite mainstream country radio and singles two and three, ie “Livin Our Love Song” and the song reviewed above, aren’t among the songs I enjoy.
What I really can’t understand is why they haven’t released the duet with Jewel “There’s No Good in Goodbye”. Talk about a goosebump duet, that song alone would have motivated me to purchase the CD had I heard it before “Alyssa Lies”.
There are far too many idiotic “Let’s Get Drunk and Party and Act Like Fools” songs on country radio these days. I’m not a fan of anything that glorifies self destructive behaviors and this song qualifies. At least Luke Bryan’s “All My Friends Say” had a sense of humor behind it….
January 31, 2008 at 5:45 am Permalink
This might be my favorite single from Jason yet.
January 31, 2008 at 10:53 am Permalink
While I agree with Rick “There is no Good in Good-bye” is a fantastic song, I happen to love “I Can Sleep When I’m Dead”. I routinely work 50-60 hour weeks and THEN go out. Sleep is over-rated.
February 2, 2008 at 2:06 pm Permalink
Matt - Spend a week at Jamboree in the Hills. “I can sleep when I’m dead” is the mantra of the hardcore faithful there. At least until Monday morning comes and it’s time to pull out and go back to reality. Good thing it’s only once a year!
February 5, 2008 at 1:39 am Permalink
As someone who hails from California, aka The Land where Gram Parsons is God, it’s always tough for me to hear the country-rock term thrown around hap-hazardly.
I guess that maybe everyone has forgotten that country-rock is an actual genre which is embodied by specific artists. The Flying Burrito Brothers, Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen, and even The Eagles (damn them) played country-rock. Steve Earle for example, though rocking, does not.
Furthermore, Southern Rock, though a rocking genre, is not the kind of “rock” that was added to country to result in the country-rock genre. Neither was 80’s pop-hard rock. Therefore, all of this country that is essentially party anthems which rely on blaring electric guitars playing totally awesome screaming solos, though it may all “rock” by my older brothers’ standards, none of it is country-rock
February 21, 2008 at 3:21 pm Permalink
I agree with KathyP….last year was my first trip to Country Concert, In Ft Larmie OH. drank from thursday till sunday and went to work at 6 on monday morning and the foreman thought it would be funny if i ran a jackhammer for 8 hours outta that wonderful 12 hour monday,,,,SLEEP WHEN I AM DEAD!
July 27, 2008 at 5:34 pm Permalink
I’ve got to disagree here. I find myself changing the radio station whenever I hear this song on. This is definitely one of, if not the worst song in the top 25 right now. And particularly disappointing considering “Livin’ Our Love Song” was such a good single.
September 13, 2008 at 12:38 am Permalink
the first time i heard “i can sleep when iam dead” i was baling hay im rickreal,OR. i had loved it to deth iwannted to hear it like thousands of more times>.jason michael carrolli love u
abbie
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