Sleep Babies Sleep

First Take Friday - Episode #20
Sleep Babies Sleep
Written by Jonathan Brader

Tale of the Tune:
Does this one sound familiar? If you’ve been watching all of the episodes then it should. I’ll give you a hint. This song is very similar to FTF #15.
I wrote FTF #15 (Close Your Eyes) five weeks ago. FTF #20 (Sleep Babies Sleep) was actually written at the same time, actually just prior to #15.

I had totally forgotten about it, but I was looking for some material for outtakes and I stumbled across Sleep Babies Sleep. It is fitting that this would be the song for the 20th episode as one of the great things about songwriting is that you never know where a song will end up. After practicing as much as possible I press the record button and we’re off to the races. I leave the camera running while I stumble over my words trying to describe the songs, but sometimes I will record something that doesn’t sound anything like what was in my practice sessions.

That is precisely what happened here. I had the guitar riff for Close Your Eyes (#15) down, but for some reason I played this - Sleep Babies, Sleep (I don't like the comma in the song title). Since it wasn’t want I had in mind, I guess I cut it and kept what became FTF #15, which I recorded immediately after this, though I changed microphones for some reason. That is the path that my songwriting often follows, which is why I LOVE doing the First Take Friday series. Anything is possible.

Which one do you like better? Close Your Eyes (FTF #15) or this one, Sleep Babies Sleep (FTF #20). They are similar yet so different. I hope you enjoy.