Dreaming

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a picture of two distinct voices grappling with the nature of reality and desire. The first voice, seemingly naive or unworldly, meets someone in a restaurant and is asked about her "pleasure," responding with a simple "cup of tea" and a desire to share her dreams. This sets up an initial contrast between a quiet, internal world and an external, perhaps transactional, encounter. The central tension emerges from the question of what is real versus what is imagined. The second voice, more world-weary, questions "Pleasure's real or is it fantasy?" and notes how people "stop and stare," suggesting a life lived under scrutiny or perhaps a feeling of being an outsider. This voice finds solace in "dreaming," even as it acknowledges the rarity of "reel to reel" (a tangible, perhaps authentic) experience. The bridge offers a fascinating interplay between the two perspectives. One voice speaks of walking "a two mile" and meeting at a "turnstile," concrete actions, while the other claims to "never met him, I'll never forget him," a paradox of memory and absence. The repeated "Dream, dream" acts as a refrain, a shared escape, suggesting that even when lives are vastly different, the act of dreaming itself is a common, accessible refuge. Ultimately, the lyrics highlight the power of imagination as a free and persistent force. The repeated chorus, "Dreaming, dreaming is free," underscores this idea, presenting dreaming not just as an escape, but as a fundamental human act that offers solace and a sense of ownership, even when tangible possessions or experiences remain out of reach. The final verse reinforces this, with both voices observing the mundane "river flow" and "traffic go," yet yearning to "imagine something of your very own."