“Don’t Sleep in the Subway” (Petula Clark)

Today’s classic song of the day is another one from British singer Petula Clark. “Don’t Sleep in the Subway” was released as a single in April of 1967 and shot to #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on Billboard’s Easy Listening chart. It peaked at #12 in the singer’s native England.

Ms. Clark’s longtime collaborator and producer Tony Hatch wrote “Don’t Sleep in the Subway,” along with his partner Jackie Trent. It was cobbled together from pieces of three different songs; you can hear the distinct sections and styles if you listen carefully. It was nominated for a Grammy for Best Contemporary Song, losing to the 5th Dimension’s recording of Jimmy Webb’s “Up, Up and Away.”

Even though she wasn’t really sure what the song was about (I think it’s about a woman telling her lover to come back after they’ve had a spat), Pet Clark considered “Don’t Sleep in the Subway” her favorite of all the songs she’s recorded. Here’s what she’s said about it:

“It’s a bit of a mystery to me, the song. But it’s got to be one of my favorites, though I’m not quite sure what it’s about. It doesn’t matter.”

“Don’t Sleep in the Subway” was Petula Clark’s last single to hit the top ten in the U.S. Her previous top ten hits were “Downtown” (1964), “I Know a Place” (1965), “My Love” (1965), “I Couldn’t Live Without Your Love” (1966), and “This is My Song” (1967).

I have a personal memory related to this song. It was December of 1967 and my family was driving home from Christmas shopping at the Glendale shopping center in Indianapolis. It was late, it was snowing. I was nodding off in the backseat of our Buick station wagon, warm and cozy in my winter coat and the hat with the big ear flaps, and “Don’t Sleep in the Subway” came on the car radio. The lyrics caught my attention in a dream state, and the tune stays with me to this day.

And here’s your daily bonus video of the day, Petula Clark singing “Don’t Sleep in the Subway” live on an Italian television program sometime in the late ’60s. As you can see for yourself, she was a terrific performer.