There is a child sleeping near his twin
The pictures go wild in a rush of wind
That dark angel he is shuffling in
Watching over them with his black feather wings unfurled

The love you lost with her skin so fair
Is free with the wind in her butterscotch hair
Her green eyes bloom goodbyes
With her head in her hands and your kiss on the lips another
Dream brother with your tears scattered round the world.

Don't be like the one who made me so old
Don't be like the one who left behind his name
'Cause they're waiting for you like I waited for mine
And nobody ever came

Don't be like the one who made me so old
Don't be like the one who left behind his name
'Cause they're waiting for you like I waited for mine
And nobody ever came

Don't be like the one who made me so old
Don't be like the one who left behind his name
'Cause they're waiting for you like I waited for mine
And nobody ever came, nobody ever came

I feel afraid and I call your name
I love your voice and your dance insane
I hear your words and I know your pain
Your head in your hands and a kiss on the lips of another
Your eyes to the ground and the world spinning round forever
Asleep in the sand with the ocean washing over



Lyrics submitted by pixyscope

Track duration: 05:25

"Dream Brother" as written by Jeff Buckley, Matt Johnson, Mick Grondahl

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Dream Brother song meanings
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38 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:easily in my top favourites on the album.
    both lyrically and instrumentally amazing.
    Flag darliaon September 22, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I have never heard a song as beautiful as this!! The music is almost eeriee and combine that with his amazing voice and it creates this ghostly, haunting, wonderful song
    Flag KangarooCryon May 06, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:the best song ever. it makes everything else sounds mediocre to me. lol
    Flag mvalentine24on April 24, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Wow, I had no idea that that was what this song was about. I guess it makes sense. However, I do want to comment that I feel when he says, "Dream brother", he's referring to his "brother" as though he is in a dream. This can be alluding to the depiction of the sleeping twins in the beginning of the song as opposed to dream referring to an "ideal". On the other hand, I feel like he could be telling his brother to continue dreaming. The whole vibe and music to this song is very dream or trance-like.
    Flag kookiecutteron February 22, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think you can really hear the influence of Qawwali in this song.
    Flag TimmyGCon October 03, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:the "brother" in this song was Jeff's friend, Chris Dowd. Dowd had his girlfriend pregnant and attempted to leave her but Jeff tried to stop him because he himself was abandoned by his own father.

    "Don't be like the one who made me so old
    Don't be like the one who left behind his name
    Cause they're waiting for you like i waited for mine
    And nobody ever came..."

    the line is about the similarities between DOWD and Jeff's dad Tim Buckley.



    Flag d/c addicton July 28, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:No one has mention that this song is written as a response to a song by his Father, Tim Buckley, called Dream Letter. The two songs share a sort of similar movement. I found myself half recognizing parts in the two songs. You could see how Jeff might of been inspired by the song itself as well as the desire to write something in his memory.
    Flagged billythemanchildon July 14, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:Guys..

    This song was written for a friend who wanted to run away from his responsibilties (and pregnant ex-girlfriend) -

    ''Green eyes bloom goodbyes. With her head in her hands and your kiss (already) on the lips of another.''

    He was saying to his fellow performer that he admires him very much and understands how he feels about the situation--- '' I love your voice and you dance insane. I feel your words and I know your pain''

    But he knows what it feels to be an abandoned child so he gives his friend the advice to not be like his father (Tim Buckley)who walked away from a child because of a relationship gone bad. In the end, the children are the ones who suffer... ---
    'Don't be like the one who made me so old. Dont be like the one who left behind his name'' (Tim Buckley left Jeff only a name for everyone to compare him to, even though he did not know him) .
    ''Cause they're waiting for you'' (The children you leave behind),
    ''Like I've waited for mine (his father)
    ''And nobody ever came''..


    ''Your eyes to the ground with the world spinning round forever. sleep in the sand with the ocean washing over'' -might describe how confusion and despair a child must feel when abandoned. Maybe that was directly from his experience.

    It must also express the battle and eternal guilt one faces in himself when he feels compelled (or has) to walk away from a child.
    Flag terryperryon June 06, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I didn't like this song the first time i heard it but only now have i grown to love it.Just awesome.
    Flag edwardthomas34on January 13, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this is my favorite song.
    i absolutely love the one from 'mystery white boy' from hamburg. i'll give up my life for seeing that concert. it is so beautiful.
    Flag johannsenon November 15, 2007   Link

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