"I Can't Sleep" | ||||
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Single by Clay Walker | ||||
from the album A Few Questions | ||||
Released | January 5, 2004 | |||
Genre | Country | |||
Length | 4:02 | |||
Label | RCA Nashville | |||
Songwriter(s) | Chely Wright Clay Walker | |||
Producer(s) | Jimmy Ritchey Clay Walker | |||
Clay Walker singles chronology | ||||
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"I Can't Sleep" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Clay Walker. It was released in January 2004 as the second single from his album A Few Questions , it peaked at #9 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) chart. Walker co-wrote the song with fellow country singer Chely Wright.
In an interview with Country Weekly , Walker said, "It's an R&B kind of song I started one day at the beach. Not long after that, Chely Wright and Lonestar's Richie McDonald came on my bus at a show in Colorado and we played songs we'd each started writing. When I played a piece of 'I Can't Sleep,' Chely said she could help me finish it. And when we played it at Chely's annual charity fundraiser during Fan Fair last June, it got a standing ovation." [1]
Wright told Jam! , "The most creative thing happened the other night when we were in Colorado and Clay Walker was on the show as well. I popped up on his bus to say hi ... we got to talkin' about songs and we passed the guitar back and forth a couple of times and played some new stuff we'd written. We sat there and wrote a brand new song. It's moments like that which are the most exciting ... a song just pops out because you love music." [2]
The song describes a narrator who has been up all night long waiting for his wife to return home.
In the second verse of the song, the narrator looks back at when his wife said, "We couldn't last / [He] couldn't swallow [his] pride", and that losing her wakes him up in the middle of the night.
Mandy Davis of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch commented in her review of "A Few Questions", "On "I Can't Sleep," you can almost hear Walker pleading for the crossover success of Garth Brooks or Tim McGraw.". [3]
The music video was directed by Trey Fanjoy and filmed in Havana, Cuba in December 2003. It features Walker wandering the streets of a foreign city looking for the one he loves. Some scenes also feature him sitting on his bed singing the song. The music video premiered on CMT during CMT's "Most Wanted Live" on January 24, 2004. [4]
In regards to the video's filming location, Walker stated, "If anyone has any doubt as to what life would be like without the freedoms and liberties granted to us in America, I suggest they spend a little time in a Communist country like Cuba." [5] During an interview with The Dallas Morning News Walker said, "It's really different being in a communist country. I never realized how oppressive communism is. It was depressing to me. As Americans, we are all in 100 percent control of our attitudes. But when you live in a communist country, you have no hope. I don't care what you are, a conservative Republican or a liberal Democrat, before you open your mouth to run down this country, you should go spend a week in Cuba and see how things are in that country. There will be no food wasted on my plate. People have nothing to eat there." [6]
This song debuted at number 55 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart dated December 13, 2003. The song charted for a total of 29 weeks, and finally peaked at number 9 on the chart dated June 19, 2004. Additionally, it peaked at number 61 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
Charts
| Year-end charts
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Ernest Clayton Walker Jr. is an American country music artist. He made his debut in 1993 with the single "What's It to You", which reached Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, as did its follow-up, 1994's "Live Until I Die". Both singles were included on his self-titled debut album, released in 1993 via Giant Records. He stayed with the label until its 2001 closure, later recording for Warner Bros. Records, RCA Records Nashville, and Curb Records.
"Not Ready to Make Nice" is a song co-written and performed by American country music trio Dixie Chicks. It was released on March 20, 2006, as the first single from the band's seventh studio album, Taking the Long Way. The Dixie Chicks wrote the song in response to the backlash they experienced in 2003 after criticizing President George W. Bush.
Rumor Has It is the fourth studio album by American country music singer Clay Walker. It was released April 8, 1997, on Giant Records. The album was certified platinum by the RIAA and reached #32 on the Billboard album charts. Singles released from it include the title track, "One, Two, I Love You", "Watch This", and "Then What?", which respectively reached #1, #18, #4, and #2 on the Hot Country Songs charts between 1997 and 1998.
A Few Questions is the seventh studio album by American country music singer Clay Walker. It was released September 9, 2003. The album reached #23 on Billboard magazine's album chart. Released from this album were the singles "A Few Questions" and "I Can't Sleep", both of which reached Top Ten on the Hot Country Songs charts. "Jesus Was a Country Boy" reached #31 on the same chart. This was also Walker's only studio album for the RCA label, after Giant Records closed its doors in 2001.
