
As mentioned in other articles,
I'm a big fan of 80s music. I was browsing through my collection the
other day, and I noticed that a lot of 80s songs have 'dream' or 'dreams'
in the title. So I decided to compile a list of these songs, as well
as rank them from worst to best, or perhaps least 'dreamlike' to most
'dreamlike'. Like all lists based on personal opinion, my tastes are
subjective so you may disagree with the order. If so, tough! Write
your own article!
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#14 "Is it a Dream" by Classix
Nouveaux
I'm not a very big fan of this song.
In fact, I almost didn't list it. It just doesn't do anything
for me at all. I guess it is supposed to sound deep, and tell
us how everything could be OK "if we could only see things
as they're meant to be." Spare me. Overall, this song is
more of a bad dream than anything. Although, it is the only
song I know of that uses the word "backbiting", so
it does have that going for it. Which is nice. |
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#13 "Sweet Dreams" by Air
Supply
Ah, good old Air Supply. Few things say
the 80's like 'Air Supply', and this song is no exception. A
love song to some unknown woman who Graham Russell can't see
except in his dreams. The weird part to me is he tells her "Close
your eyes, I want to see you tonight in my sweet dreams."
Gee Graham, shouldn't you be the one closing your eyes if you
want to dream? Silly Graham Russell of Air Supply... |
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#12 "Wildest Dreams" by Asia
"Some mens dreams for others turn
to nightmares". That lyric pretty much sums up this song,
which is not so much a song about dreams as it is some description
of a nightmare of imperialistic soldiers crushing children under
their feet. Yikes! With such lyrics as "They recommended
euthanasia for non-conformists anywhere," this isn't your
typical light-hearted Asia fare. The smile has left your eyes,
indeed. |
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#11 "Dreamtime" by Daryl
Hall
Half of the 80's duo Hall and Oates,
Daryl parted ways with his odd looking counterpart and stepped
out on his own every now and again. Here he sings to an apparently
angry girl who is considering running away with a man with "Movie
Star Eyes." Kind of a weird song, all things considered,
but it is definitely dream-esque, so it must be mentioned here. |
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#10 "Shattered Dreams" by
Johnny Hates Jazz
Poor Johnny. He's been done wrong by
his lover, and he's been given nothing but shattered dreams.
He "woke up to reality, and found the future not too bright."
Is this the same poor soul from "Who's Johnny?" who
is teased by his girl pretending she doesn't even remember his
name? Why must Johnny suffer so?
Don't worry. I hate jazz too, Johnny. |
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# 9 "Only in my Dreams" by
Debbie Gibson
Old Debbie (or Deborah nowadays) can't
decide what to do in this song. Does she want to get back with
her old flame, or remain free without him? She literally doesn't
know if she wants to hold him or scold him. There is one thing
she does know for sure. "Now I see my world come tumbling
down. Now I see the road is bent." Methinks you're using
too much hair spray, Debbie. It has started to leak through
into your brain fluid. |
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#8 "Your Wildest Dreams"
by The Moody Blues
This song mourns "the one that got
away" that the singer still dreams about. However, I have
to say that the lead singer might be viewing the entire affair
through rose-colored glasses. Most likely this is a song about
a one-night stand with some groupie from the 3rd row, but you
wouldn't guess that with such sappy, over-the-top lyrics as
"Once beneath the stars, the universe was ours." The
universe was ours? That's not casual sex, that's Darth Vader
talk! |
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#7 "Together in Electric Dreams"
by the Human League
Okay, so technically this is a Philip
Oakey single, but it is so closely associated with the Human
League I'm not going to split hairs. This song is from the soundtrack
to the wonderfully 80's movie Electric Dreams, and
it actually surpassed the movie in popularity. Another interesting
fact (thanks, Wikipedia!): the song was recorded in only 10
minutes, which just goes to show that sometimes hit songs are
recorded in only 10 minutes. The singer sounds wistful for his
lost chance at love, but consoles himself that he and she will
always be "together in electric dreams" (hence the
title). Whatever that means. Still, how close could these two
have been? The song opens with the lyrics "I only knew
you for a while, I never saw your smile." You never even
saw the girl smile? I don't think she was interested in you,
buddy... |
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#6 "I Can Dream About You"
by Dan Hartman
Dan Hartman is missing his girl, so...
