About The Song
“Sleeping Single in a Double Bed” is a vibrant country-pop crossover hit by Barbara Mandrell, released in August 1978 as the lead single from her ABC Records album Moods. Written by Kye Fleming and Dennis Morgan, it became Mandrell’s first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, holding the top spot for three weeks in November 1978, charting for 11 weeks, and peaking at No. 29 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart. The 2:20 track, with its catchy hook—“Sleeping single in a double bed / Thinking over things I wish I’d said”—captures the restless heartache of a breakup with a danceable, disco-tinged beat. Mandrell’s bright, emotive vocals deliver both sass and vulnerability, as Rolling Stone noted: “It’s Barbara at her peak, blending country soul with pop flair.” She told CMT in 2010, “That song was a game-changer—it felt like me, bold and real.” The song won a 1980 American Music Award for Favorite Country Single and fueled Mandrell’s rise as a crossover star. A 2020 dance remix by Dave Audé targeted modern dance floors, reflecting its enduring appeal.
Recorded in 1978 at Woodland Sound Studios in Nashville, the track was produced by Tom Collins, with uncredited Nashville A-Team players likely including Charlie McCoy on harmonica, Bobby Thompson on guitar, and The Jordanaires on backing vocals, per Discogs. The upbeat arrangement—lively guitar, pulsing bass, and subtle strings—leans into the era’s country-disco trend, as AllMusic praises: “It’s a perfect snapshot of 1978, catchy and heartfelt.” The album Moods hit No. 8 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and No. 132 on the Billboard 200. The G-C-D chord progression and “I ain’t had no lovin’ since you’ve been gone” refrain, per Chordify, made it a radio and dancehall staple. Its inclusion on Spotify’s 20th Century Masters collection and a 2011 karaoke version by Done Again highlight its longevity.
Barbara Mandrell, born December 25, 1948, in Houston, Texas, was a multi-instrumentalist and country superstar whose 1970s and 1980s hits, like “The Midnight Oil” (No. 1, 1973), blended traditional country with pop polish. Her NBC variety show Barbara Mandrell & the Mandrell Sisters (1980–1981) showcased her talents alongside sisters Irlene and Louise, per Wikipedia. A 1984 car accident left her with serious injuries, but she returned to perform until retiring in 1997, later acting in Sunset Beach. “Sleeping Single” was a live favorite, performed on The Midnight Special in 1978 and at her 1980 Grand Ole Opry shows, with a YouTube clip capturing her dynamic stage presence. Covers are rare, but a 1980 version by The Pointer Sisters exists, per SecondHandSongs. Reddit fans on r/TheTikiHut in 2024 called it “a banger that still slaps,” reflecting its nostalgic pull.
The song appeared in no major films but thrives on streaming platforms, with Shazam users tagging its infectious rhythm. Its flirty tone was mildly bold for 1978 country, but as No Depression notes, “Barbara’s charm made it universally loved.” Mandrell, a 2009 Country Music Hall of Fame inductee, shared its joy on X in 2020: “It’s not racket, it’s Sleeping Single In A Double Bed!!!” The song remains a vibrant testament to her crossover legacy, blending heartache with dancefloor energy.
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Lyric
Sleeping single in a double bed
Thinking over things I wish I’d said
I should have held you but I let you go
Now I’m sleeping single in a double bedTossing, turning, trying to forget
I could be lying with you instead
I’m sleeping single in a double bed
I’d pour me a drink, but I’d only be sorry‘Cause drinking doubles alone don’t make it a party
Another night, it’s the same old story
Sleeping single in a double bedI ain’t had no loving since you’ve been gone
I don’t know if I can make it alone
I’m sleeping single in a double bed
I’d pour me a drink, but I’d only be sorry‘Cause drinking doubles alone don’t make it a party
Another night, it’s the same old story
Sleeping single in a double bed