I want to start by saying that I do NOT believe Sleeping With Sirens to be the least bit underrated. While not completely penetrating the mainstream, they are exceptionally popular within the alternative and post-hardcore scene. However, I would just like to share this song with you for a minute, as it’s a very lovely song in and of itself, but I do think the acoustic version only serves to amplify its beauty. People often ignore acoustic versions for whatever reason; maybe they find them boring or insignificant, but this often only leads to missing out on something incredible.
I’ve been low-key listening to Sleeping With Sirens for a few years now. I’ve tried to watch their set at Warped Tour a couple of times, but it’s always been too overrun by young, screaming fangirls for me, so I’ve resorted to watching (but mostly listening) from very, very far away. And it’s always been okay with me, because to be honest, I’m no SWS super fan, there are just a few individual songs of theirs that have some real meaning to me.
For example: When I was in grade 12, I had my first real “boyfriend experience.” I say experience because it never got to the point of being official. I met a super cool and super cute guy at an As I Lay Dying concert that I’d gone to by myself. We exchanged cell phone numbers and proceeded to spend the next week and a half texting non-stop. I’m talking like from the time we woke up and went to school, until going to bed.
It wasn’t too long before he invited me over to his place, and we watched some movies… and this was the first time a boy ever held my hand. I was over the moon! We continued texting for a another couple of weeks and were beginning to organize another time to get together (he lived a good distance away, unfortunately). One day, out of nowhere, he changed his relationship status on Facebook to “in a relationship” with some other chick.
So of course, I asked him about it and he gave me some uber-lame crap about her being his best friend and she asked him out blah blah blah. So I cut ties immediately, but not before I had to go back to his place to retrieve the movies I had accidentally left there when I’d gone over.
I was preeeeetty upset over this, and asked my friend to accompany me on the trip to his place and back, as I wasn’t sure I could handle it on my own. She agreed of course (what are best friends for?) and she suggested I listen to “If You Can’t Hang” by Sleeping With Sirens. I’d heard of the band before, but this was my first real introduction to them. We blasted this song the entire way there, and it really got me through. Looking back, I laugh at this whole thing, but at the time, it really broke my 17 year old heart.
And now, years later, I still haven’t jumped head-first into the fandom, but I have developed some pretty strong ties to a few of their songs – this one being the most recent. I’ve always thought “If I’m James Dean, You’re Audrey Hepburn” was an excellent song – one line in particular really speaking to me above all else: “I can’t promise that things wont be broken, but I swear that I will never leave”
I would play this song over and over, relishing this line, praying that I’d find someone someday soon. Well, my prayers were answered about 8 months ago when my amazingly wonderful boyfriend proposed, and I accepted!
This song really tells a beautiful little love story that makes me happy. The acoustic version scales it back, slows it down, and really makes it that much more heartfelt. I can relate to the song so completely, and it’s just recently that I’ve latched onto the acoustic version.
My permanent residence is in Ontario, Canada, but I’m currently living in Florida for work. I’ve been here since right after Christmas, and I won’t be home until the end of April. So as you can imagine, it’s pretty difficult being away from my friends and family, but it’s especially hard, being seperated from my fiance for long, especially seeing as the longest we’ve ever been apart since we met is a week or so.
As I’m dreaming of your face
I’ve been away for a long time
Such a long time
And I miss you there
Can’t fall asleep, can’t fall asleep
I lay in my bed awake, in my bed awake at night
As I dream of you
The song has a real theme of being apart, which I can directly relate to right now. It’s slow, it’s soothing, and Kellin’s voice really is amazing. I just love this song, and I love the acoustic version even more!
So, that’s a bit more of a personal post haha, but I just really wanted to share this song, because I’m totally obsessing over it right now. It’s on repeat all the time these days.
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