Song ideas can come from anywhere. Case in point: the Aerosmith song I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing, the group’s first No. 1 hit, was inspired by Barbra Streisand‘s romance with husband James Brolin.
In her memoir My Name is Barbra, Streisand recalled being in bed with Brolin. He told her, “I don’t want to fall asleep.” Asked why, he replied: “‘Cause I’ll miss you.’”
Streisand told the story in a 1997 20/20 interview with Barbara Walters. Songwriter Diane Warren was watching, and she jotted down the statement, later using it in the lyrics for I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.
The song was later used in the film Armageddon, getting an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song.
“It was so gratifying to see so many people responding to Jim’s words,” Streisand wrote. “Well, no wonder… so did I!” She later claimed it was the moment she knew she would marry Brolin, and the two have been married since 1998.
