Bacharach studied music at McGill University and the Mannes School of Music. In the 1950s and the early 1960s he was the pianist, arranger and bandleader for Marlene Dietrich with whom he toured. He teamed with lyricist Hal David and others to write many popular songs in the 1960s and 1970s.
Bacharach's music has been sung by a number of popular singers including The Beatles,The Carpenters, Aretha Franklin, Jack Jones, Tom Jones, Dusty Springfield, Luther Vandross and The Drifters. He met Dionne Warwick, with whom he would form a famed collaboration. His songs are characterized by (1) the use of unexpected harmonic changes and (2) unusual rhythmic patterns and time signatures. He employs times such as 5/4 or 3/2, and frequently goes from one time signature to another in the same song, often after each measure. He also changes keys frequently. An excellent example of his style is "Promises, Promises", from his score to the musical of the same name. He has a total of 52 Top 40 hits. In addition, many of his songs were adapted by jazz artists of the time, such as Stan Getz and Wes Montgomery. The Bacharach-David composition "My Little Red Book", originally recorded by Manfred Mann for the film What's New, Pussycat, and promptly covered by Love in 1965, has become a rock standard. He composed and arranged the soundtrack of the 1967 film Casino Royale.
He has been married four times, to Paula Stewart (1953-1958), to actress Angie Dickinson (1965-1980), to lyricist Carole Bayer Sager (1982-1991) - with whom he collaborated on a number of pieces - and (since 1993) Jane Hanson. He has a total of four children, two girls and two boys.
In 1998 he collaborated on an album called Painted From Memory with singer/songwriter Elvis Costello. His 2005 album At This Time features collaborations with Costello, Rufus Wainwright, and Dr. Dre (who provides bass-and-drum loops).
Bacharach has had cameo roles in a number of Hollywood movies including all three Austin Powers movies. His music is also credited as providing inspiration for these movies.
During subsequent Burt Bacharach concert tours, each show would open with a very brief video clip from the movie Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, with Mike Myers (as Austin Powers) uttering "Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Burt Bacharach".
Dreams
Burt Bacharach Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And dreams will go
I'll be there beside you
All the time
And everywhere
Standing there beside you
And you'll love me
Hopefully forever
Dreams will come
And dreams will go
I'll be there beside you
Burt Bacharach’s “Dreams” is a simple love song that conveys a message of everlasting love. The song talks about how dreams sometimes fade away or come and go, but the singer assures his lover that he will always be there for her. He promises to stand by her every hour, every day and everywhere, whether her dreams come true or not. He adds that he will love her, and in turn, she will love him, hopefully forever. This song aims to express the devotion and commitment one partner has towards the other; the singer will never leave her, and he’ll continually be there for her.
At the heart of this song is the sincerity of the feeling being expressed. The singer assures his lover of his consistent love and companionship, regardless of the ebbs and flow of their dreams. It echoes the human attachment to each other and how important it is to have a constant in life, especially in the face of the uncertainties.
Line by Line Meaning
Dreams will come
We will experience good things and opportunities in life
And dreams will go
Those good things and opportunities may not last forever and may eventually end
I'll be there beside you
I will stand by you through good times and bad
All the time
I will always be there for you
And everywhere
No matter where life takes us, I will be by your side
Standing there beside you
I will always be a source of support for you
I'll love you
I will have deep affection for you
And you'll love me
You will also have deep affection for me
Hopefully forever
Ideally, our love for each other will last a lifetime
Dreams will come
We will still have good experiences and opportunities throughout our lives
And dreams will go
But even when those good things end, I will still be there for you and support you
I'll be there beside you
No matter what happens, I will always stand by your side
Contributed by Max K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.