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Daysleeper

{{Short description|Song by R.E.M}}

{{For|the Icelandic pop band|Daysleeper (band)}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Daysleeper

| cover = R.E.M. - Daysleeper.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = R.E.M.

| album = Up

| B-side = Emphysema

| released = {{start date|1998|10|12}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Alternative rock

| length = 3:37

| label = Warner Bros.

| writer =

| producer =

| prev_title = How the West Was Won and Where It Got Us

| prev_year = 1997

| next_title = Lotus

| next_year = 1998

}}

"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.

Background

During R.E.M.'s performance for VH1 Storytellers, Stipe explained the background to the song:

{{quote|I was in New York, putting together a book of haikus that I worked on with several dear friends of mine over the course of a year, and I was walking down the steps of this building. It was probably four o'clock in the afternoon, and I come to a door—it's apartment 3-D or something—and there's a sign on it that says "Daysleeper," and I walked a lot more carefully, quietly down the steps, thinking about that poor person who's trying to sleep, and me and my big old boots interrupting her sleep. So I wrote this song about a daysleeper that's working an 11–7 shift and how furious the balance is between the life that you live and the work that you have to do in order to support the life that you live.}}

The song "The Lifting" from R.E.M.'s 2001 album Reveal is a prequel to "Daysleeper" and features the same character.As stated by Michael Stipe on Later... with Jools Holland in 2001.

Music video

The video, shot at Broadway Studios in the Astoria district of New York City in September 1998,Q, October 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."

Track listings

All songs were written by Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe.

  • US 7-inch, CD, and cassette single{{cite AV media notes|title=Daysleeper|author=R.E.M.|year=1998|type=US 7-inch single vinyl disc|publisher=Warner Bros. Records|id=7-17129}}{{cite AV media notes|title=Daysleeper|author=R.E.M.|year=1998|type=US CD single liner notes|publisher=Warner Bros. Records|id=9 17129-2}}{{cite AV media notes|title=Daysleeper|author=R.E.M.|year=1998|type=US cassette single sleeve|publisher=Warner Bros. Records|id=9 17129-4}}

: UK cassette single{{cite AV media notes|title=Daysleeper|author=R.E.M.|year=1998|type=UK cassette single sleeve|publisher=Warner Bros. Records|id=W0455C, 5439-17150-4}}

: European CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=Daysleeper|author=R.E.M.|year=1998|type=European CD single liner notes|publisher=Warner Bros. Records|id=5439-17150-9}}

  1. "Daysleeper" – 3:32
  2. "Emphysema" – 4:21
  • Canadian, Australian, and Japanese CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=Daysleeper|author=R.E.M.|year=1998|type=Canadian CD single liner notes|publisher=Warner Bros. Records|id=CD 44568}}{{cite AV media notes|title=Daysleeper|author=R.E.M.|year=1998|type=Australian CD single liner notes|publisher=Warner Bros. Records|id=9362445682}}{{cite AV media notes|title=Daysleeper|author=R.E.M.|year=1998|type=Japanese CD single liner notes|publisher=Warner Bros. Records|id=WPCR-2249}}
  1. "Daysleeper" (single) – 3:31
  2. "Emphysema" – 4:21
  3. "Sad Professor" (live in the studio, Toast, San Francisco, California) – 3:59
  4. "Why Not Smile" (Oxford American version) – 3:00
  • UK CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=Daysleeper|author=R.E.M.|year=1998|type=UK CD single liner notes|publisher=Warner Bros. Records|id=WO455CD, 9362-44567-2}}
  1. "Daysleeper" – 3:31
  2. "Emphysema" – 4:21
  3. "Why Not Smile" (Oxford American version) – 3:00
  • UK mini-CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=Daysleeper|author=R.E.M.|year=1998|type=UK mini-CD single liner notes|publisher=Warner Bros. Records|id=W0455CDX, 5439-17140-9}}
  1. "Daysleeper" (single edit) – 3:31
  2. "Sad Professor" (live in the studio, Toast, San Francisco, California) – 3:59

Charts

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!Chart (1998)

!Peak
position

scope="row"|Australia (ARIA){{cite Ryan|page=232}}

|57

{{single chart|Austria|17|artist=R.E.M.|song=Daysleeper|rowheader=true|access-date=May 25, 2013|refname="AUT"}}
{{single chart|Flanders Tip|9|artist=R.E.M.|song=Daysleeper|rowheader=true|access-date=May 25, 2013|refname="BEL (FL)"}}
{{single chart|Canadatopsingles|5|chartid=6987|rowheader=true|access-date=February 19, 2020|refname="CAN"}}
scope="row"|Europe (Eurochart Hot 100){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1998/MM-1998-10-31.pdf|title=Eurochart Hot 100 Singles|magazine=Music & Media|volume=15|issue=44|page=8|date=October 31, 1998|access-date=February 19, 2020}}

