The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite – English Lyrics

• By: R.E.M.
• Album: Automatic for the People

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the playful side of R.E.M. with "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite," a song full of quirky lyrics and musical references. Dive into the song's whimsical world, and improve your English listening skills, and explore the cultural allusions that make this song a unique gem in R.E.M.'s discography.

[English]

This here is the place where I will be staying

There isn't a number, you can call the pay phone

Let it ring a long, long, long, long time

If I don't pick up, hang up, call back, let it ring some more

Oh-oh-oh-oh-ooh-oh

If I don't pick up, pick up

The sidewinder sleeps, sleeps, sleeps in a coil

Call me when you try to wake her up

(Call me when you try to wake her)

Call me when you try to wake her up

(Call me when you try to wake her)

Call me when you try to wake her up

(Call me when you try to wake her)

Oh

There are scratches all around the coin slot

Like a heartbeat, baby, trying to wake up

But this machine can only swallow money

You can't lay a patch by computer design

It's just a lot of stupid, stupid signs

Tell her

Tell her she can kiss my ass

Then laugh and say that you were only kidding

That way she'll know that it's really, really, really, really me, me

Call me when you try to wake her up

(Call me when you try to wake her)

Call me when you try to wake her up

(Call me when you try to wake her)

Call me when you try to wake her up

(Call me when you try to wake her)

Oh

Baby, instant soup doesn't really grab me

Today I need something more sub-sub-sub-substantial

A can of beans or blackeyed peas

Some Nescafe and ice

A candy bar, a falling star, or a reading from Doctor Seuss

Call me when you try to wake her up

(Call me when you try to wake her)

Call me when you try to wake her up

(Call me when you try to wake her)

Call me when you try to wake her up

(Call me when you try to wake her)

Oh

The cat in the hat came back

Wrecked a lot of havoc on the way

Always had a smile and a reason to pretend

But their world has flat backgrounds

And little need to sleep but to dream

The sidewinder sleeps on his back

Call me when you try to wake her up

(Call me when you try to wake her)

Call me when you try to wake her up

(Call me when you try to wake her)

I can always sleep standing up

(Call me when you try to wake her)

Oh

Call me when you try to wake her up

(Call me when you try to wake her)

Call me when you try to wake her up

(Call me when you try to wake her)

I can always sleep standing up

(Call me when you try to wake her)

Oh

Call me when you try to wake her up

(Call me when you try to wake her)

I can always sleep standing up

(Call me when you try to wake her)

I can always sleep standing up

(Call me when you try to wake her)

We've got to moogie, moogie, move on this one

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
call /kɔːl/ A1	verb - to speak to someone on the telephone noun - a request or demand
sleep /sliːp/ A1	verb - to rest with your eyes closed noun - the natural state of rest
wake /weɪk/ A2	verb - to stop sleeping verb - to rouse from inactivity or indifference
ring /rɪŋ/ A2	verb - to make a clear, resonant sound noun - the sound of a bell
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - the measured or measurable period
scratch /skrætʃ/ B1	noun - a mark or cut on a surface verb - to scrape or rub the surface of something
heartbeat /ˈhɑːrtbiːt/ B1	noun - the rhythmic contraction and expansion of the heart
machine /məˈʃiːn/ B1	noun - a device with moving parts that does a particular job
money /ˈmʌni/ A1	noun - currency
stupid /ˈstjuːpɪd/ A2	adjective - lacking intelligence or common sense
sign /saɪn/ A2	noun - a symbol or indication
laugh /lɑːf/ A1	verb - to make sounds and show that you are happy noun - the act of laughing
baby /ˈbeɪbi/ A1	noun - a very young child
soup /suːp/ A1	noun - liquid food
star /stɑːr/ A1	noun - a celestial body
cat /kæt/ A1	noun - a small domesticated carnivorous mammal
hat /hæt/ A1	noun - a covering for the head
dream /driːm/ A2	noun - a series of thoughts, images, and sensations verb - to experience dreams