“Two Hours Too Late”:
A Parenting Parody of Reba McEntire’s 1987 Hit, “One Promise Too Late”
(Note: this is an oldie, so if you don’t know the tune, you may need to watch it on YouTube first. You get a gold star if you know it well enough to sing this in your head. It’s one of my favorites from Reba…classic ’80s country).
I would’ve waited for bedtime,
if I’d known that we’d be here.
We could’ve stayed up watching TV
or something better, that much is clear.
But I tried to be a good mom,
and bedtime just couldn’t wait.
So no matter how much I adore you,
I’ve got to say Goodnight to your sweet little face.
But why won’t you
stop kickin’ the sides of your crib?
Why won’t you
close your eyes and go to bed?
All I want is to dream of wine and tacos,
but you’ll fall asleep two hours too late…
you’ll fall asleep two hours too late.
I used lavender, a sound machine and sang songs…
I read you books and rubbed your back, so what is wrong?!
Why won’t you
quit climbing out of your crib?
Why won’t you
just “simma don now” for me please?
I won’t lie, Darlin’ I’m losing my dang mind,
cause I need some sleep…two more hours would be great.
Yet, you’ll fall asleep two hours too late.
Oh, why won’t you
just lie your little head down?
Why won’t you let your Mommy get some rest?
I need sleep or I’ll turn into a zombie.
But you’ll fall asleep two hours too late.
Yes, you’ll fall asleep two hours too late.
Bonus verse/chorus (longer than the original music):
I know you’ll still wake up at the crack of dawn;
no matter what, it’s always on like Donkey Kong!
Why won’t you
sleep longer than the sunrise?
Why won’t you
let me get some proper rest?
All I know, is I’m gonna need some coffee,
and I’d love a nap, but sleep will have to wait;
cause you’ll still be up, rarin’ to go for the day.
Backstory: I originally started writing this on my phone late at night, hiding under the covers to block the light, waiting on my toddler to stop kicking his crib and go to sleep. I had tried just about everything and had pretty much given up. It was almost midnight and he was still a wild man. It was frustrating, but writing a funny song helped pass the time as I waited for him to finally crash.
This was about a month and a half ago. Since then, he has moved to a toddler bed and does better, but it still can take an hour for him to stay in bed and sleep. To all of the parents of babies and young children who struggle at bedtime, I feel you. Stay strong, friends. Someday we will get to sleep normally again (that’s the hope I hang onto anyway; if that’s not true, maybe just let me believe it). At least I’m past the newborn phase where I had to get up every hour and a half to feed him, so there’s that.
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Credits: the original song, One Promise Too Late, was written by Dave Loggins, Don Schlitz and Lisa Silver, and recorded by American country music artist Reba McEntire. It was released in May 1987 as the third single from the album What Am I Gonna Do About You.
