What does I Don't Want to Miss a Thing mean?

Aerosmith: I Don't Want to Miss a Thing Meaning

Album cover for I Don't Want to Miss a Thing album cover

Song Released: 1998


I Don't Want to Miss a Thing Lyrics

I could stay awake just to hear you breathing
Watch you smile while you are sleeping
While you're far away and dreaming
I could spend my life in this sweet surrender
I could stay lost in this moment forever
Every moment spent with you is a...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    kamododude
    click a star to vote
    Jul 1st 2006 !⃝

    This one is clearly about the strength of love this man has for whoever it may be, and loves them so deeply-he dosent even want to sleep--afraid he will miss a moment with his love-even while she is asleep.

  2. anonymous
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    Mar 20th 2023 !⃝

    For me if we see it in a literal way it is simply a romance, although I also see it as the relationship between a mother and her daughter or son, as the mother from the first moment loved her daughter and wants to live with her all the remaining moments of her life, she lives with the constant fear of "falling asleep" as the song says and miss something important for her daughter, or for example that she "falls asleep" and suddenly her daughter who was a little girl for her becomes an adult, becomes independent and her moments are over. But I always like to change it to my perspective, if we change the "i dont want to miss a thing" for "i dont wanna miss a thing" in a sense of not wanting to miss someone or even anything, I see it as a sisterhood, I have a sister who I lived too many beautiful moments with, unfortunately a few days ago she had to move to go to college, from that moment I only listen to that song thinking about her, I hate to fall asleep not because I miss something, but because I miss her at night, because at night I just overthink, I don't want to dream about her because even though they are beautiful dreams, I know that those dreams will never come true, you never know when you will lose the one you love the most, I think my mistake was not taking advantage of every moment with her, I hope she is ok where she is.

  3. anonymous
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    Dec 26th 2019 !⃝

    It's about a husband who wants to be beside his wife and he doesn't want to miss a thing with her.
    That's it.

  4. anonymous
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    Dec 25th 2019 !⃝

    I feel its more of a parent child effort not for a woman. because the way it seems like its in the present. Someone truely realizing that time is short. Not wanting to miss a minuite of this because of knowing its fleeting. Idk my interpretation anyway. Makes me think i should appreciate my daughter for even the stoppy moody times. Puts things into perspective. Id hate to regret things in the future although i imagine its inevitable.

  5. Angelboo
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    Oct 19th 2018 !⃝

    Fun fact:Celine Dion was suppose to sing this, but she didn't like it, so they gave it to Aerosmith. I think this song is about the immense love a father has for his child and he wishes he could be there for every moment in his/her life.

  6. anonymous
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    Mar 30th 2018 !⃝

    A man in love with a girl lying next to him in bed!

  7. anonymous
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    Jan 5th 2018 !⃝

    Sounds like a song from a father to his daughter.

  8. anonymous
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    Aug 18th 2017 !⃝

    Him watching over his child while they sleep maybe makin up for lost time makes me melancholy when I listen to it truly beautiful

  9. anonymous
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    Dec 12th 2011 !⃝

    James Brolin said that Diane Warren (the songwriter) got inspired after hearing Barbra Streisand retelling the beginning of her romance with James where he told her he didn't want to go to sleep because he would miss her

  10. anonymous
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    Sep 3rd 2008 !⃝

    It can be viewed in many different ways. For me, it's the love I have for my son from the time he was born to the time he went away to the Marines and off to the Iraqi ware in 2008. A mother's love is something special. I love the song, it reminds me of my son and how I longed for his return from war.

  11. anonymous
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    May 24th 2008 !⃝

    I think it is about the people in your life who you love and you wished you could be there for every moment of there life when their there and when their not and you don't want to miss a thing

  12. mimi
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    Nov 16th 2007 !⃝

    It's about a guy really falling in love with a girl and will do anything for her :)

  13. anonymous
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    May 6th 2007 !⃝

    Honestly, if you actually listen to what he says, it sounds like he had a bad break up, and was going to commit suicide, but he didn't because he found someone else to breathe on while they were asleep

  14. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Apr 18th 2007 !⃝

    I heard this song wasn't even written by Steven. It was written by Diane Warren and Joe Perry helped in the process.

    But I think it could be a love song or a dad-daughter song. All the interpretations above were right, I think.

  15. anonymous
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    Apr 6th 2007 !⃝

    This song is about a man who rapes women in their sleep
    "I could stay awake just to hear you breathing
    Watch you smile while you are sleeping"
    Clearly she is breathing as in panting.. and smiling because being sexually touched feels good.
    I think this song is very beautiful as I have had many experiences with sexual ghosts such as incubus.
    -Sally

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  16. anonymous
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    Nov 4th 2006 !⃝

    Sorry to ruin this for people but Steven Tyler didn't write the lyrics of this song. It was written by someone else (probably the only one he didn't write himself in some way) but it was such a good song they weren't going to turn it down.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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