Endless Sleep
title: "Endless Sleep" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1958-songs", "1958-singles", "teenage-tragedy-songs", "shakin'-stevens-songs"] topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endless_Sleep" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox song"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Endless Sleep |
| cover | Endless sleep.jpg |
| type | single |
| artist | Jody Reynolds |
| B-side | Tight Capris |
| released | March 1958 |
| recorded | 1957 |
| genre | Pop, rockabilly |
| label | Demon FF-1507 |
| writer | Jody Reynolds, Dolores Nance |
| :: |
| name = Endless Sleep | cover = Endless sleep.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = Jody Reynolds | album = | B-side = Tight Capris | released = March 1958 | recorded = 1957 | studio = | venue = | genre = Pop, rockabilly | length = | label = Demon FF-1507 | writer = Jody Reynolds, Dolores Nance | producer = | prev_title = | prev_year = | next_title = | next_year = "Endless Sleep" is a "teenage tragedy" pop song written and originally recorded by rockabilly singer Jody Reynolds in 1957.
Background
Reynolds wrote the song in 1956, after listening to Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel", and first performed it soon afterwards at a performance in Yuma, Arizona. The song told the story of a teenager whose girlfriend had gone missing after a row: The night was black, rain fallin' down Looked for my baby, she's nowhere around Traced her footsteps down to the shore Afraid she's gone for ever more Although record companies initially rejected the song as too depressing, Reynolds eventually had a demo accepted by Demon Records in Los Angeles, who agreed that Reynolds record it provided that he changed the song's ending so that the protagonist saved the girl from drowning.I looked at the sea and it seemed to say “You took your baby from me away" My heart cried out “She's mine to keep" I saved my baby from an endless sleep.
The song was recorded with echo-drenched vocals, and with Al Casey and Howard Roberts on guitars.
Chart performance
Reynolds' recording reached the number 5 position on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart on July 7, 1958, sold over one million copies, and inspired a trend of "teen tragedy" songs. Reynolds' recording also went to number 5 on the Most Played R&B By Jockeys chart. A re-recorded version by Reynolds appears the 1984 Rhino compilation LP Teenage Tragedies.
Other versions
- British act Marty Wilde and His Wildcats covered the song in 1958 and reached #4 on the UK singles chart, becoming their first chart hit.
- Hank Williams, Jr. covered the song in 1964, an early-career release that was his third charting single. It peaked at #46 on the Country chart and #90 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
- Marc Bolan performed a glam version on his short-lived eponymous show Marc in 1977 and recorded it as a b-side to ″Sing Me A Song″ in 1981.
- American country music duo The Judds recorded a cover in 1984, which was released on their first album, Why Not Me in 1984. It was not released as a single.
- In 1990, English punk/rocker Billy Idol recorded a cover that was true to Reynolds's rockabilly original. It was released on his Platinum record, Charmed Life.
References
References
- "Rockabilly". Los Angeles Times.
- "Jody Reynolds". Rockabillyhall.com.
- Whitburn, Joel. (2004). "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004". Record Research.
- Betts, Graham. (2004). "Complete UK Hit Singles 1952-2004". Collins.
- "Flashback: See Hank Williams Jr.’s Chilling ‘Endless Sleep’ From 1964". Rolling Stone.
- "Billboard Hot 100 - Week of December 19, 1964". Billboard.
- "Marc Bolan Endless Sleep Live 1977". YouTube.
- "Endless Sleep by Marc Bolan (Cover)". secondhandsongs.com.
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