This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
I was a little girl alone in my little world who dreamed of a little home for me.
I played pretend between the trees, and fed my houseguests bark and leaves, and laughed in my pretty bed of green.
I had a dream
That I could fly from the highest swing.
I had a dream.
Long walks in the dark through woods grown behind the park, I asked God who I'm supposed to be.
The stars smiled down on me, God answered in silent reverie. I said a prayer and fell asleep.
I had a dream
That I could fly from the highest tree.
I had a dream.
Now I'm old and feeling grey. I don't know what's left to say about this life I'm willing to leave.
I lived it full and I lived it well, there's many tales I've lived to tell. I'm ready now, I'm ready now, I'm ready now to fly from the highest wing.
I had a dream
Lyrics submitted by technewb
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This song is unique. I love where she asks God who she's soppose to be. The song has given me strength to stand firm on an important decision in my life. I am not afraid to do what God asks of me, this song gave me a friendly push in the back to make it a reality.
In the beginning she's talking about playing outside and using her imagination. She asks God who's she's sposed to be the first time the possibilities seemed endless and she was carefree. However the second time she feels more restricted she feels like she's lived the best part of her life and is thinking "ok i've had my fun, now i'm ready to go" or something along those lines
This song is really well done. It starts out with the simplest description of a child playing, then goes on to discuss the ins and outs of finding who you are and your place in life. And then at the end, how when you're ready to go you'll be happy with what you have accomplished in life and ready to move on to something bigger. The first time I ever really listened to this song was right after someone close to me passed away, and it left me breathless. It really makes you think about the purpose of just...everything.
Being in your own little world could be an escape from what was going on around and the flying of the highest swing/tree could symbolise wanting more and having ambition. I had a disruptive home life and that is what I took from it, but it's such a beautiful and simple song that it works on a few different levels.
i love this song. it makes you feel so...young. and just carefree.
this definitely brings my spirits up when i listen to this song. it reminds me of being a little girl in my front or backyard. adulthood sometimes restricts you from using your vivid imagination that you had when you were a child.. we sometimes forget that its okay to go back to that place.
This is a fantastic song. I love her voice.
Even though I'm not at all religious, this song makes me cry every time. In the beginning she's talking about a carefree childhood playing. She dreams that she could fly from the highest swing because that seems really high to a child.
In the second verse, she's older and discovering her faith and asking God for advice. She dreams that she could fly from the highest tree because again, it seems like the highest point to fly from.
In the end, she's old and has lived a long full life. She's ready to die. She dreams of flying from the highest wing, or becoming an angel.
That's how I see it.
This is song is very deep and seems to be about the journey of women-hood. The song starts out in a setting from the past of her being a child then it goes into detail about being a teen (the long walks in the dark is a sign of a young adult finding themselves) and then the song finally ends its self by describing the women's current state of her being old and looking back at all of the memories and being content with who she was...it's sort of like she was trying so hard to find out who she was that when she looks back she sort of see's who she once was and who she is now and believes to still be the same girl who always had a drive or dream. beautiful song...makes me tear up!
This song also reminds me of how I used to sneak out very late and night, and I would usually take this path way behind our neighborhood park that led into the woods and I remember once I had lost my keys and asked God to help me (I am not a very religious person at all!) and without any hope I found those keys under wooden straws, I bring this up because I look back on how foolish I was when I was young trying to define myself by rebelling...but looking back and enjoying what I did :)
The "Dream" is a song about life. A girl reminiscing on her childhood & especially her childhood dreams.
She is at a crossroads in her life between what she wants to do & what she needs to do & is going back to ask God what she is supposed to do w/ her life.
When she awakes from her dream, that is when she can finally escape into God's plan for her life.