"'Fore She Was Mama" is a song written by Casey Beathard and Phil O'Donnell, and recorded by American country music singer Clay Walker. It was released in October 2006 as the first single from his album Fall. It peaked at #21 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks in 2007. It was also his first chart entry since "Jesus Was a Country Boy" in 2004.
"Fall", written by Clay Mills, Sonny LeMaire, and Shane Minor, is a song that has been recorded by both country singer Clay Walker and pop singer Kimberley Locke, both of whom are signed to Curb Records. Both versions were released within weeks of each other, in mid-2007. While Walker's version was released to country radio, Locke's went to adult contemporary radio format. Walker's reached number five on the U.S. country singles charts and Locke's achieved number one on the U.S. dance charts. Go West frontman Peter Cox recorded a version of "Fall" on his 2010 album, The S1 Sessions.
"The Bumper of My SUV" is a song written, produced, recorded, and sung by American country music artist Chely Wright, recorded for her sixth studio album The Metropolitan Hotel (2005). Wright wrote the song following an incident in which a lady in a minivan told her she was supporting "baby killers", which are the United States Marine Corps. Her brother is a Marine. It first garnered attention when Wright performed the song for troops in Iraq. Wright was initially hesitant to making it a single.
"The Chain of Love" is a song written by Rory Feek and Jonnie Barnett, and recorded by American country music singer Charlie Pride and then Clay Walker. It was released in January 2000 by Clay Walker as the third single from his album Live, Laugh, Love. "The Chain of Love" reached a peak of number 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts, providing Walker with his thirteenth Top Ten hit on that chart. It was also his second Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
"A Few Questions" is a song written by Ray Scott, Phillip Moore and Adam Wheeler, and recorded by American country music singer Clay Walker. It was released in April 2003 as the lead-off single and title track from his album A Few Questions. It peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts.
"Rumor Has It" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Clay Walker that reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. It was released in February 1997 as the first single and title track from his album of the same name. The song was written by Walker and M. Jason Greene.
"Live Until I Die" is a song written and recorded by American country music singer Clay Walker. It was released in October 1993 as the second single from his self-titled debut album. The song reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.
The Metropolitan Hotel is the sixth studio album by American country music artist Chely Wright. It was released on February 22, 2005, via Dualtone Records and her own label Painted Red. Following this album, Wright would take an extensive hiatus from the music industry before returning and coming out.
"Then What?" is a song written by Jon Vezner and Randy Sharp, and recorded by American country music artist Clay Walker that reached the Top 5 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. It was released in January 1998 as the fourth and final single from his album Rumor Has It.
"Who's Your Daddy?" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Toby Keith. It was released in August 2002 as the second single from his 2002 album Unleashed. The song reached number one on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and peaked at number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"Who Needs You Baby" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Clay Walker. It was released in September 1995 as the lead-off single to his album Hypnotize the Moon. It peaked at #2 in both the United States and Canada. The song was written by Walker, Kim Williams and Randy Boudreaux.
"Maybe We Should Just Sleep on It" is a song written by Jerry Laseter and Kerry Kurt Phillips, and recorded by American country music artist Tim McGraw. It was released in October 1996 as the fifth and final single from his third studio album All I Want (1995). It peaked at number 4 on the United States Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, while it reached number one on the RPM Country Tracks chart in Canada.
"She Won't Be Lonely Long" is a song written by Galen Griffin, Doug Johnson and Phil O'Donnell, and recorded by American country music artist Clay Walker. It was released in December 2009 as the first single and title track from his album She Won't Be Lonely Long. It is his most successful charting single since "The Chain of Love" in 2000.
"Where Do I Go from You" is a song written by Don Cook, Clint Daniels and Ryan Tyndell and recorded by American country music singer Clay Walker. It was released in August 2010 as the second single to his album She Won't Be Lonely Long. It peaked at #26 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts, becoming his 28th top 40 hit on the chart.
"She's Always Right" is a song written by Richie McDonald, Phil Barnhart and Ed Hill, and recorded by American country music singer Clay Walker. It was released in January 1999 as the first single from his album Live, Laugh, Love. It peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts, becoming his 17th Top 20 hit on that chart.
"'Jesus Was a Country Boy" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Clay Walker. It was released in July 2004 as the third and final single from his album A Few Questions. It peaked at #31 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks in 2004. The song was written by Walker and Rivers Rutherford.