FAWM: "The Sandman Never Sleeps"

The Sandman Never Sleeps

2025 by @nedgreenough

Liner Notes

Happy FAWM! Boy this song was a lot of fun to work on. It was a bit challenging with the lengthy arrangement and odd 7/8 time signature toward the end, but it I'm pretty happy with the result. In my casual listening I've been really into traditional Celtic folk music over the past year or so. Hence, there's something akin to a reel (or maybe hornpipe?) in the middle section of this song that's disguised with keyboards. There will probably be more of this strange folk-prog crossover throughout my FAWMing this year

Also, shoutout to the 15 second guitar-part I recorded at 6:33 that took me 40 minutes to work on.

I may be wearing my influences on my sleeve a little with this one, but I hope you enjoy!

#prog #progressiverock #oddtimesignature #piano #rock #folk #epic #synth #keyboards #ballad #singersongwriter #jazzy

Lyrics

Come now and rest your head To a world you will forget When you wake in the dawn

Come now and close your eyes What waits to your surprise See the sand fall from the clouds in the sky

This I give to you Your dreams This I give to you Your memories

Oh don’t you look back now ‘Cause your ship has lost its sail As she’s tossing you around and round with the gale

Oh say these words for me It’s so easy if you believe That there’s more to you than what you see in your dreams

In the dead of the night While you slumber Won’t you hold your hand with mine Under your covers

This I give to you Your dreams This I give to you Your memories

In the dead of the night When you slumber You still hold your hand with mine In your lover’s

This I give to you Your dreams This I give to you ‘Cause I never No I never Sleep

Comments

@joshalmond 2025

Really nice! Love all of this so much.

@rxzzo 2025

oh my this is lovely!! your voice is smooth, always coming up with fire music fr the synths are playful, fun to listen to

@psykofyre 2025

Bootiful piece. Perfect song length. Love the sea lyrics tossed in there. Your influences are clearly good influences.

@rowankingsbury 2025

YEEEEEEEESSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!! Absolutely amazing, as always. You're the one who told me to start doing FAWM originally, and I'll forever be grateful. Mostly because it means I get extra Ned content every year. (I guess also because it's fun or whatever...) Every Ned Greenough™ song is a wonderful journey through time and space in a cool and interesting way every time. I also love the lyrical story as well as the instrumental. Just great. Cannot WAIT for more. Now that you've posted, FAWM has truly begun.

@andrea 2025

Writing as I'm listening. I always love your piano and vocals, and I am totally digging this part that starts at 3:42. A little fantasy folksy tune. Just hit the 6:33 mark but I can't pick up the guitar part. I love it anyway. Music I can get into! I can't wait to hear more from you this FAWM :)

@lyricslinger 2025

Very beautiful and classy. Nice to hear a long track and kudos for all the time and love that went into creating it! I liked the way the tempo suddenly shifted - always good to have some surprises in a song.

@overtireddrummer 2025

My boi Ned. He has truly flown. Fly Folk daddy Fly! <3 ROCK ON!

@spotlightkid 2025

Awesome sauce. And only four days into the FAWM! Right up my alley. And great vocals too.

@bradbrubaker 2025

Ooh, listening now and it just got Celtic, but in a sorta Zelda-ish way. Nice guitar tone! This lyric felt quite foreboding: "You still hold your hand with mine / In your lover’s"

@intoyourlight 2025

Leaning back, closing my eyes - 7:20 Minutes of Ned Geenough. I already enjoyed the piano in the first part, but that change in tempo and tone really surprised me and made me happy. A bit of "video game feeling" with the synths, in a good way. I like folk music, so naturally I'm looking forward to your folk-prog stuff. PS: Shoutout to the 15-second guitar part!