Hold on a minute. What's with these last few "dream"
songs about lost loves and crap like that? This is starting
to get a little monotonous! It's like a recurring dream. Get
it? Recurring dream? Oh screw it.
Anyway, Dan Hartman is missing his girl,
so he decides to be pragmatic about the situation and chooses
to dream about her if he can't hold her tonight. Personally,
I'd be more concerned about the "moving sidewalks I can't
see under my feet", but that's just me. Does he live in
a Jetson's-like future where the sidewalks are automated and
invisible? Who can say.
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#5 "Get Out of My Dreams"
by Billy Ocean
Billy Ocean has a car, and he wants the
woman in this song to get in it's backseat. Hey, I know how
it sounds. Apparently, he wants to be her chauffeur. Which lets
me imagine just how bad Driving Miss Daisy would have
been with Billy Ocean playing Morgan Freeman's character.
Not only does Billy want to be a chauffeur,
according to the lyrics, he also wants to be the sun, a hero,
and a road runner. Hey, how about that? Billy Ocean is clinically
insane. I didn't know that. |
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#4 "Sweet Dreams (are made of
this)" by The Eurythmics
Speaking of clinically insane, that might
be the best way to describe Annie Lennox's appearance in the
video for this song. No, "creepy clown dominatrix"
might be a better way to describe it.
Still, you know that somewhere out there,
a creepy clown dominatrix is somebody's goal in life, and it's
somebody else's desire to be on the receiving end of the tender
mercies of said creepy clown dominatrix. Some of them want to
abuse you, and some of them want to be abused. I guess everybody's
looking for something. Who am I to disagree?
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#3 "Don't Dream it's Over"
by Crowded House
This song is sort of a feel-good "Hey
baby, don't worry, everything's going to be OK" song directed
at the singer's girl. However, it is also filled with some really
non-sequitur lyrics that don't seem to have anything to do with
anything. In between the encouragements to not let the world
build a wall between him and her, the singer talks about towing
his car, reading the newspaper, and trying to "catch a
deluge in a paper cup". Maybe the words don't make any
sense. Maybe they're too deep for me. But it is still a great
classic 80's song. |
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#2 "You Make My Dreams Come True"
by Hall & Oates
Oh, Hall and Oates. Is there a better
80's group where the two members could pass for a gay couple?
Not for my money. This song has some fun dream-related lyrics,
my favorite being "On a night when bad dreams become a
screamer, When they're messin' with the dreamer, I can laugh
it in the face, Twist and shout my way out, And wrap yourself
around me, 'Cause I ain't the way that you found me, and I'll
never be the same." You know this song wouldn't play on
the radio today, but somehow that makes it even better (at least
to me). Aren't 80's songs great? |
And the dreamiest of all? The
#1 80's song with 'dream' in the title?
#1: "These Dreams"
by Heart
Filled with dreamlike, trippy
lyrics, this is the obvious choice for the most dream-esque song of
the 80's. I’ve printed the soporific lyrics below. You might
feel like wiping sleep out of your eyes when you are finished.
Spare a little candle, save
some light for me.
Figures up ahead moving in the trees.
White skin in linen,
Perfume on my wrist,
and the full moon that hangs over
These dreams in the mist.
Darkness on the edge, shadows where I stand.
I search for the time on a watch with no hands.
I want to see you clearly,
come closer than this.
But all I remember
Are the dreams in the mist.
CHORUS
These dreams go on when I close my eyes.
Every second Of the night,
I live another life.
These dreams that sleep when it's cold outside,
every moment I'm awake,
The further I'm away.
Is it cloak
and dagger, could it be Spring or Fall?
I walk without a cut through a stained-glass wall.
Weaker in my eyesight,
a candle in my grip,
and words that have no form
Are falling from my lips.
Repeat CHORUS
BRIDGE
There's something out there I can't resist.
I need to hide away from the pain.
There's something out there I can't resist.
The sweetest song is silence that I've ever
heard.
Funny how your feet in dreams never touch the Earth.
In a wood full of princes,
freedom is a kiss.
But the prince hides his face
From dreams in the mist.
Repeat CHORUS twice
Well, that’s the end
of the list! I hope you have enjoyed spending some time in the 80's
and reading this article. Feel free to comment
if you disagree with some of these choices, or especially if I have
overlooked some songs. Pleasant 80's dreams!
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