Jeff Buckley’s version of “Hallelujah” is beautiful, and listening to it puts me into a very relaxed state. I also recently heard “Lullaby” by the Dixie Chicks and it did the same thing. What songs make you feel sleepy and peaceful?
Hallelujah is one of my favorite songs of all times, (I am most partial to Rufus Wainright’s version, but Buckley is terrific). It does not relax me though. It is a very emotionally wrenching song for me.
I love the Tribe Called Quest album, “Midnight Marauders” to relax me. Some songs on that album are like a drug to me…they rock me right into relaxing.
Also, I really don’t like R&B music, but Sade is an exception. Her music is both beautiful and peaceful. Ditto for Erykah Badu.
Nothing. Music always keeps me awake. A real pain when I was in a college dorm.
Agreed. My personal pick is The Sundays’ version of “Wild Horses.”
Whoa! Wait a minute. I am not at all familiar with a Sade song called “Wild Horses”. I just searched Youtube, and I am coming up with nothing.
Also, I meant to specify Erycah Badu’s first album, Baduizm. The rest of her music has not been as good or as relaxing for me.
Somewhere in Between
Everything
Both by Lifehouse. I don’t listen to them on road trips because I’m sure I’d nod off!
A lot of the songs on the Pure Moods soundtrack.
Sunday Morning, by the Velvet Underground
“Around the Bend” by Pearl Jam always makes me sleepy. It’s basically about tucking someone in and staying with them until they go to sleep, so no wonder!
Also, the first part of “So Gently We Go” by I Mother Earth is very soothing, but towards the end the music starts to build and get louder, so it wakes me up if I listen to it before going to sleep! Great song, though.
I used to have a whole playlist on my iPod with “easy songs” like this, but I deleted it. I should redo it, because it was nice to listen to as I drifted off.
The Sundays song I’m referring to is a cover of The Rolling Stones. I was agreeing with you about Sade in general, but then saying my personal pick for one song in particular would be that one.
Ohh! I am so slow sometimes. And believe it or not, I never heard ‘Wild Horses’ by The Sundays until I Youtubed it just now. Thank you for that.
VNV Nation (no, seriously) has a really pretty, soothing instrumental piece called “Colours of Rain.” Just a piano track with some cello and ambient sounds in the background. I like to listen to it on the subway at night.
The Frames “In the Deep Shade” is another lulling instrumental track, with a piano and ambient sounds. That one I actually have fallen asleep to.
I second “Around the Bend”
U2’s *The Unforgettable Fire * has some good tracks to drift off to. “Promenade”, “4th of July”, “Elvis Presley and America”, “Bad”, and “MLK” are especially good for this.
Shine On You Crazy Diamond by Pink Floyd. Also, Wish You Were Here from the same album.
Side One of Brothers in Arms (Dire Straits). That will always, without fail, knock me out.
Titanic, the old Schwa Corporation theme song. I fell asleep many nights while it played softly from my computer as part of the Schwa screensaver.
Anything by The October Project has that ethereal sound that can be somnolent.
Ocean noises. I have a couple of CD’s of them.
Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata and Tchaikovsky’s Arabian Dance from The Nutcracker are so hypnotic. Any time I’m having trouble going to sleep I put them on continuous loop with a 30 minute timer.
I used to fall asleep to Music of the Night as sung by Michael Crawford. His voice is truly magnificent.
The opening theme for “Jewel In The Crown”. I’ve never made it through a complete episode.