The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite

"The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite"
Single by R.E.M.
from the album Automatic for the People
B-side	"The Lion Sleeps Tonight"
Released	February 5, 1993 (1993-02-05) (UK), March 19, 1993 (1993-03-19) (US)
Format	CD single, 7" single, 12" single, Cassette
Recorded	1992
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	4:06
Label	Warner Bros.
Producer	Scott Litt & R.E.M.
R.E.M. singles chronology
"Man on the Moon" (1992) "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite" (1993) "Everybody Hurts" (1993)

"The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite" is a song by the American alternative rock band R.E.M. It was influenced by the song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", both in the title of the song and through the song's opening refrain. The band used "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" as the B-side to this song.

The song was released on the band's 1992 album Automatic for the People and was later released as a single in 1993, reaching #17 in the UK singles chart.

The song was placed on R.E.M.'s Warner Bros. "best of" album In Time - The Best of R.E.M. 1988-2003 in 2003, although Peter Buck's personal sleeve notes on the song were not complimentary. It was one of four songs from Automatic for the People to make the compilation, more than from any other album.

The song's complete title is not featured in the lyrics, but there is the line, "the sidewinder sleeps in a coil" as well as the later line "the sidewinder sleeps on its back".

The lyrics are famously easy to mishear. A 2010 survey found that the chorus line "Call me when you try to wake her" was the most misheard lyric in Britain, beating "Purple Haze" into second place. The most common mishearing of the chorus line is "Calling Jamaica". What is perceived to be an audible laugh by Michael Stipe can be heard at 2:33 of the track on the Best Of and Automatic for the People CD's.

Track listing

All songs written by Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe except as noted.

US CD Single

1. "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite" – 4:06
2. "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" (Solomon Linda, Luigi Creatore, Hugo Peretti, George David Weiss) – 2:41

UK "Collector's Edition" CD Single 1

1. "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite" – 4:06
2. "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" (Linda, Creatore, Peretti, Weiss) – 2:41
3. "Fretless"¹ – 4:51

UK "Collector's Edition" CD Single 2

1. "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite" – 4:06
2. "Organ Song" – 3:25
3. "Star Me Kitten" (demo) – 3:05

DE CD Maxi-Single

1. "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite" – 4:06
2. "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" (Linda, Creatore, Peretti, Weiss) – 2:41
3. "Fretless"² – 4:51
4. "Organ Song" – 3:25

UK and DE 7" and Cassette Single

1. "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite" – 4:06
2. "Get Up" – 2:39

Notes

² Originally released on the Until the End of the World soundtrack in 1991.

Charts

Chart (1993)	Peak position
Canadian Hot 100	60
Irish Singles Chart	13[citation needed]
UK Singles Chart	17
U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks	28[citation needed]
U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks	24[citation needed]