"Daysleeper" is a song by American alternative rock band R.E.M. It was released as the first single from their eleventh studio album Up on October 12, 1998. Sung from the point of view of a night shift worker corresponding with colleagues, "Daysleeper" focuses on the disorientation of time and circadian rhythm in such a lifestyle, leading to despair and loss of identity. Lead singer Michael Stipe developed the song's concept after noticing a sign reading "daysleeper" on a New York City apartment door.
During R.E.M.'s performance for VH1 Storytellers, Stipe explained the background to the song:
The song "The Lifting" from R.E.M.'s 2001 album Reveal is a prequel to "Daysleeper" and features the same character.
The video, shot at Broadway Studios in the Astoria district of New York City in September 1998, was filmed in stop-frame photography to get what Stipe called a "really druggy, really great look." It features Stipe as the office worker who goes to work at night. All three band members then wear pajamas and bed socks, while failing to get to sleep during the day. The video was directed by the Icelandic Snorri brothers. "I think it's about the sort of alien nature of a night shift," explained Mike Mills. "The weird lighting, the fluorescent lights that you find and the isolation of working the graveyard shift—how it screws up your sleep patterns and that sort of thing, and I think that's the main image we're trying to get across."
Not to be confused with American indie rock band The Daysleepers.
Daysleeper was an Icelandic pop band started in October 2001 by Sverrir Bergmann, along with Jón Svanur Sveinsson, Víðir "V" Vernharðsson, Brynjar Elefsen, Stefán Pétur Viðarsson and Ingólfur Árnason. They achieved nationwide popularity in Iceland in February 2002 when they won a listener's award from local radio station FM 95.7 for their song "Kumbh Mela"" from their debut album, EveAlice. During the recording sessions for their second album, Elefsen, Viðarsson and Árnason departed and Helgi Svavar Helgason joined on drums.
The band split up soon after the release of their second album, Daysleeper, with Bergmann embarking on a solo career and performing at the Iceland Airwaves festival in October 2008.
receiving dept., 3 a.m.
staff cuts have socked up the overage
directives are posted.
no callbacks complaints.
everywhere is calm.
Hong Kong is present
Taipei awakes
all talk of circadian rythm
I see today with a newsprint fray
my night is colored headache grey
daysleeper
the bull and the bear are marking
their territories
they're leading the blind with
their international glories
I'm the screen, the blinding light
I'm the screen, I work at night.
I see today with a newsprint fray
my night is colored headache grey
don't wake me with so much.
daysleeper
I cried the other night
I can't even say why
fluorescent flat caffeine lights
its furious balancing
I'm the screen, the blinding light
I'm the screen, I work at night.
I see today...
don't wake me with so much... the
ocean machine is set to 9
I'll squeeze into heaven and valentine
my bed is pulling me,
gravity
daysleeper. daysleeper.