In 1958, Ben Nelson joined a doo wop group, The Five Crowns. Later that same year, The Drifters' manager fired the members of the group and replaced them with The Five Crowns, who had performed several engagements with The Drifters. He co-wrote the first hit by the new version of The Drifters, "There Goes My Baby" (1959). He also sang lead, using his birth name, on "Save the Last Dance for Me," a song written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman, "Dance With Me," "This Magic Moment," "I Count the Tears," and other The Drifters hits.
In 1960 he left the group after failing to gain a salary increase and a fairer share of the group's royalties. At this point he assumed the more memorable stage name Ben E. King in preparation for a solo career. Remaining on Atlantic, King scored his first solo hit with the stylish, Latin-tinged ballad "Spanish Harlem" (1961). "Stand by Me" was his next recording. "Stand by Me", written by King along with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller was voted one of the Songs of the Century by the Recording Industry Association of America. "Stand by Me" and "Spanish Harlem" were named as two of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll and were both also given a Grammy Hall of Fame Award.
King's records continued to place well on the pop charts until 1963, when British pop bands began to dominate the popular music scene. His hits after 1963 were "What is Soul?" (1967), "Supernatural Thing, part 1" (1975), and the re-issue in 1986 of "Stand by Me" following the song's use as the theme music to the movie of the same name.
Dream Lover
Ben E. King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A dream lover will come my way
A girl to hold in my arms
And know the magic of her charms
'Cause I want
A girl
To call
My own
So I don't have to dream alone
Dream lover, where are you
With a love, oh, so true
And the hand that I can hold
To feel you near as I grow old
'Cause I want
A girl
To call
My own
I want a dream lover
So I don't have to dream alone
Someday, I don't know how
I hope she'll hear my plea
Some way, I don't know how
She'll bring her love to me
Dream lover, until then
I'll go to sleep and dream again
That's the only thing to do
Till all my lover's dreams come true
'Cause I want
A girl
To call
My own
I want a dream lover
So I don't have to dream alone
Dream lover, until then
I'll go to sleep and dream again
That's the only thing to do
Till all my lover's dreams come true
'Cause I want
A girl
To call
My own
I want a dream lover
So I don't have to dream alone
Please don't make me dream alone
I beg you don't make me dream alone
No, I don't wanna dream
alone
Every night, Ben E. King is hopeful and prayerful that a dream lover will come his way. He longs for a girl to hold in his arms and experience the magic of her charms. He desires a girl to call his own, someone who will be his dream lover so that he doesn't have to dream alone. The singer is yearning for a love that is true and reciprocated. He doesn't know how, but someday he hopes that she'll hear his plea and bring her love to him. Until then, he'll keep dreaming of his dream lover so that he doesn't have to dream alone.
These lyrics touch on the theme of longing and desire for love, companionship, and companionship. The words are relatable, and most people can identify with the emotions of loneliness and hope for a dream partner. The lyrics also have a timeless quality to them, making the song a classic and a favorite among music lovers. The song's lyrics and melody allow listeners to immerse themselves in the singer's longing and connect with their own emotions about love and relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Every night I hope and pray
Each night, I make a wish and pray that my dream lover will come to me
A dream lover will come my way
I hope to meet the lover of my dreams
A girl to hold in my arms
I desire to have a loving girl in my life, someone whom I can hold close to my heart
And know the magic of her charms
I want to experience the enchanting powers of her charms
'Cause I want
This is why I long for
A girl
A special lady to share love with
To call
Whom I can proudly call
My own
My very own dream lover
I want a dream lover
I am desperate to find my one and only dream lover
So I don't have to dream alone
So I don't have to keep dreaming without someone by my side
Dream lover, where are you
I wonder where my dream lover might be
With a love, oh, so true
Someone who can provide me with pure love
And the hand that I can hold
Someone whose hand I can hold tight
To feel you near as I grow old
Someone who will remain by my side as I get old
Someday, I don't know how
One day, I hope my lover will hear my entreaties, even though I am unaware of how it will happen
I hope she'll hear my plea
I hope she listens to and answers my request
Some way, I don't know how
Through any way, even if I am unsure of the specifics
She'll bring her love to me
I hope she will grace me with her pure love
Dream lover, until then
Until I meet her
I'll go to sleep and dream again
I will sleep and dream of her once more
That's the only thing to do
It is the only option I have
Till all my lover's dreams come true
Until all my dreams of my lover come to fruition
Please don't make me dream alone
I implore my dream lover to come to me so that I don't have to continue dreaming alone
I beg you don't make me dream alone
I plead with her to not make me spend another night without her presence in my dreams
No, I don't wanna dream
I no longer want to dream alone
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Bobby Darin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@DoktorKoch
my favourite version
@David-ph9um
This song has been covered 106 times crazy I guess timeless songs get covered a lot I thought brown eyed had the most covers but I could be wrong
@30lalruatzeli29
😍😍😍
@battsbrownsauce1274
Excellent version up there with the Bobby Darin original. Bobby wrote this song based on what he heard from Ben E King and Sam Cooke so it is a natural.