One of the amazing things about the Internet is the way an idea can spread and grow. When my wife and I wrote a parody of Lorde’s “Royals” rewritten in the voice of overtired parents, we had no idea how much it would resonate with people. We got a huge outpouring of messages from parents who saw themselves in those lyrics and appreciated the chance to laugh a bit amidst the chaos.
When my old college friend Lisa Hilary saw the lyrics on Facebook she offered to recorded a studio-version of it – that’s when it really went viral. In a few short weeks it got almost 1 million hits and was being played on radio talk shows and discussed in TV segments. You can see the full lyrics below and hear Lisa’s version here.
Now two more people have recorded their own versions of the song, using our lyrics. Atasha Marlee is a mom of three (4, 2 and 6 months) who somehow had time to get into a studio to record her version of the song and make this video:
I don’t know about you, but I recognized a few of those scenes all too well.
In an email to me she wrote, “I wanted to do this video because the lyrics are so incredibly relatable for any parent who has ever had a young child.” Marlee has a YouTube channel dedicated to telling the story of a “real, average family who goes through the trials and tribulations of parenthood.” She thought it was important to “put a funny spin on one of those less glamorous moments” of parenting.
Another mom, Jessey Eagan, also recorded her own version of the song and sent me the audio. You can hear it here:
It has been great to see how people have adapted our original lyrics and built on them in amazing ways. This entire experience has been such a reminder of how the Internet can connect people, build networks, and spark creativity.
Here are the original lyrics we wrote:
Rested
Lyrics by Josh Stearns and Erica Carlson
I never set my alarm clock anymore
I wake up before the dawn, I get up early
And I’m not proud of my outfit
It’s three am
And the baby’s screaming
And every minute’s like diapers, Thomas, splashin’ in the bathtub
Juice stains, snack traps, screamin’ in the minivan
They don’t care, we can’t remember the last time we dreamed
But everybody’s like swaddles, white noise, sleeping with your baby
Warm milk, rocking, let them cry it out now
We don’t care, we haven’t slept in a couple years.
We’ll never be rested (rested)
Now that we have kids
That kind of luxe just ain’t for us
We gotta find a different kind of buzz
I drink my coffee (coffee), you can call me sleepy,
And baby I’ll sleep (I’ll sleep, I’ll sleep, I’ll sleep)
Let me live that fantasy.
My friends say that they have cracked the code
They sleep in to 8 am, and go to parties
And everyone who knows us knows, that were losing it
We look like zombies.
And every minute’s like diapers, Thomas, splashin’ in the bathtub,
Juice stains, snack traps, screamin’ in the minivan,
They don’t care, we can’t remember the last time we dreamed
But everybody’s like swaddles, white noise, sleeping with your baby
Warm milk, rocking, let them cry it out now
We don’t care, we haven’t slept in a couple years.
We’ll never be rested (rested)
Now that we have kids
That kind of luxe just ain’t for us
We gotta find a different kind of buzz
I drink my coffee (coffee), you can call me sleepy,
And baby I’ll sleep (I’ll sleep, I’ll sleep, I’ll sleep)
Let me live that fantasy.
(Ooh ooh oh)
Our kids have so much energy
They’re runnin’ circles around me
(Ooh ooh oh)
So you’re sleeping without a care
We aren’t caught up in your love affair
We’ll never be rested (rested)
Now that we have kids
That kind of luxe just ain’t for us
We gotta find a different kind of buzz
I drink my coffee (coffee), you can call me sleepy,
And baby I’ll sleep (I’ll sleep, I’ll sleep, I’ll sleep)
Let me live that fantasy.
Josh Stearns 
Love it so true