Radiohead – Nice Dream

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  My Interpretation:In the first verse, the person or other is basically compared to a plant (or it is a plant). That might be because plants are living, but people treat them as merely objects, just like how the character (by the way, has anyone noticed that most Radiohead songs could have been written from the perspective of almost anything, which could also represent the concept that people take everything for granted?) probably feels is treated as, however alive it may be (haha, "it").
  I also think this song could be about the idea that everyone has an ideal life locked up somewhere within the walls of their minds, but it is usually impossible to find in real life. I feel like this song helps explain the idea that that nice dream becomes the only wanted reality however surreal it is.

  Flag ilovehotcoco18on January 16, 2013   Link

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  My Interpretation:The 'they dug me my very own garden' part sounds a lot like they were about to sing 'they dug me my very own grave', meaning that these people had played an important role in his downfall and had left him to deal with it.
  The replacement with garden makes it sound like this person is trying to ignore the wrongdoings of his so called 'friends' and is idealizing the situation, because it seems like the best he's going to get.

  Flag ihateschoolon January 03, 2013   Link

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  General Comment:This song is so terribly saddening to me. But it is so provocative to me because it symbolizes my everyday life and the pain I've had to live with every day. I fell in love. It was the most true kind of love you could imagine. She saved me from my depression and suicide, she was the only one in the world to express sympathy for me in my time of need and she was the only one who could understand. Aside from having the most beautiful soul a human could possibly posses, I had never seen a girl with a more perfect body than she had.
  
  Now, she lives hundreds of miles away, her parents despise me for mistakes I made, and I have 0 communication with her for reasons too complex to explain. I live my life, and she lives hers, completely withdrawn from the other.
  
  It's impossible to move on. With all the shallowness and superficially charged love society encourages, even if I did find another person to love, my heart will always be hers.
  
  So when I listen to Nice Dream, I think of the lyrics:
  
  They love me like I was their brother
  They protect me, listen to me.
  They dug me my very own garden
  Gave me sunshine, made me happy
  Nice dream, nice dream
  Nice dream
  
  My best friend introduced me to her; they listened to me and understood my pain and anguish. They made me happy. But I can't be with her, it won't work right now...society reminds me. Nice Dream
  
  I call up my friend the good angel
  But she's out with, her answer-phone.
  She says she'd love to come help but
  The sea would electrocute us all
  Nice dream, nice dream
  Nice dream, nice dream
  
  I call up my friend and her, but I can't speak with them. Her parents won't allow it to happen, and his phone has been disconnected. She wants to speak with me, but she is not able. If I came to visit somehow, the Great Lake Michigan separates our physical worlds would, 'electrocute' us all...I can't see her, Nice Dream.
  
  Nice dream, if you think that you're strong enough
  Nice dream, if you think that you belong enough
  Nice dream, if you think that you're strong enough
  Nice dream, if you think that you belong enough
  
  (Now come home, now come home)
  (Now come home, now come home)
  
  Nice dream, nice dream
  Nice dream, nice dream.
  
  I recognize Radiohead did not write this song for this reason, and I enjoy it regardless of the sadness it digs up every time I hear it. I refuse to ignore the pain and bury it; I will strive to see her again and live my life with her. I will never give up. When I see the happy people in my high school, the happy couples and beautiful girls, I am told, "Nice Dream." But I won't let myself be defeated.

  Flag AndersMGTPon October 21, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:I really love Radiohead for their complex and yet simple lyrics.
  
  To echo what Labertasche said, the song is about being loved. Its about relying on people only to find out the truth is people are unreliable in nature. Its a "nice dream" we create when we promise to "protect" and "love someone like a brother" and have it in return but its mostly a dream, not always realistic. I don't read the lyrics as sad or angry just as an epiphany.
  
  I'm still trying to wrap my head around one lyric:
  "[She said that she'd like to come help] but the sea would electrocute us all"
  chill worthy lyric (like "hand shake of carbon monoxide" lyric from No Surprises)

  Flag shenanyginzon March 20, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:Easily my favorite Radiohead song, because the lyrics describe exactly how I felt for a very long time. It's a very simple message: Thom is talking about his thought process here. People would treat him kindly, but he would deny their kindness in his head and treat it as a "nice dream", but a dream nevertheless. Meanwhile, the people that he himself loved and cared for would allow the same thing to happen in their own heads: "I'd love to come help, but the sea would electrocute us all" (in your mind, thinking up an outrageous excuse in order to be OK with denying someone you love attention.

  Flagged bernlin2000on December 29, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:I can't say i agree with the freud theory on this one or in general.. but i would say that i can recognise that longing for an undconditional love, that is sweet and uncomplicated that comes from a mother (Not sexual!) and there are traces of that, that sorta warmth and idealisim in the first verse.
  