|27

{{single chart|Germany|57|artist=R.E.M.|song=Daysleeper|songid=3793|rowheader=true|access-date=October 23, 2018|refname="GER"}}
scope="row"|Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40){{cite news|url=https://timarit.is/page/2977021?iabr=on#page/n11/mode/2up/|title=Íslenski Listinn (20.11–27.11. 1998)|newspaper=Dagblaðið Vísir|language=is|page=12|date=November 20, 1998|access-date=February 19, 2020}}

|1

{{single chart|Ireland2|15|song=Daysleeper|rowheader=true|access-date=February 19, 2020|refname="IRL"}}
scope="row"|Italy Airplay (Music & Media){{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1998/MM-1998-10-24.pdf|title=Major Market Airplay: Italy|magazine=Music & Media|volume=15|issue=43|page=29|date=24 October 1998}}

| 9

scope="row"|Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade){{cite web |url=https://www.top40.nl/tipparade/1998/week-45|title=Tipparade-lijst van week 45, 1998|publisher=Dutch Top 40|language=nl|access-date=April 9, 2023}}

|15

{{single chart|Dutch100|64|artist=R.E.M.|song=Daysleeper|rowheader=true|access-date=May 25, 2013|refname="NLD"}}
{{single chart|New Zealand|18|artist=R.E.M.|song=Daysleeper|rowheader=true|access-date=May 25, 2013|refname="NZ"}}
{{single chart|Norway|12|artist=R.E.M.|song=Daysleeper|rowheader=true|access-date=May 25, 2013|refname="NOR"}}
{{single chart|Scotland|7|date=19981024|rowheader=true|access-date=February 19, 2020|refname="SCT"}}
{{single chart|Sweden|46|artist=R.E.M.|song=Daysleeper|rowheader=true|access-date=May 25, 2013|refname="SWE"}}
{{single chart|Switzerland|49|artist=R.E.M.|song=Daysleeper|rowheader=true|access-date=May 25, 2013|refname="SWI"}}
{{single chart|UK|6|date=19981024|rowheader=true|access-date=May 25, 2013|refname="UK"}}
{{single chart|Billboardhot100|57|artist=R.E.M.|rowheader=true|access-date=May 25, 2013|refname="US Hot 100"}}
{{single chart|Billboardadultalternativesongs|1|artist=R.E.M.|rowheader=true|access-date=May 25, 2013|refname="Triple A"}}
{{single chart|Billboardadultpopsongs|33|artist=R.E.M.|rowheader=true|access-date=May 25, 2013|refname="Adult Pop Songs"}}
{{single chart|Billboardalternativesongs|18|artist=R.E.M.|rowheader=true|access-date=May 25, 2013|refname="Alternative Songs"}}
{{single chart|Billboardmainstreamrock|30|artist=R.E.M.|rowheader=true|access-date=May 25, 2013|refname="Mainstream Rock"}}

{{col-2}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!Chart (1999)

!Position

scope="row"|US Triple-A (Billboard){{cite magazine|title=The Best of '99: Most Played Triple-A Songs|magazine=Airplay Monitor|volume=7|issue=52|page=38|date=December 24, 1999}}

|30

{{col-end}}

Release history

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

!scope="col"|Region

!scope="col"|Date

!scope="col"|Format(s)

!scope="col"|Label(s)

!scope="col"|{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}}

scope="row"|Europe

|September 1998

|Radio

|rowspan="4"|Warner Bros.

|{{cite magazine|title=R.E.M. Is Looking 'Up' with Album|last=Bell|first=Carrie|magazine=Billboard|volume=110|issue=40|page=16|date=October 3, 1998|quote=The single 'Daysleeper' was delivered to European radio in September...}}

scope="row"|United Kingdom

|October 12, 1998

|{{hlist|7-inch vinyl|CD|cassette}}

|{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1998/Music-Week-1998-10-10-S-OCR.pdf|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=29|date=October 10, 1998|access-date=July 7, 2021}} Misprinted as September 12.

scope="row"|United States

|October 13, 1998

|Contemporary hit radio

|{{cite magazine|title=New Releases|magazine=Radio & Records|issue=1269|page=54|date=October 9, 1998}}

scope="row"|Japan

|October 26, 1998

|CD

|{{cite web|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/19967/products/307572/1/|title=デイスリーパー {{!}} R.E.M.|trans-title=Daysleeper {{!}} R.E.M.|publisher=Oricon|language=ja|access-date=August 29, 2023}}

References

{{Reflist}}

{{R.E.M.}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1998 songs

Category:1998 singles

Category:R.E.M. songs

Category:Number-one singles in Iceland

Category:Songs written by Michael Stipe

Category:Songs written by Mike Mills

Category:Songs written by Peter Buck

Category:Song recordings produced by Michael Stipe

Category:Song recordings produced by Mike Mills

Category:Song recordings produced by Pat McCarthy (record producer)

Category:Song recordings produced by Peter Buck

Category:Warner Records singles