Staying Up Lyrics
No food to eat
All the money's been wasted from last week
I can't even leave
So I sit in the basement, making up rad beats
Hot cup of tea
It's four o'clock in the middle of the night and I can't sleep
It's all on the peak
So bad I can taste it while it eats me
[Chorus]
How can I sleep if I don't have dreams?
I just have nightmares
How can it be?
I still believe something is out there
[Verse 2]
Some part of me
Feels a little bit naked and empty
I'm stuck underneath
A few dirty old blankets to comfort me
[Chorus]
How can I sleep if I don't have dreams?
I just have nightmares
How can it be?
I still believe something is out there
How can I sleep if I don't have dreams?
I just have nightmares
How can it be?
I still believe something is out there
And then there's a light
And I can see why I'm still alive
Mommy won't lie
'Cause if she did, I would've died
All the time I sit and try
You think I'd be tired
Every night, I'm sippin' wine
Ohh, I'm staying up this time
[Chorus]
How can I sleep if I don't have dreams?
I just have nightmares
How can it be?
I still believe something is out there
How can I sleep if I don't have dreams?
I just have nightmares
How can it be?
I still believe something is out there
(Something is out there)
About
“Staying Up” finds frontman Jesse Rutherford struggling with insomnia and nightmares, paralleling his issues to other realities of life.
Some of the lyrics were originally used in The Neighbourhood’s cover and re-imagination of Souls of Mischief’s “‘93 'Til Infinity.”
In a 2013 interview with Neon Tommy, Jesse talked about the song’s relation to his family:
The song “Staying Up” is really family-based for me, and when my mom heard that one, she got really emotional. Everyone goes through their struggles and my family has been through our own struggle, and that song really speaks about it. Sometimes I don’t realize what I write because I just write what I feel. I’m not thinking about it that much. I’m spewing and I can’t help but to be honest.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
The song “Staying Up” is really family-based for me, and when my mom heard that one, she got really emotional. Everyone goes through their struggles and my family has been through our own struggle, and that song really speaks about it. Sometimes I don’t realize what I write because I just write what I feel. I’m not thinking about it that much. I’m spewing and I can’t help but to be honest.