  I think this song in some ways is about acceptance.
  It could refer to many different situations and i think it is good to leave it in the abstract. Because he is clever could very well mean more than one thing. I would say in the first verse about friends, and because that I can relate to personally. The nature of them, how they may seem to or do have good intentions, but it always runs short and can be unreliable, selfish, is just human nature... And maybe they do make him happy in those senses the loving like a brother etc sunshine happy, but it is not complete, there is something missing. Though he choses to appreciate them, these things. But more than that also wishing for happiness,.
  There are two sorts of people there are the ones with artistic souls, and there is the rest of the world. He wants something to maken him happy a sort of craving for something that you do not know what it is and if it exists, like a hopless idealism.. He calls upon an angel (not really an angel but i just think its an idea) and wants for everything to be at ease to reconsile this need and the gap between him and other people, the rest of the world, but he does realise this is not possible.
  The last bit if you think you are strong enough, you belong enough etc.. its just sort of like other people would not even consider such things, and are happy in ignorant bliss, which he cannot do, well fully anyway... He will have to be strong enough and try to belong enough not the others really.. do you think you're strong enough, belong enough.. its sort like hes asking them well how can you be? He doesn't believe they have such concerns. Why can't I be why are you not like me? He is trying to understand the others..
  But its not like he's moaning or sulking about it sorta thing. Its just like well this is just reality, and its sad yeah but what can you do? Appreciate the things that you've got. Indulge in fancy and exadurate. It is just a nice dream, it is a dillusion, not total reality but its something that you can appreciate. And the style of music also perfectly acompanies this!
  
  Love Radiohead! They are my favourite band! And The Bends is my favourite albulm... This song isn't my favourite, but its a nice one! :) And to the person who said they are superficial? You are ovbiously missing out! Don't irritate others with a negative post that does not contribute anything. In the end alot of it does come down to personal taste and.... You either get radiohead or you do not.

  Flag Museloveraddicton November 19, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:Sometimes we live in our own little imaginary world and then we just wake up and have to face the reality. I think that's what this song is about.
  I absolutely love Radiohead, they have some of the most beautiful songs ever writen.

  Flag Darlingxxx22on February 19, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:slightly inspired by several comments made by Thom, I'd say this song is about being famous and knowing that once you are famous it would be ignorant to believe anyone really likes you. All things positive that come your way are just fan worship, attempted manipulation, etc.

  Flag uroon September 27, 2009   Link

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  General Comment:thats...'nice' HijackedAffairs XD..I don't think I can agree with any of freud's theories or an Oedipus like situation ..it's creepy thinking that one of my fav songs from radiohead is about a [dream] about a son wanting to kill his father and marry his mother *shudders*.
  
  I love how Radiohead doesn't just create songs with catchy riffs, tunes etc but they have lyrics with meaningful messages, that question things about life.
  
  I think this song is about a person getting carried away with their ideals. They don’t see the reality of the situation but rather disguise or ‘improve’ the reality of the situation with lies or assumptions that paint pretty images about people, people’s actions and their life to make themselves feel better etc.
  
  They feel as though they can continue being happy or positive about themself and their life by creating and (make) believing in their exaggerated truths. For example he attaches adverbs (assumed ideals) like ‘protect’, ‘love’, ‘gave’ to these people’s actions which give him ‘sunshine’ and make him ‘happy'.
  
  But even though they can consume themselves in this state of a ‘make-believe', the ‘nice dream’ phrase at the end of every verse or ‘story’ sounds patronizing and it’s as though his conscience is telling him to wake up. He knows conciously that he's lying to himsef by omission. But instead of opening his eyes to the truth, he creates more glamourized or falsified realities to quieten his conscience, with the second stanza or ‘exaggerated reality’ coming in.
  
  Up until then the song was played in a slow place with violins and Yorke sings it in a soothing way to create that ‘dream-like’ essence to the situations, but then when the last two lines come in, it's as though it’s sang by his conscience, and he loses cover and lets reality cave in. I love how in the bridge, the guitar solo that follows is played in a frenzy to highlight the state of confusion, anger etc
  
  But, it’s a temporarily relapse as he returns to that state of believing in what he wants to believe if it makes him feel happier, when the song resumes wih the original slow pace and with the soothing vocals.
  
  It takes a lot more effort to lie to yourself and to believe in your manufactured truths, so that’s where the question of whether you’re able to or “strong enough” to keep doing it to yourself comes in.
  
  Anyways, that’s my 2 cents.
  
  
  

  Flag DreamersDiseaseon July 11, 2009   Link

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  General Comment:i seriously wonder what this song means cause i really dont get it
  
  beautiful song though

  Flag BoneThugz4Lifeon April 23, 2009   Link

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