"Only When I Sleep" is a song by Irish folk rock band The Corrs, released in September 1997 as the lead single from their sophomore album, Talk on Corners (1997). The song focuses on being in love with someone and fantasizing, in your dreams, not focusing on someone in reality. The track was also included on the second issuing of the album, Talk on Corners: Special Edition (1998), and was also recorded live with an orchestra for MTV's Unplugged (1999). It is also featured on Dreams: The Ultimate Corrs Collection (2006). "Only When I Sleep" managed to peak at number 1 on the Spanish Singles Chart, 10 on the Irish Singles Chart, number 34 on the Australian Singles Chart, and number 58 on the UK Singles Chart.

Critical reception

Alan Jones from Music Week described the song as "a classy and sonically pleasing ballad performed in a style midway between Roxette and Heart. The family's pleasing harmonies are a plus, as is the vaguely Irish fiddling. An invaluable trigger to sales of their upcoming album Talk On Corners."

Music video and composition

The accompanying music video for "Only When I Sleep" was shot at the Alexandria Hotel in Los Angeles, and is of a more glamorous style than the previous videos. The hotel used to be very popular in the early days of Hollywood, and famous stars like Charlie Chaplin, Sarah Bernhardt, Rudolph Valentino, Douglas Fairbanks or Cecil B. DeMille but also politicians like Theodore Roosevelt and Winston Churchill stayed at the hotel. It is abandoned today but still used as a filming location of many films, TV shows (e.g. The X-Files) and other music videos. Director Nigel Dick met Jim by chance at Los Angeles International Airport. He has been directing music videos for many other artists, including R.E.M., Cher, Oasis, Tears for Fears and Alice Cooper. "Only When I Sleep" is a slower-paced (95 BPM), steady but 'dreamy' rock song in the key of B Dorian (minor)/A major, in common time (4/4), and runs for four minutes and twenty-one seconds. The song features prominent rhythmic and solo electric guitar, acoustic guitar, and drums; the bridge of the song is a simple, Irish-inspired melody composed by the band, featuring Andrea Corr on tin whistle (a Walton's 'Little Black D' whistle) and Sharon Corr on violin. Sharon plays a Barcus Berry acoustic-electric violin.

Track listings

Personnel

Credits are taken from the UK CD single liner notes. The Corrs Production

Charts

Release history