Sleeping in My Car

"Sleeping in My Car" was the final song the band recorded for Crash! Boom! Bang!, and was written by Per Gessle. In the liner notes of their 1995 greatest hits compilation Don't Bore Us, Get to the Chorus!, Gessle described how, on listening to the first playback of the album just before Christmas 1993, the duo realised that it was "missing something. It all sounded so... perfectly grown up." He elaborated: "We had worked for a year, much too long, endless hours of studio time... I mean, I loved it but there was too little P-O-P. Went straight home, really pissed off and came up with this neanderthal-riff and wrote it in an hour."{{cite AV media notes |title=Don't Bore Us, Get to the Chorus |title-link=Don't Bore Us, Get to the Chorus! |type=liner notes |chapter=Digital booklet |others=Roxette |publisher=EMI Records |year=1995 |id=7243 836203 2 6 |location=Stockholm, Sweden}}

According to Ultimate Guitar, the track is an uptempo pop rock song, with a moderately fast tempo of 135 beats per minute. The song contains elements of pop punk, and its verse is composed of an F♯m–E–F♯m–D–F♯m–E–C♯–D sequence, while the chorus consists of a sequence of F♯–C♯–D♯m–B–F♯–C♯–B–C♯. The first two lines of the bridge are made up almost entirely of slash chords, consisting of two repetitions of a F♯–C♯/E♯–B/D♯–F♯/C♯ sequence. Marie Fredriksson's vocal range in the song spans over three octaves, from a bass note of F♯3 in the first verse to a C♯5 in the final chorus.{{cite web |url=https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/r/roxette/sleeping_in_my_car_crd.htm |title=Sleeping In My Car by Roxette chords |publisher=Ultimate-Guitar.com |access-date=8 March 2017}}

When Roxette performed in the Workers Indoor Arena in Beijing, China in 1995 during the "Crash! Boom! Bang! Tour", Chinese government officials demanded that the band alter the lyrics of this song.{{cite journal |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=sHlEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1992,3753409&dq=roxette+china&hl=en |title=Roxette lyrics censored in Beijing |journal=The Albany Herald |page=2 |date=20 February 1995 |access-date=8 March 2017}} "We agreed, but didn't change them in the end," said Gessle.{{cite web|url=http://www.dailyroxette.com/node/1419 |title=Rolling Stones play China |work=thedailyroxette |date=10 April 2006 |access-date=8 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928124913/http://www.dailyroxette.com/node/1419 |archive-date=28 September 2007 |url-status=dead }}

Finnish melodic death metal band Children of Bodom included a cover of "Sleeping in My Car" as a bonus track on their 2013 album Halo of Blood.

AllMusic editor Bryan Buss wrote that with "their loose, jangly guitars", "Sleeping in My Car" is a "skillful pop/rock song", and noted further that it "might have been too pop for rock listeners and too rock for mid-'90s pop fans."{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/crash%21-boom%21-bang%21-mw0000626436|first=Bryan|last=Buss|title=Roxette - Crash! Boom! Bang!|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=16 February 2020}} Larry Flick from Billboard felt that the popular act from Sweden ends a lengthy break from recording with "a breezy pop/rocker that is easily its best single since "It Must Have Been Love"." He added, "Crisp production is heavy on tightly woven electric/acoustic guitar swapping and thunderous drumming, while singer Marie Fredriksson proves her evolution into a pouty rock belter. First single from the forthcoming Crash! Boom! Bang! is a sunny li'l toe-tapper that has already done well all over the world. A similar fate in the U.S. is likely."{{cite magazine|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/90s/1994/BB-1994-06-04.pdf|first=Larry|last=Flick|title=Single Reviews|magazine=Billboard|date=4 June 1994|access-date=31 January 2020|author-link=Larry Flick}} Troy J. Augusto from Cashbox commented, "Well now, Roxette, no stranger to No. 1 records, has returned, hoping to recapture its past glories with this light and airy pop gem, already a hit across Europe." He stated that the song "stays true to the duo’s hit-filled past, mixing lightweight guitar lines, the sharpest pop production and Marie Fredriksson’s soaring vocals into a sure-fire hit single."{{cite magazine|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Cash-Box/90s/1994/CB-1994-06-11.pdf|first=Troy J.|last=Augusto|title=Pop Singles: Reviews|magazine=Cashbox|date=11 June 1994|page=27|access-date=23 January 2020}}

