Released: 2024
Features: Sasha Alex Sloan
“Go To Bed Sober” by Ryan Hurd, featuring Sasha Alex Sloan, sails deep into the tumultuous waters of coping with a breakup via self-medication. At its core, this pensive duet unfolds the narrative of two individuals struggling to move past their shared history, underscored by a haunting realization that despite their efforts, they’re caught in a loop of longing and intoxication.
The song kicks off with a candid confession of how mornings bring a false sense of normalcy that crumbles by the afternoon. The protagonist admits to finding refuge in alcohol as evening approaches, creating a cycle of avoidance that fails to erase the memories of a lost love. The line “I numb the night with the liquor, Try not to look at your picture, but I always do” reveals a poignant battle between the desire to forget and the inability to do so. This verse doesn’t just speak about the physical act of drinking; it delves into the emotional void that one tries to fill with temporary solaces, only to realize the futility of such attempts.
As the chorus flows in, the grip of nostalgia tightens. Holding a drink because they can’t hold the one they love anymore becomes a metaphor for the surrogate comforts people seek out in the absence of genuine emotional connection. The recurring mention of waking up with a hangover mirrors the relentless pain of loss that doesn’t ebb away, emphasizing the cyclical nature of their coping mechanism—alcohol can blur the edges of their hurt, but it cannot provide closure or true escape from their thoughts.
The evolution of their ordeal is mapped out as they confess to becoming estranged, not just from their partner but from themselves. The bridge, “And I say I don’t miss you, Yeah, I say that I’m fine, But my heart is up on a shelf, And everybody can tell I’m lying,” unveils the denial and isolation that often accompanies heartbreak. It’s a raw acknowledgment of the discrepancy between how they present their state of mind to the world and the reality of their emotional turmoil.
In the landscape of rock and its affiliated genres, “Go To Bed Sober” stands out for its introspective examination of love, loss, and the quest for numbness. Sasha Alex Sloan’s emotive voice intertwining with Ryan Hurd’s provides a dual perspective on the shared agony of moving on. This song doesn’t just draw you into its melody; it invites you to reflect on the universal struggle of seeking solace in the wrong places, highlighting the bitter truth that some voids cannot be filled, and some questions don’t have answers—leaving you caught in the loop of trying to forget and seeking closure, all the while knowing the only certainty is the pain of the morning after.
