Judy wrote the saddest song
She showed it to a boy in school today
Judy, where did you go wrong?
You used to make me smile when I was down
Judy was a teenage rebel
She did it with a boy when she was young
She gave herself to books and learning
She gave herself to being number one
Judy, I don't know you if you're going to show me everything
Judy, I don't know you if you're going to show me everything

Judy got a book at school
She went under the cover with her torch
She fell asleep until it was morning
She dreamt about the girl who stole a horse
Judy never felt so good except when she was sleeping
Judy never felt so good except when she was sleeping

Judy, let's go for a walk
We can kiss and do whatever you want
But you will be disappointed
You will fall asleep with ants in your pants
Judy, you're just trying to find and keep the dream of horses
And the song she wrote was Judy and the Dream of Horses
Dream of horses
Dream of horses

The best looking boys are taken
The best looking girls are staying inside
So, Judy, where does that leave you?
Walking the street from morning to night
With a star upon your shoulder lighting up the path that you walk
With a parrot on your shoulder saying everything when you talk
If you're ever feeling blue
Then write another song about your dream of horses
Write a song about your dream of horses
Call it Judy And The Dream Of Horses
Call it Judy And The Dream Of Horses
You dream of horses



Lyrics submitted by ReActor

Track duration: 03:42


Judy and the Dream of Horses song meanings
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  • 0
    General Comment:Judy is a teenage girl suffering from depression and alienation (a unique theme for B & S, I know). Her only form of release is to recall a recurring theme about stealing a horse and riding off into the sunset. The dream clearly represents Judy's desire for freedom from her day to day life.

    The final lyrics,
    "If you're ever feeling blue
    Then write another song about your dream of horses
    Write a song about your dream of horses
    Call it Judy And The Dream Of Horses
    Call it Judy And The Dream Of Horses
    You dream of horses"

    always give me chills.
    Flag AvatarofWoahon February 02, 2012   Link
  • +1
    Song Meaning:Now that I read some of your comments, I'm starting to think that a sexual interpretation makes sense... But I still think this song is about freedom of society's patterns. I mean, "the saddest song" is about her life, how bad Judy wants to be happy and free of all of that.

    She used to be a happy little girl, but then "she did it with a boy when she was young" (abused, maybe?) and got punished. For that, she had to dedicate her life to be an excellent student and had to study a lot. Maybe she did it to forget about what happened or because the society (religious?) forced her to do that. She had to 'compensate'. Anyway, she got stuck inside herself - almost like she had a shell -, she wasn't happy anymore.

    Like MindChild said, horses represent freedom. So the dream of horses represent her wish of freedom. The girl on her dream is Judy and she is the one who stole a horse (her freedom). She wants to get free of all that pressure because it's making her sad ("Judy never felt so good except when she was sleeping").

    She goes out with boys like an attempt to feel unattached of those patterns, but she doesn't feel good. Maybe she remembers about that time with that boy when she was young, maybe she doesn't like boys, or maybe she's just not trying to get laid... maybe she realised that sex is not the answer for her problem. She's just tired of that pressure on her. When she's sleeping, she can be loose, she doesn't have to be forced to study her arse off, she's just her. So she wants to find something special that makes her happy/loose and keep it ("Judy, you're just trying to find and keep the dream of horses").

    "Walking in the street from morning to night" represents her search. In the meantime, she keeps pretending to be the girl she isn't, getting brilliant grades and being successful ("with a star upon your shoulder, lightning up the path that you walk"), and saying whatever society wants her to say, just repeating the pattern ("with a parrot on your shoulder, saying everything when you talk"). And the only way she has to express herself and actually feel alive is the dream of horses and the song she wrote about it.

    It's just a theory, but I think it makes sense.
    Flag giologiaon May 15, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I heard the other day that this song is understood to be very sexual in meaning. I heard it a few times but never in depth listened to the lyrics or attempted to decipher their meaning. I just loved the antiquated simplistic nature of the singing, and the thought of someone dreaming of an animal/creature often beloved during childhood. When I mentioned the sexual meaning to my boyfriend who introduced this song to me, he made a face about how obvious that was, specifically referencing the same song excerpts that have been written here to support the idea. He said the act of dreaming of horses was in reference to dreaming of intense sex, specifically how a woman feels to ride a man. And that she dreams of it because she loves it. Now that I have read others' thoughts and responses (very insightful and detailed comments, mothmeetscloth), I see the rationale for the interpretation. To me, I don't interpret the dreams of horses as dreaming of sex in its stricter/baser terms, but rather as dreaming of experiences beautiful, elevating, magical ... any experience or state uncommon, special and elusive in its intensity and beauty. I think the girl's wayward path and promiscuity alluded to were attempts to find this same freedom and elevation, as a form of enlightenment, and perhaps the way it was first manifested to her was through books and learning, and that brought her confidence and a sense of achievement and made her feel like 'number one,' but the learning in that manner engaged solely the mind and lacked the stimulation or richness of an activity that engaged the other senses, including physical intensity/pleasure. I think the girl in this song is an intelligent and brave person inherently, and her searching found sex, and its focus/appeal for this purpose naturally followed. Unfortunately it is often the nature of continual sexual activity or promiscuity, to detract from other parts of the self, or lead one into dangerous or detrimental environments, especially for females. To me the walking at night can signify prostitution, or a relentless searching in waking/conscious life for the sensations arrived at and suspended, the desire fulfilled ~ only in dreaming and unconsciousness. I understand that completely, and relate to it. I love to dream of horses too, and I have searched for freedom and elevation, for simply myself, in similar manners. What is interesting to me is a concept I read in a book by Carlos Castaneda years ago as it relates to the theme of this song, professed by a sorcerer, that the energy expended during dreaming is the same energy expended during sex, and the dangerous balance of healthfully expending the energy in sex, or abstaining from sex, in order to preserve what is necessary for dreaming.
    Flag rrvdrmon March 30, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:@katzenfreundin

