Evie Summers
Don't Sleep in the Subway is a song by British singer Petula Clark, released in April 1967. It was written by Tony Hatch and his wife, Jackie Trent. The song is about a couple who have a lot of disagreements, with the man often retreating into himself instead of engaging with the issue. The woman tells him not to sleep in the subway – i.e., to spend the night with her instead of walking out on her. The song was Clark's last Top 10 hit in the US, peaking at #5 on the charts. It was also nominated for a Grammy award for best contemporary song in 1968.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Songwriters | Tony Hatch and Jackie Trent |
| Recorded by | Petula Clark |
| Year of release | 1967 |
| Genre | Pop, Symphonic, Beach Boys-like melody for the chorus |
| Peaked at | No.5 on the US charts |
| Awards | Grammy award nomination for best contemporary song |
| Album | These Are My Songs |
| Inspired by | Three different songs Tony Hatch had written but not completed |
| Other artists who recorded the song | Betty Chung, Rita Hovink, Marilyn Maye, Matt Monro, Patti Page, Frank Sinatra, Caterina Valente, Mari Wilson, Gelu, Los Stop, Siw Malmkvist |
What You'll Learn
The song's meaning
"Don't Sleep in the Subway" is a song about a couple who have a lot of disagreements. The man tends to retreat into himself instead of engaging with the issue at hand. When he threatens to walk out on his partner, the woman tells him that it's better to come up with a solution and make up. When she tells him, "don't sleep in the subway", she is asking him to spend the night with her instead of leaving.
The song's title was inspired by the 1961–62 Broadway musical "Subways Are for Sleeping". The "subway" in the song refers to the underground passages for pedestrians in London, and not a mode of transportation.
The song was written by Tony Hatch and his wife, Jackie Trent, and recorded by Petula Clark, who released it as a single in April 1967. It was Clark's last hit to reach the Top 10 in the US. The song is a combination of three different songs that Hatch had written but not completed. It changes in musical style from pop to symphonic and then, for the chorus, to a Beach Boys-like melody.
In the song, the narrator advises her sweetheart against storming out after an argument due to his "foolish pride". If he does, he will "sleep in the subway" or "stand in the pouring rain" just to prove his point.
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The song's composition
"Don't Sleep in the Subway" is a song written by Tony Hatch and his wife, Jackie Trent, and recorded by Petula Clark. The song was released as a single in April 1967 and was Clark's last hit to reach the Top 10 in the US.
The song is a combination of three different sections of music previously composed by Hatch but never completed. The song changes in musical style from pop to symphonic and then, for the chorus, to a Beach Boys-like melody.
In the lyrics, the narrator advises her sweetheart against storming out after an argument due to his "foolish pride". She tells him that it's better to come up with a solution and make up, and that he shouldn't "sleep in the subway" or "stand in the pouring rain" merely to prove his point.
The "subway" in the song title refers to the underground pedestrian passages found in London and not a mode of transportation. According to the song's co-writer, Jackie Trent, the title lyric was suggested by the 1961-62 Broadway musical "Subways Are for Sleeping".
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The song's chart performance
"Don't Sleep in the Subway" was released as a single in April 1967 by British singer Petula Clark. The song was written by Tony Hatch and Jackie Trent, Clark's producer and songwriter. It was Clark's last hit to reach the Top 10 in the US, peaking at No.5 on the US charts in July 1967. It was also her final appearance at No.1 on an official national chart, reaching No.1 in Australia in September 1967.
In the UK, "Don't Sleep in the Subway" peaked at No.12 in July 1967, marking a decline in Clark's UK chart profile. Clark's previous single, "This Is My Song", had given her a better chart showing, spending two weeks at No.1. "Don't Sleep in the Subway" was Clark's last US Top Ten single and her final appearance at No.1 on an official national chart.
The song also reached No.3 in Rhodesia, No.5 in Canada, No.7 in New Zealand, No.10 in South Africa, and No.16 in Germany. It was Clark's second of two No.1 hits on the Billboard Easy Listening chart, following "I Couldn't Live Without Your Love".
"Don't Sleep in the Subway" received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Contemporary Song in 1968 but lost to "Up, Up and Away" by The 5th Dimension.
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The song's covers
"Don't Sleep in the Subway" is a song written by Tony Hatch and Jackie Trent and first recorded by British singer Petula Clark, who released it as a single in April 1967. It was also the title track of an album by American jazz saxophonist Johnny Hodges, released in 1967.
The song has been covered by several other artists, including:
- Betty Chung
- Rita Hovink
- Marilyn Maye
- Matt Monro
- Patti Page
- Frank Sinatra
- Caterina Valente
- Mari Wilson
- Gelu and Los Stop (in Spanish)
- Siw Malmkvist (in Swedish)
- Rachel Berry and Artie Abrams (in Glee)
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The song's legacy
"Don't Sleep in the Subway" is a song written by Tony Hatch and Jackie Trent and recorded by British singer Petula Clark. It was released as a single in April 1967 and received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Contemporary Song in 1968. The song is a combination of three different sections of music previously composed by Hatch, transitioning from pop to symphonic, and then to a Beach Boys-like melody for the chorus.
In the lyrics, the narrator advises her sweetheart against storming out after an argument due to his "foolish pride". If he does, he will ""sleep in the subway" or "stand in the pouring rain" to prove his point. The term "subway" in the song refers to the underground passages for pedestrians in London, rather than a mode of transportation.
"Don't Sleep in the Subway" was Clark's last single to reach the Top 10 in the US, peaking at No.5 on the charts in July 1967. It was also her final appearance at No.1 on an official national chart in Australia, where it topped the charts for two consecutive weeks in September 1967. The song was also recorded by other artists, including Frank Sinatra, Betty Chung, and Mari Wilson, and has been featured in various TV shows and films, including "Malcolm in the Middle" and "Glee".
"Don't Sleep in the Subway" is considered one of Clark's favourite songs, and she continued to include it in her concert repertoire. The song's legacy lies in its commercial success, critical acclaim, and enduring appeal, solidifying its place in popular culture and music history.
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Frequently asked questions
The song was written by Tony Hatch and his wife, Jackie Trent.
It was recorded by Petula Clark and released in April 1967.
Yes, Clark has cited it as one of her favourites, along with "I Couldn't Live Without Your Love".
The song is about a couple who have a lot of disagreements. The man tends to walk out after a fight, so the woman is asking him to spend the night with her instead of sleeping "in the subway" or "standing in the pouring rain".
The song peaked at No.5 on the US charts and was Clark's final US Top Ten single. It reached No.12 in the UK.
