The band is not to be confused with Zakk Wylde's solo project (sometimes known as Book of Shadows after its only album) or with Pride & Glory, Wylde's southern rock band.
History
In 1992, Ozzy retired after the No More Tears tour, which led Zakk to form his own solo band Pride & Glory, blending potent bluesy southern rock with heavy metal. In 1994 Ozzy decided to come out of retirement, and the numerous recording sessions for Ozzmosis took place. Around this time, Zakk was also offered the open guitar slot in Guns N' Roses and had a hard time deciding whether to tour with Ozzy or join Guns N' Roses. Neither project panned out. This gave Wylde the opportunity to record his own acoustic solo album, "Book of Shadows." After limited commercial success with Book Of Shadows, in 1998, Zakk and drummer Phil Ondich formed Black Label Society and recorded their debut album "Sonic Brew." Nick Catanese had been Zakk's touring rhythm guitarist since the Book Of Shadows tour (Zakk records all guitars on his albums). Craig Nunenmacher has been drumming for the band since 1919 Eternal (2001) following Phil's departure. Previous bass players include current Metallica bassist Rob Trujillo, former Megadeth 4-stringer James Lomenzo, and current Alice in Chains bassist Mike Inez, who also played with Zakk on the No More Tears, Ozzy tour.
The band had their song "Fire It Up" featured as a bonus song in the PlayStation 2 game Guitar Hero. Zakk Wylde has an avatar in the video game "Guitar Hero: World Tour", and the song "Stillborn" also appears.
I Never Dreamed
Black Label Society Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't you ever cry
You find the pretty girls and then you love them
Then you say goodbye
I never dreamed that you would leave me
But now you're gone, gone gone
I never dreamed that I would miss you
Woman won't you come back home
I never dreamed that you could hurt me
And leave me blue
I've had a thousand, maybe more
But never one like you
I never dreamed I could feel so empty
But now I'm down, down down
I never dreamed that I would beg you
Woman I need you now
I need you now
It seems to me that I took your love for granted
Oh oh yeah
It feels to me that this time I was wrong, so wrong
Oh Lord now I feel so lonely, yeah
Woman won't you come back home
I tried to do what my father taught me
But I think he knew
Someday that I would find one woman like you
I never dreamed that it could feel so good, Lord
That two could be one
I never knew about sweet love, Lord
Woman won't you come back home
Back home
The lyrics of "I Never Dreamed" by Black Label Society speak about heartbreak and loss, and how the singer never thought that his lover would leave him. The song begins with the advice that the singer's father had given him, to always be strong and never cry. He was taught to find pretty girls and love them, only to later say goodbye. However, he never expected the girl he loved to leave him, but now she is gone, and he never thought he would miss her. He pleads for her to come back home.
Throughout the song, the singer expresses his shock and disbelief at the effects the breakup has on him, how it hurts more than any other relationship he has experienced. He becomes lonely and empty without her, and he begs for her to come back home because he needs her. The singer realizes that he took her love for granted and expresses regret that he was wrong about their relationship. As he reflects on his father's advice, he reasons that someday he would find one woman like her, and he never knew about sweet love.
Overall, the song is about coping with the aftermath of a heartbreak and the feeling of emptiness and loneliness that comes with it. It is a relatable message that speaks to many people who have found themselves heartbroken.
Line by Line Meaning
My father told me always be strong son
My dad gave me advice to be strong and not show my emotions
Don't you ever cry
He advised me never to show my vulnerability by crying
You find the pretty girls and then you love them
He recommended me to find attractive girls and to treat them affectionately
Then you say goodbye
He suggested me to break up with them one day
I never dreamed that you would leave me
I never imagined that you would abandon me
But now you're gone, gone gone
But now you've left me, disappeared completely
I never dreamed that I would miss you
I never imagined that I would desire your presence again
Woman won't you come back home
Lady, please return to your home with me
I never dreamed that you could hurt me
I never imagined that you could inflict pain on me
And leave me blue
And make me feel sad
I've had a thousand, maybe more
I've been with many women, numerous enough to be counted in thousands
But never one like you
But none of them were like you
I never dreamed I could feel so empty
I never imagined that I could feel so unfulfilled
But now I'm down, down down
But now I feel depressed, completely down
I never dreamed that I would beg you
I never imagined that I would plead with you
Woman I need you now
Lady, I require your presence immediately
It seems to me that I took your love for granted
It appears to me that I undervalued your affection
Oh oh yeah
An exclamation of realization
It feels to me that this time I was wrong, so wrong
It feels to me that this time I made a mistake, a big one
Oh Lord now I feel so lonely, yeah
Oh my God, now I feel incredibly lonely
Woman won't you come back home
Lady, please return to your home with me
I tried to do what my father taught me
I attempted to follow the advice provided by my dad
But I think he knew
But I believe he realized
Someday that I would find one woman like you
Sometime in the future, I would meet a woman like you
I never dreamed that it could feel so good, Lord
I never imagined that I could feel so contented, Oh God
That two could be one
That two people could become one
I never knew about sweet love, Lord
I never experienced such a delightful kind of love, Oh God
Woman won't you come back home
Lady, please return to your home with me
Back home
Returning to a familiar place
Lyrics © REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: ZAKK WYLDE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind