City Of Dreams
Ben & Ellen Harper Lyrics
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Daybreak over the city I called home
Where the sage met the sea and the groves were sweet and green
It's a city that lives only in my dreams
The groves where we played when we were children
The groves where we fooled around as teens
Those green groves are paved from la to Santa Fe
Landmarks lost to parking lots in the city I called home
Looking back I see what used to be
Now freeways crawl though the suburban sprawl
As far as the eye can see
And the city lives only in my dreams
Twilight shades the valley of my memory
When citrus groves still perfumed the sky
But I guess those orange blossoms weren't so special after all
Now it's a city of days gone by
Landmarks lost to parking lots in the city I called home
Looking back I see what used to be
Now freeways crawl through the suburban sprawl
As far as the eye can see
And the city lives only in my dreams
The song, "City of Dreams", by Ben and Ellen Harper, explores the theme of home and how it changes with time. The song is about the city of their childhood, where they played and grew up, but now it only exists in their memories and dreams. The opening line "Day breaks over the city of my childhood" sets the tone of nostalgia and longing for the past. The city has undergone significant changes, and landmarks have been replaced by parking lots and freeways that crawl through the suburban sprawl.
The lyrics describe how the groves where they used to play as children and fool around as teens have been paved from LA to Santa Fe. The city they knew and grew up in has completely transformed, and they look back to see what used to be. The "Twilight shades the valley of my memory" is a poetic reference to the past, where the citrus groves still perfumed the sky. However, the song hints that even the orange blossoms that once meant so much to them are not as special anymore.
The song is a thought-provoking and heart-wrenching ode to the idea of home and how it changes with time. It highlights the importance of preserving the memories of places that once held meaning to us. Ultimately, the city may live only in their dreams, but those dreams are still so vivid and alive that it almost feels like they can still touch and breathe the city that once was.
Line by Line Meaning
Day breaks over the city of my childhood
The start of the day shines on the place where I grew up
Where the sage met the sea and the groves were sweet and green
This place was where earthy plant life met the salty water, and the trees and fields smelled and looked great
It's a city that lives only in my dreams
Sadly, the location is no more than a figment of my imagination
The groves where we played when we were children
The fields and trees where we would have fun as young ones
Those green groves are paved from la to Santa Fe
Unfortunately, those natural spaces got replaced by pavement all along the way from Los Angeles to Santa Fe
Landmarks lost to parking lots in the city I called home
Famous places of the town where I lived transformed into car parks
Looking back I see what used to be
In hindsight, I see how it all was before
Now freeways crawl though the suburban sprawl
Currently, highways slowly cut through the urban expansion
As far as the eye can see
The development seems to go on indefinitely
Twilight shades the valley of my memory
The darkening sky represents the depth of how much I remember of that place
When citrus groves still perfumed the sky
There was a time when the aroma of citrus orchards surrounded us in the air
But I guess those orange blossoms weren't so special after all
In hindsight, the memory of those fragrant flowers might not have been as significant as originally thought
Now it's a city of days gone by
Currently, it's an urban area from a long time ago
And the city lives only in my dreams
All that remains of that settlement is a city that exists solely in my subconscious
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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