Bottle By My Bed

Album: Trophy (2017)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Sunny Sweeney penned this song after miscarrying her first child. The tragic event followed many years of attempts by her and husband Jeff Hellmer to become parents. After trying fertility treatments without success, Sweeney had an unexpected conception, without doctors' aid. However, during a regular checkup, the doctor couldn't find the baby's heartbeat.

    "The heartbeat was gone. Gone. No explanation. Nothing," Sweeney recalled to People. "I waited two weeks to make sure the heartbeat wasn't just hiding behind something else. Then we had to schedule the dreaded [dilation and curettage procedure]. It took me a couple months to finally digest that I had miscarried."
  • Sweeney admitted that it was a tough decision to go public with this song about her personal tragedy, but she's glad that she did.

    "The first night I sang it, a woman came up to me afterwards. She was very pregnant and sobbing. She said, 'I know you hate me right now because I'm pregnant. I have spent my last couple of years mad at everyone that was pregnant … I want you to know that we have tried for years and he's finally going to be here next week. Please do not give up on this if it's what you want,'" Sweeney recalled. "It was almost like a sign that on the first night I sang it live, someone that had been 'me' in my situation was telling me to push forward with this."

    "People want to talk about the subject. People need to talk about this. We need to commiserate and lift each other up, both men and women," she added. "If my song can aid in that process, I feel we have done our job as songwriters."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Jack Tempchin - "Peaceful Easy Feeling"

Jack Tempchin - "Peaceful Easy Feeling"They're Playing My Song

When a waitress wouldn't take him home, Jack wrote what would become one of the Eagles most enduring hits.

Annie Haslam of Renaissance

Annie Haslam of RenaissanceSongwriter Interviews

The 5-octave voice of the classical rock band Renaissance, Annie is big on creative expression. In this talk, she covers Roy Wood, the history of the band, and where all the money went in the '70s.

Bryan Adams

Bryan AdamsSongwriter Interviews

What's the deal with "Summer of '69"? Bryan explains what the song is really about, and shares more of his songwriting insights.

Francis Rossi of Status Quo

Francis Rossi of Status QuoSongwriter Interviews

Doubt led to drive for Francis, who still isn't sure why one of Status Quo's biggest hits is so beloved.

Billy Steinberg - "Like A Virgin"

Billy Steinberg - "Like A Virgin"They're Playing My Song

The first of Billy's five #1 hits was the song that propelled Madonna to stardom. You'd think that would get you a backstage pass, wouldn't you?

American Hits With Foreign Titles

American Hits With Foreign TitlesSong Writing

What are the biggest US hits with French, Spanish (not "Rico Suave"), Italian, Scottish, Greek, and Japanese titles?