Swedish Expressen said that Fredriksson "has not sung so cocky" since their 1988 hit "Dressed for Success".Expressen. 8 March 1994. Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report remarked that the duo "unleash some hot pop/rock" on the song.{{cite magazine|first= Dave |last= Sholin |title= Gavin Picks: Singles |magazine= Gavin Report |date= 3 June 1994 |page= 66 |access-date= 18 October 2020 |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Gavin-Report/90/94/Gavin-1994-06-03.pdf}} Another Swedish newspaper Göteborgsposten complimented it as a "typical Roxette song in good old pop tradition", with a chorus "that stick quickly".Göteborgsposten. 4 March 1994. Chuck Campbell from Knoxville News Sentinel viewed it as "an obvious choice" as a single, "which rides a traditional rollicking Roxette sound and packs a powerful hook."Campbell, Chuck (3 June 1994). "Sweden Strikes Again With New Roxette Release". Knoxville News Sentinel. In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton wrote that it "may not be as instantly classic as past hits but is certain to hang around for a couple of weeks."{{cite web|last=Masterton|first=James|title=Week Ending March 26th 1994|url=https://chart-watch.uk/archives/1994/week-ending-march-26th-1994|website=Chart Watch UK|date=20 March 1994|access-date=6 September 2021|author-link=James Masterton}} A reviewer from People Magazine called it a "drive-time throwaway", that "sport write-them-in-your-sleep hooks".{{cite magazine|url= https://people.com/archive/picks-and-pans-review-crash-boom-bang-vol-42-no-15/ |title= Picks and Pans Review: Crash! Boom! Bang! |magazine= People |date= 10 October 1994 |access-date= 13 November 2020}} Pete Stanton from Smash Hits gave the song two out of five, noting its explicit lyrics, and "screaming guitars and even screamier vocals".{{cite magazine|first=Pete|last=Stanton|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/57779449@N02/52592190013/in/album-72177720304791051/|title=New Singles|magazine=Smash Hits|date=16 March 1994|page=53|access-date=29 December 2022}} Another editor, Mark Sutherland, wrote, "And, despite the dodgiest lyrics in pop, they're rather good at it, especially on the storming single "Sleeping in My Car"."{{cite magazine|first=Mark|last=Sutherland|title=New Albums|work=Smash Hits|date=13 April 1994|page=63|accessdate=3 February 2023|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/57779449@N02/52663627388/in/album-72177720305687071/}}

The song was an immediate commercial success throughout Europe, and became their second number one single in their native Sweden, where it debuted at number one.{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SggEAAAAMBAJ&q=roxette+sleeping+in+my+car&pg=PA58 |title=International: Sleeping Around Europe |author=Thom Duffy |magazine=Billboard |pages=58 |volume=106 |issue=20 |date=14 May 1994 |issn=0006-2510 |access-date=11 March 2017}} It spent a total of three weeks on top of the Swedish Singles Chart. The song peaked at number two in Denmark and Finland—held off the top spot in both countries by Dr. Alban's "Look Who's Talking!". The song peaked in the top 10 of numerous other national record charts, including Austria (6), Belgium (4), Iceland (9), Norway (3) and Switzerland (7). It also peaked at number seven on Billboard{{'}}s European Hot 100 Singles. The song was also a hit in Germany, where it peaked at number 11 for two non-consecutive weeks, and spent a total of four months on the German Singles Chart.

"Sleeping in My Car" became the duo's final chart success in Australia and New Zealand, peaking within the top 20 in both territories. The duo would have only one further single reach the top 50 in each country: "Run to You" (number 49 in Australia) and "Crash! Boom! Bang!" (number 50 in New Zealand). It was also the final Roxette song to appear on the US Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at number 50. Conversely, the song was a major commercial success in Canada, peaking at number two on the RPM Top Singles chart. Likewise, the song peaked at number three on The Record{{'}}s concurrent singles chart—which incorporated airplay into its methodology.{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aQgEAAAAMBAJ&q=roxette+sleeping+in+my+car&pg=PA44 |title=Hits Of The World - Canada|magazine=Billboard |date=30 July 1994 |volume=106 |issue=31 |pages=44 |issn=0006-2510}}

The accompanying music video for "Sleeping in My Car" was filmed in a parking garage at night. It was directed by Irish filmmaker Michael Geoghegan.{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6680012/|title=Roxette: Sleeping in My Car|publisher=IMDb|access-date=6 September 2021}}{{better source needed|reason=IMDb is unreliable|date=October 2021}} The video received heavy rotation on MTV Europe{{cite magazine|first=|last=|title=Station Reports > MTV Europe/London|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1994/MM-1994-04-16.pdf|work=Music & Media|date=16 April 1994|page=21|accessdate=18 December 2022}} and was A-listed on Germany's VIVA.{{cite magazine|first=|last=|title=Station Reports > VIVA TV/Cologne|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1994/MM-1994-04-23.pdf|work=Music & Media|date=23 April 1994|page=29|accessdate=18 December 2022}} Geoghegan would also be directing the video for the duo's next single, "Crash! Boom! Bang!".

All songs were written by Per Gessle.

• 7-inch single and cassette (Australia 8650694 · Europe 8650697 · UK EM314 · US 4KM-58143)

1. "Sleeping in My Car" – 3:33
2. "The Look" (Unplugged Version) – 5:11

• Australian and European CD single (8650712)

1. "Sleeping in My Car" – 3:33
2. "The Look" (Unplugged Version) – 5:11
3. "Sleeping in My Car" (The Stockholm Demo Version) – 3:13

• UK and US CD single (UK CDEM314 · US E2-58143)

1. "Sleeping in My Car" – 3:33
2. "The Look" (Unplugged Version) – 5:11
3. "Sleeping in My Car" (The Stockholm Demo Version) – 3:13
4. "Almost Unreal" – 3:59

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Don't Bore Us, Get to the Chorus!.

• Marie Fredriksson – lead and background vocals
• Per Gessle – electric guitar and mixing
• Anders Herrlin – bass guitar and engineering
• Clarence Öfwerman – keyboards, production and mixing
• Staffan Öfwerman – backing vocals
• Mats "Myrdal" Persson – drums
• Per "Pelle" Sirén – electric guitar
• Alar Suurna – tambourine, engineering and mixing

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Category:1994 singles

Category:1994 songs

Category:EMI Records singles

Category:Music videos directed by Michael Geoghegan

Category:Number-one singles in Sweden

Category:Roxette songs

Category:Song recordings produced by Clarence Öfwerman

Category:Songs written by Per Gessle