Sleepwalker

This article is about the Demons Dance Alone bonus track. You may be looking for the 2010 spoken word suite of the same name.

"Sleepwalker" is a song by The Residents, recorded in 2002 during the Demons Dance Alone sessions, but left off the album, appearing instead on the bonus disc of its deluxe edition. It would only be commercially released in 2011 when it was featured on the Lonely Teenager album.

This song is not to be confused with "The Sleepwalker", a ghost story from the Talking Light project.

Background

"Sleepwalker" was considered for the Demons Dance Alone album but was eventually left off the track listing, along with the songs "Tortured", "Hidden Hand", and "Vampire". It is a mysterious, swampy track sung by Molly Harvey, with occasional outbursts of synthesizer and electric guitar; a demo version released in 2024 features scratch vocals by the Singing Resident and a much more "pop-flavored" drum track.

Despite being an album outtake, the song was eventually performed live on the Talking Light tour (2010-2011), and recorded for the associated album Lonely Teenager. This rendition's lyrics are gender-swapped and sung by Randy Rose.

Elements of the song's vocals were used on the track "Day 11" from The 12 Days of Brumalia (2004), but, unlike "Day 10" (which remixes "Betty's Body"), The Residents have never acknowledged "Day 11" as an alternate version of "Sleepwalker".

Lyrics

(Maybe I should go to sleep)

When I went to see my baby he was in a nightgown
When I went to see my baby he was on the ground

There was nothing in his eyes as I sat beside him
There was nothing in his eyes, nothing that could hide him

He was singing in his sleep and he was singing sadly
He was singing in his sleep and he was looking at me

There was something in his voice, something I was sensing 
There was something in his voice, something that was missing

Pity opened up my heart and pity recognised him
Pity opened up my heart and nothing could disguise him

He had sealed himself inside a body he could sleep in
He had sealed himself inside and nobody could see him

I'm a lonely little lamb looking for a hunk of ham
I'm a lonely little lamb looking for a hunk of ham
I'm a lonely little lamb looking for a home, 
home, home, home, home, home...

• In the Talking Light version, the lyrics are gender-swapped, and the final verse is "Love is just a little lamb looking for a hunk of ham / Love, love, love...".

Appearances

• Demons Dance Alone Deluxe bonus disc (2002)
• El Año del Muerto (2009)
• Talking Light Live in Rehearsal, Santa Cruz, California (2010)
• Talking Light Downloads (2010-2011)
• Lonely Teenager (2011)
• Talking Light Bimbo's (2011)
• Ten Two Times (2013)
• 80 Aching Orphans (2017)
• Demons Dance Alone pREServed