Why do I hurt to fly
Over every town laying down the line, no
Die in the clouds above
You and I've a friend that I do not love

I wake up, it's a bad dream
No one on my side
I was fighting
But I just feel too tired to be fighting
Guess I'm not the fighting kind

Well, will I meet my fate
Baby, I'm a man
I was born to hate and
Well, will I meet my
In a better time
You could be my friend

I wake up, it's a bad dream
No one on my side
I was fighting
But I just feel too tired to be fighting
Guess I'm not the fighting kind
Wouldn't mind it
If you were by my side
But you're long gone
Yeah you're long gone now

Yeah
Where do we go?
I don't even know
My strange old fate
When I'm thinking about those days
I've been thinking about those days

I wake up, it's a bad dream
No one on my side
I was fighting
But I just feel too tired to be fighting
Guess I'm not the fighting kind
Wouldn't mind it
If you were by my side
But you're long gone
Yeah you're long gone now
Yeah



Lyrics submitted by ScudRocket, edited by DomoCio

Track duration: 05:04

"A Bad Dream [DVD]" as written by Timothy James Rice-oxley, Tom Chaplin, Richard David Hughes

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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A Bad Dream song meanings
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58 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:The "soldier-going-to-war" story works here well, but I'm with Stained Sunday here- I think that even if the story is about said soldier, the inspiration for this HAS to be Tom's battle with cocaine. So much of that story seems to fit right into this song perfectly, and Keane recorded the whole album during his addiction...but that's just me. Anybody else seeing it?
    Flagged Chevy14Manon January 27, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I don't believe it ever matters what the writer intended; it's what the individual ears hear that matter. The song is straighforward and Tom's voice (in all his songs) is incredibly moving.
    Flagged MaryMaryQuiteContraryon August 06, 2011   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:I know the story of the song and everytime I hear the song, it give me some kind of feeling like in a war. Whatever kind of war. Like a real war, or a 'war' with friend or just trouble to fight.
    Especialy the part "I was fighting, but I just feel to tirred to be fighting, guess I'm not the fighting kind" gives me a shock. It reminds me of that I want to be a millitairy docter to help people and make peace, but there was a time I was so tirred and feld so lonely that I was insecure of my own capability. I mean, is there any person capable to be a soldier? I think not..
    Flag Combatmanon July 23, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:When I listen to this song it always reminds me of The Vast Fields of Ordinary by Nick Burd. I think it sums up Pablo's POV perfectly, if only he got one.
    Flag Hephon July 03, 2011   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:ok...it appears most of you are on crack, he has already met the love of his life, his soulmate, he's DREAMING of never meeting her or losing her. he's realizing how good he has it, remember, this is a BAD DREAM!!!
    Flag sleeon April 04, 2011   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:Well, the fact of the matter is that the song itself tells the story (based off of "An Irish Airman Foresees His Death") of a soldier partaking in a war he does not believe in or has become disillusioned with.

    However, like most stories the essence of the song is not in the literal translation but in the feeling that the song conveys. A feeling of being lost and depressed along with the enlightenment that something that was once important to you was in fact little more than an illusion and it's meaning has morphed from something you'd die for to something you've outgrown.

    So in a way this song is about a failed romance or a war or whatever else can make a man feel this way. Because regardless of the source, the feeling is the same. Realizing you don't believe in a war you've risked your life and the lives of others to be a part of is little different than realizing all the times you said "I love you" were just lies, not only to the other person, but to yourself as well.

    The beauty of a song is that it isn't a rigid moral or rule to be upheld, but more of a living idea or emotion to be experienced and savored.
    Flagged Porticeon March 19, 2011   Link
  • +2
    General Comment:Holy cow. I NEVER imagined this being about a solider. That's just, my mind is blown right now and I'm for whatever reason tearing up right now.

    I listened to this song a LOT when I was drifting apart from my boyfriend. We weren't fighting, he was a great man, but for whatever reason, I just felt like I needed to get away. So I just left. So to me, the song sorta encompassed the fact that I was realizing that I really didn't love him like I thought I did, and that he was 'long gone'. And that 'I wake up' meaning I'm realizing that I really didn't love him. 'It's a bad dream', meaning that suddenly I was going to have to break his heart (god he loved me so much), and I always thought I had the 'fighting' spirit, but realized 'well apparently I just can't do it'.

    So, basically, I saw this song being more like someone who is flighty and free-spirited coming to terms that they are being held down in their relationship. 'Why do I have to fly? ...I'll die in the clouds', 'I was born to hate' - Meaning, love is too restricting for their personality. But a lot of the song is also about how that free-spirited person is pained by the fact that they have to leave all that behind.

    A'course, people read themselves into song lyrics. I love reading people's different interpretations :D

    Flag saztakon December 13, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment::]
    Flag manniesakion November 07, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Love is war.
    Flag tporchia21on December 23, 2009   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:the first time i heard this song was when i was in my friends room. and i read an awful email they wrote about me. i cried at that moment and this was playing, i couldn't believe at that point the song played. it was about 4 in the morning and i slept the till 6pm while placing this song on repeat. when i got up, i looked at my friends and didn't say a word even till i left the place. and that was the end of our friendship.

    i literally felt like i woke up from a bad dream. like in the song, i felt like flying up and down. it was more like trying to figure out what is going on, what did i do wrong you know?
    just like the song, i hated people. but this was people you trusted.
    and at the point of my life, i was done trying and fighting.
    not that i couldn't bother, i was tired of being in this type of chaos.
    but the friendship was good

    and then i'd think
    (And when will I meet my end?
    In a better time you could be my friend)
    in time soon. the dream soon fade away. i will still be waiting

    thinking about those days.
    rehashing the past, and all the good that was in our way.
    this song doesn't have an ending, like it's more drifting towards to a continuation that in time will soon happen.
    because we don't know where we go? so those the song. and for those who could relate to it.
    it ends with "you're long gone".
    that's wht we think when it just ended. but we never really know what will happen.
    Maybe in a better time you could be my friend?
    my strange old face, referring maybe to the person you once were when you had the friendship, that bond.

    yah thats all i could think off. haha
    Flag amirakarmilaon November 06, 2009   Link

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