It was two weeks after the day she turned eighteen
All dressed in white, going to the church that night
She had his box of letters in the passenger seat
Sixpence in her shoe
Something borrowed, something blue
And when the church doors opened up wide
She put her veil down trying to hide the tears
Oh she just couldn't believe it
She heard the trumpets from the military band
And the flowers fell out of her hands

[Chorus]
Baby, why'd you leave me, why'd you have to go
I was counting on forever, now I'll never know
I can't even breathe
It's like I'm looking from a distance,
Standing in the background
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now,
This can't be happening to me
This is just a dream

The preacher man said let us bow our heads and pray
Lord please lift his soul and heal this hurt
Then the congregation all stood up
And sang the saddest song that she ever heard
Then they handed her a folded up flag

And she held on to all she had left of him
Oh, and what could've been
And then guns rang one last shot
And it felt like a bullet in her heart

Baby, why'd you leave me, why'd you have to go
I was counting on forever, now I'll never know
I can't even breathe
It's like I'm looking from a distance,
Standing in the background
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now,
This can't be happening to me
This is just a dream

Baby, why'd you leave me, why'd you have to go
I was counting on forever, now I'll never know
Oh I'll never know
It's like I'm looking from a distance,
Standing in the background
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now,
This can't be happening to me
This is just a dream

Oh, this is just a dream
Just a dream, (yeah, yeah)



Lyrics submitted by dontwasteyoursong

Track duration: 04:45

"Just a Dream" as written by Gordie Sampson, Steve Mc Ewan, Hillary Lindsey

Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, WINDSWEPT HOLDINGS LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Just A Dream song meanings
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42 Comments

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  • 0
    Song Meaning:Ok.. so THIS is definitely the correct interpretation based on military knowledge and common sense.

    The first two lines are just letting you know they got married.. maybe she is remembering that night while she's on the way to the funeral. That's why she bothers to tell you what she's wearing.. she's letting you know it's DIFFERENT occasions.

    The 3rd line on, is the day of his funeral. His letters are in the passenger seat.. they are the letters he sent to her from the front lines.. of course she would bring them to the funeral.

    I say they DEFINITELY married because they gave her the folded up flag. The will ONLY give the flag to next of kin which would be spouse, children, parents or such. In this case, she was his wife so she got the folded flag.
    Flag shyethegreaton July 22, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:one of my favorites of carrie's song. can't believe it lost grammy to taylor's white horse
    Flag Mahima25on May 08, 2012   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:I know this song is pretty old news but I just have to put in my two cents. First of all, I agree with the previous analyses that they were married before he died. Perhaps it is just because of the place I was in when I first heard this song. I was married, and my husband was about to deploy to Iraq. That said, I despise this song with vengeance. I couldn't listen to country radio for the first six months my husband was gone because of the fact that every time I heard even the first few notes I started bawling to the extent that I couldn't see, which was bad news when I was driving. Two weeks after my husband deployed, there was a fatality in our brigade, and right after I left the memorial service, this song came on, and since then I have been unable to listen to it without being reminded of my worst fears. It isn't as if it doesn't already occur to me on occasion without the help of a song, but the mental imagery of being handed a folded up flag is NOT what I want. So, thank you Carrie Underwood, for making a song that reminds me of everything that keeps me up late at night crying. Since you can't possibly have any idea what it is like to actually worry about this, or even worse go through it, I truly think you might just be the most heartless songwriter that ever existed.
    Flagged kaleighkaton October 22, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Obvious what it is about. She was 18 and her future husband died in the army. On the day of what was suppost to be their weddin, They all had his funeral. End of story. Short and simple.
    Flag Destructoron July 07, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I cry every time I hear this. It's in the playlist I listen to whenever I just need to cry it out.

    As the song said, she was married "two weeks after the day she turned eighteen.". This happened, most likely, weeks, months, or even years after that. It's the day of her husband's funeral, at the same church and she's wishing it was the day of her wedding again. She doesn't want to believe that it's actually his funeral and is trying to convince herself "this can't be happening to me, this is just a dream."

    This song has the heartfelt pain of someone who's lost the one person they love most. I think that this actually happened to Carrie and this may be her way of moving on.
    Flag Artygal12on July 05, 2010   Link
  • 0
    Memory:This song really hits home for me. My fiance passed away about a year and a half ago in a motorcycle accident. I know he wasn't in the military or anything, but I can relate to these lyrics so much...I remember being in the church and just thinking it was all a dream and everyone around me talking about him. We had a little girl togetehr who is 3years old now and it just makes me miss him so much.

    We were definitelty couting on forever, and now I'll never know what that would have been like...I'm just thankful I still have our babygirl. RIP baby, you will be forever missed...

    Carrie Underwood definitely moves you with her songs, she's an amazing artist.
    Flag floatinonawishon January 15, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this song is sad
    i didnt cry when i heard it coz i didnt know what it was about
    and about 15 mintues ago
    i ballllllllllllled soo bad because i realised what it ment
    but my boyfriend was talking about something to me
    and it was funny so i was crying and laughing at the same time
    i looked stupid haha
    xx.
    Flag tayluhhbbeon April 30, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:By the end of the song, the thought of a 'perfect' life together has become the dream, and the reality of her husband's death is a dream she can't wake up from.
    Flag nadie0on April 30, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:youtube.com/…

    The video helps. She's begging for it to be just a dream.
    Flag nadie0on April 30, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song is very full of emotion, I love it... but the lyrics totally confuse me because of this reason:

    When I listen to it, there seems to be a problem in the actual flow of the lyrics that I've noticed since the first time I heard it. What I mean is, the way it's written it makes the story sound like it's about a girl who was expecting to get married to the man she loves, so she shows up at the church all dressed up with a veil and everything, but she literally walks into a surprise funeral for the man she wanted to marry! I keep getting this mental image of a girl walking into her wedding only to be surprised with a funeral waiting for her O_o I keep thinking she's standing there in a wedding dress being presented with a folded flag and such. It's awkward, if I have this wrong please help me.
    Flag Yamichikon April 09, 2009   Link

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