Discover the story of the song > The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite – R.E.M.

The protagonist is staying in a place where there is no phone number. If someone calls the phone booth, it should keep ringing until the protagonist picks up. However, this is usually not the case. The pay phone is scratched, as if someone has tried to wake it up, but it can only take money, not wake up. The protagonist asks his partner to tell the booth to kiss his butt as a joke. The protagonist wants his partner to call him when he tries to wake someone up. He wants something more substantial than instant soup, and he can always sleep standing up. The cat in the hat has done a lot of damage, but it's easy for them to sleep and dream. The sidekick sleeps on his back. The protagonist wants his partner to call him when he tries to wake her up and says they need to move on.