Don't Dream It's Over

There's so much wisdom and insight contained in this song.

The rhythm has moments of heartbeat, moments arhythmic and meandering, like a river with eddies and furls. The strumming of the opening riff, conjures an image for me of wave-riplets lapping a riverbank or a shoreline.

At times he sings with the tempo, and at others he'll fall behind or sing ahead of the main rhythm. There's also a funny assymetry to the instrumental break which comes a little more than half way into the song, and repeats about 3 or 4 measures (as a motif) after the main stream of the song begins anew.

For me, this song is like a river, a kind of metaphor for life. It's all there - the good, the not so good, the obstacles, the ideas and points of view which can hold us prisoner. What I love lyrically about the song is it's call to action - Hey, now, hey, now.. Don't dream it's over! To me, the song speaks of the moment - now - and urges the Lover, whom the singer is addressing to engage with life and embrace a real intention to go beyond doubt, not simply engaging in hope (hope being a dangerous practice, in my view, because it clings to an expected outcome, and will only bring disappointment and suffering if the hoped-for thing is not realized).

To me, the lyrics really offer an antidote, a way to respond to the conditions which can arise in life, challenging us, way beyond our control and influence. The lyrics are transcendent, an expression of good-intention, liberating and freeing, as he puts it.

It's such a beautiful love song. Bonne fête de St-Valentin, Lover.. to the Lover in all of us!

I think this song is telling about how adversities in life affect a relationship.

There is freedom within, there is freedom without There is freedom within, or without a relationship. He is admitting his skepticism about the fate of the relationship. He doesn't know if his love will able to pull through the hard times.

Try to catch the deluge in a paper cup The deluge represents the adversities life throws at them, and the paper cup represents his helplessness in the outcome. (For those that don't know, a deluge is a severe flood, or influx of water)

There's a battle ahead, many battles are lost There's a lot of obstacles in this relationship, and a lot of them take a toll

But you'll never see the end of the road While you're travelling with me He admits that the obstacles will never end

Hey now, hey now Don't dream it's over Hey now, hey now When the world comes in They come, they come To build a wall between us We know they won't win He's trying to comfort her. "Don't wish it's over. Don't let the world tear us apart."

Now I'm towing my car, there's a hole in the roof My possessions are causing me suspicion but there's no proof He suspects that life is trying to tear them apart by all the misfortune happening (Broken down car, a hole in the roof)

In the paper today tales of war and of waste But you turn right over to the T.V. page A metaphor for how the relationship is working. He's emotionally distraught because of life's adversities, and she wants to pretend like everything is okay. Or she simply has lost interest in trying to sympathize with him. She's ignoring it, nonetheless.

Now I'm walking again to the beat of a drum And I'm counting the steps to the door of your heart Towards the end, the tone of the song becomes more upbeat, showing progression. At this point, he's picked himself out of depression, and wants to rebuild the relationship

Only shadows ahead barely clearing the roof Get to know the feeling of liberation and release He reflecting on the fact that only a relationship that has been to the brink of collapse can truly know liberation and release from unsatisfied love.

Don't let them win A final plea for her their love to survive adversity.

Great song. Makes me very sad, as I was going through the same situation in a previous love relationship. Only difference is, we let them win.

This song actually has a breezy, carefree undertone to it. Throughout the song, the singer assumes a seemingly protective/senior role that is almost fatherly, telling "the Lover" to not be put down by all the adversities and trials in life. He calls out to her "Hey now, hey now" as if he is comforting her, and finally tells her the primary message of the song - "Don't dream it's over"; no matter how bad things get, to always stay positive and not lose her dreams. He assures her - "they won't win", telling her that nothing from this world will ever destroy the cocoon the both of them are encapsulated in. In my opinion, it is truly a masterpiece - extremely meaningful yet easy on the ears; sending such a strong message yet not having overbearing lyrics. A classic worthy of time.