    "Torch" is Brit slang for a flashlight. See Definition 5: dictionary.reference.com/browse/…

    "Ants in your pants" is a relatively common idiom for agitation or excitement about something. Stewart is saying that on their date they go do whatever she wants, and they can kiss, but he will not sleep with her; thus the "ants in her pants". Sexual frustration.

    It is clear that A) Judy is promiscuous and B) that has gone wrong in her life.

    She is trying to FIND and KEEP the dream of horses in her reality.

    She only feels good about herself when she is sleeping. She is able to escape SOMETHING through her dreams.

    She wrote a very sad song early in the lyrics. He wants her to write songs about her dreams of horses instead to ward off depression.

    What went wrong? Is my sexual molestation/prostitution theory so far fetched?

    Personally I have changed my opinion on the relevance of the parrot and believe it to be her pimp, who is constantly on her shoulder (think on her back about...), trying to collect his cut. I still think the star is a reference to Christianity, namely the north star that led the wise men to Jesus, in this case, God's guidance, protection, an a path out of where she has landed herself. The parrot/pimp would be the other side of the shoulder, (think devil on one shoulder angel on the other cliche from cartoons).

    LIke I said three years ago I could be way off. What we know is that Judy is clearly someone Stuart knew in real life, there are many references to her in his songs. There is one in roller coaster ride "Judy with the bow and arrow (cupid) she's a mastermind (books and learning). Too Frumpy (Dictionary: A girl or woman regarded as dull, plain, or unfashionable) for the teenage population of her kind, (best looking boys are taken, girls are staying inside). Judy came looking for boys while you were stuck in various poses.)

    There's even an instrumental song called "Judy is a dickslap"!

    So, she's definitely a girl who was wanting to sleep around a lot, this is well established in our analyses. But what happened to her to make her this way? Why is she depressed and needing to escape to, what I presume, is the fantastical innocence depicted in her dreams? How significant is the reference to her walking the streets? Is she a "street walker" IE prostitute? Or is she simply looking for someone to have sex with because she is "too frumpy for the teenage population of her kind"? Could the fact that she is getting involved with perverts outside her age bracket have something to do with all of this?

    We'll probably never know, but in my opinion any explanation not about some form of tragic promiscuity or at least a central theme of sexuality is flat wrong. And I do not see any reason to believe she is on drugs.
    Flag mothmeetsclothon March 29, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think the horses are a symbol for freedom, because Judy steals a horse and runs away in her dreams.
    To me it's a story. Judy showed Stuart her song, which caused him to fall in love with her. But then she went and had sex with another boy and got pregnant, and now she's tied down to a family. So Judy is frustrated and feels like her prime is behind her, so she wants to have an affair with Stuart to relieve her frustration at her life and he agrees. This inspires her to go back to writing.
    Flag MindChildon March 10, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I actually thought of a few more lines to support my theory:

    "She went under the cover with her torch" - The torch or lighter to cook the Heroin.
    and
    "With a parrot on your shoulder saying everything when you talk" - The parrot is the addiction controlling your life and pretty much making decisions for you.
    Flag katzenfreundinon December 30, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think this song is about an intelligent girl who becomes a Heroin addict...(seriously this song sounds like my life story).

    A lot of the lyrics suggest an intelligent girl who has at least turned down SOME wrong path:
    "She gave herself to books and learning"
    BUT
    "Judy, where did you go wrong?"
    "Judy was a teenage rebel"

    Why I think that wrong path is Heroin addiction:
    "Judy never felt so good except when she was sleeping" - Being high on Heroin is kind of like sleeping.
    "Judy, you're just trying to find and keep the dream of horses" - Trying to find that first Heroin high again.(Horse is slang for Heroin)
    "Walking the street from morning to night" - Prostituting herself for Heroin.

    Please don't attack me because you hate when people say that songs are about drugs. This is merely my interpretation of the song. It could very well be wrong, but it certainly makes sense, does it not?
    Flag katzenfreundinon December 26, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:When I listen to this song I think of an insecure girl with knee socks who engages in sex for fun.
    Flag bjorton April 10, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:Jesus, I love the beautiful vignettes that Stuart creates about these young, touching, misfits ad the worlds they inhabit. Across all the B&S album, I find the most moving characters and stories.
    Flag ladygregon January 31, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I just thought the song is about a girls sexual awakening, and looking for someone be it a boy or a girl (The best looking girls are staying inside) who can make her as happy as the dreams she has of partner. All though the verse: "Judy, let's go for a walk,We can kiss and do whatever you want,But you will be disappointed, You will fall asleep with ants in your pants" does lend some creedence to the orgasm therory.
    Flag gatsby142002on May 07, 2009   Link

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