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Dreams For A Crook
The Dead Pets Lyrics


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Well for too many years I′ve been roaming this city,
So long that encouragement will soon turn to pity,
Well I don't know where I′ll take my next unfamiliar step,
But I hope it's not the road to regret

So here I go, here I go,
Like the littlest hobo,
Singing hey-ho at another show,
Well you might shake your head,
At the things I have said,



But it comes from my heart,
Not what I've read,
I said you might shake your head,
At the things I have said,
But it comes from my heart,
Not what I′ve read,

Well maybe I should have left this town long ago,
But hindsight is a great thing,
But I thought I had seeds to sow,
And at the time you know it′s wrong,
But you try to make it right,
Maybe the future that I saw was not so bright

Overall Meaning

The Dead Pets' song Dreams For A Crook is a reflective piece about a person who has been aimlessly wandering around a city for too many years. The lyrics suggest that the person’s persistence in finding something in the city is turning into pity rather than encouragement, and although they do not know where their next steps will take them, they hope it will not lead them down the path of regret. The lines “So here I go, here I go, like the littlest hobo, singing hey-ho at another show” suggest that the person is going to continue their journey, no matter how uncertain or difficult it may be, just like the iconic TV character The Littlest Hobo, who wanders from town to town solving problems and helping people.


The lyrics acknowledge that some people may shake their heads at the person's choices, but ultimately, they come from the heart, not what they have read or been told. The lines “Maybe I should have left this town a long time ago, but hindsight is a great thing” reveal that the person is aware of the possibility that they should have left the city long ago. However, at the time, they thought they had ‘seeds to sow’ and were trying to create a better future for themselves. The last lines of the song, “Maybe the future that I saw was not so bright” suggests that the person's hopes have faded, and they may not have a clear vision of their future anymore.


Line by Line Meaning

Well for too many years I've been roaming this city,
I have been wandering around this city for a long time.


So long that encouragement will soon turn to pity,
I have been here for so long that people will start feeling sorry for me instead of encouraging me.


Well I don't know where I'll take my next unfamiliar step,
I am unsure of where I will go next.


But I hope it's not the road to regret
I hope that my next step will not lead me to regret my decision.


So here I go, here I go,
I am starting my journey, moving forward.


Like the littlest hobo,
I am like the character in the TV show 'The Littlest Hobo' who travels from town to town helping people.


Singing hey-ho at another show,
I am singing happily, ready to perform at another show.


Well you might shake your head,
You may disapprove of my actions.


At the things I have said,
You may disagree with my views or opinions.


But it comes from my heart,
I speak from my genuine feelings and emotions.


Not what I've read,
I do not just repeat what I have read, I express my own thoughts.


I said you might shake your head,
I acknowledge that you may not approve of my views or actions.


At the things I have said,
I understand that you may disagree with what I have expressed.


But it comes from my heart,
I emphasize that my words are based on my true feelings.


Not what I've read,
I am not just quoting someone else's ideas, I am speaking from my own perspective.


Well maybe I should have left this town long ago,
Perhaps I should have left this city a while back.


But hindsight is a great thing,
Looking back, I realize it would have been better to leave earlier.


But I thought I had seeds to sow,
At that time, I believed that there were opportunities for me here.


And at the time you know it's wrong,
I now understand that it was the wrong choice.


But you try to make it right,
Still, I tried to make the best of the situation.


Maybe the future that I saw was not so bright
The vision I had of my future here may not have been as promising as I thought.




Writer(s): Christopher Mark Sweeney

Contributed by Kylie L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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