Review: Lay Me Down

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Reggae rock band Dirty Heads’ classic “Lay Me Down” deserves more recognition. Featuring Rome of Sublime, the song speaks to the summer blues in all of us. Any one of us would love to “walk down to the ocean and sit with the rising sun”. It is a love song where the partner asks for the other to “lay me down”, meaning that he wants the relationship to become a serious, defined one, not just another summer fling. There are references throughout the song to the infamous couple, Bonnie and Clyde, who were criminals and ran throughout the nation together, escaping the law. The partner in the song wants the other one to settle with him, with “no more running from town to town”.

The easygoing lyrics are extremely cohesive with its chill flow. The “ooo’s” and guitar riffs in the beginning set a relaxing tone. Dirty Heads’ use of a reggae-like rhythm and its almost-rap would make anyone think this song would be boppy. Yet, the band was able to strategically use these elements and still create a mellow, calm sound and stay true to itself. While this song was initially released in 2010, it established a record by staying at #1 for nine weeks on the alternative charts, which was the longest period of time an independently released title had topped the charts since Everlast’s 1999 song “What It’s Like”. This song was popular for good reason; “Lay Me Down” is an easy, island-inspired song to put on that is family-friendly yet still fresh.