He is torn between the life he knew and the one he's trying to create - and even though the future is very unclear, it still looks like freedom compare to the very recent past. A deluge of new experiences accompanies this new freedom, and even though he can't be everywhere at once, he must try to live as much as humanly possible. She is one of these new experiences, and he's urging her to stick with him and not give up, as they discover this new life together. Obstacles are out there, but with patience, love, and the combined insight of two people from different worlds, these can be overcome. He is suspicious of (for just one example) the 80s yuppishness all around them, to the point where he'd rather be poor than lose his soul, and they both know there are ways to escape to a better place, if only for a while. Things are looking up each day, and though ghosts still hang over their heads, nothing can really take away their freedom, not the lack of money or anything else, if they just keep believing in each other and all the good in life.

ONE MY FAVORITES THIS SONG IS ABOUT OPTIMISM HIS UNDYING DESIRE FOR THIS LOVE TO WORK OUT.

this is how i interpeted the song by verse

[OUT OF HIS OWN FREE WILL HE IS TRYING TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE IT WONT BE EASY BUT THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS]

BASICALLY THE CHORUS IS ABOUT NOT GIVING UP AND OVERCOMING OBSTACLES (AND IN THIS CASE ITS LOVE)

[I DONT HAVE MUCH BUT THATS NOT MY PRIORITY WE LIVE IN CRAZY TIMES BUT YOU CHOOSE TO ESCAPE]

[MOVING ON WITH MY LIFE AND WORKING TOWARDS YOUR LOVE UNCERTAINTY LIES AHEAD LOVE WILL SET US FREE]

I think this song is about perseverance in intimate relationships. I think he is communicating to his girl that he will never quit her, and (practically) begging her to do the same.

The first two verses are about the overwhelming odds against them. The last two are how the doldrums of life are a prison to him while he can only think of her, and their problems. When one gets into this sort of funk, it may seem that the partner is indifferent, for lack of passion, hence the T.V. Page line.

The closing line about the shadows is simply an acknowledgment that he will always have to be vigilant and chained to this love.

I tend to think the title, and chorus holds a double meaning..

Hey now, hey now --- Consoling, there there.. Don't dream it's over --- don't ever think I'll be the one to let go

and -

Hey now, hey now --- Wake up, HELLO!!! Don't dream it's over --- Don't think it's going to get any easier, love takes work.

"try to catch the deluge in a paper cup" - Life is too complicated to contain and simplify "there's a battle ahead, many battles are lost" - perhaps a psychological battle, attempting to overcome things you cannot control

chorus - saying how despite the drawback of not being in complete control of fate(?) you can still control your destiny to an extent, if you wish to

towing my car, hole in roof - this could be a psychological representation of his soul/mind, and the hole is representing uncertainty or uncompleteness... possessions causing suspicion... but there's not proof - could this be his thoughts/feelings/morals causing him doubt?

in the paper... turn right over to the TV page - distancing himself from the harsh reality of real life, seeking refuge in television as a means of protecting himself from the knowledge that as an individual, he cannot right the wrongs of the world

walking again to the beat... shadows ahead... get to know the feeling of liberation and release - the nature of life cannot permit complete freedom, and so he continues 'walking... to the beat' by living his life in the way people intend for life to be lived

although life can get bad, the situation is never hopeless...

Wow. I had a totally different perspective before I came here. I had thought the song was a sad one about hopelessness after a breakup. The whole message being "don't dream, it's over" as in give up one your dreams and face the miserable reality of life. Even lines like "many battles are lost" meaning you shouldn't fight, or the pathetic hopelessness of trying to "catch a deluge in a paper cup" or even "counting the footsteps to your heart" meaning that as he progresses away from his beloved's heart, the number increases. I know see that it can be interpreted not as "don't dream BECAUSE it's over" but rather "don't dream THAT it's over" because there is no comma in the title of the song. Punctuation here made all the difference. Thanks guys!

RiP Paul Hester - This is such an awesome song, i have known it for a long time but i never got the chance to really listen to Crowded House even though the music is amazing. Reading about Paul Hester's suicide convinced me to start to listen to them properly. In a way i thank him, and i hope he is at peace.

This song is really beautiful, but I don't get the meaning of it. I think that maybe he's talking about unrequited love. "But you turn right over to the T.V. page" suggests lack of interest, maybe someone the singer has loves doesn't return his love? Also "I'm counting the steps to the door of your heart" shows that he wants his beloved to open her heart for him.