Clifford T. Ward typified the early 70s bedsitter singer-songwriter with a series of albums that were at best delightful and at worst mawkish. Ward left grammar school before A-levels to work as a clerk, but by 1962 was fronting local beat group Cliff Ward and the Cruisers. The group changed their name to Martin Raynor and the Secrets and made their recording debut for EMI Records in 1965, before recording several more tracks as the Secrets for CBS Records.
In 1967 Ward enrolled at Worcester teacher training college to study English and divinity, after which he taught at Bromsgrove high school. His debut album appeared on disc jockey John Peel's brave-but-doomed Dandelion Records label in 1972. His second album and his first release for Charisma Records, Home Thoughts, proved to be his finest work and gave him wider recognition. Ward constructed each song as a complete story sometimes with great success.
The beautiful "Gaye" became a UK Top 10 hit but surprisingly the stronger "Home Thoughts From Abroad" and the infectious and lyrically excellent "Wherewithal" failed to chart. Mantle Pieces and Escalator contained a similar recipe of more harmless tales like the minor hit "Scullery" with affecting lyrics like; "You're my picture by Picasso, you'd brighten up any gallery'.
Ward's refusal to tour and promote his songs did not help endear the singer to his record company, however, and he switched to the Phonogram Records label for 1975"s No More Rock 'N' Roll. In later years although still recording the occasional album and still reluctant to perform live, Ward received kudos as a songwriter with his material being recorded by artists such as Cliff Richard, Art Garfunkel and Justin Hayward.
He was struck down with multiple sclerosis in 1987 and his health rapidly deteriorated. He managed to record 1991's vinyl-only album Laugh It Off, and friends and colleagues pieced together two more albums of new songs, out-takes and demos to give the ailing Ward some financial assistance. He finally succumbed to pneumonia December 18th 2001.
A Dream
Clifford T. Ward Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In which I found myself alone
And stumbling through an endless night
I surely was afraid.
Then out the blackness came a light
And then a voice that spoke to me
I am the pilgrim sent to you
Christian are you there still? I'm so tired
And I don't no where I am
It seems such a long way I want to make it
But I don't know if I can.
Christian won't you help me find my way?
It's kind of difficult and I'm falling by the wayside
Christian won't you help me find my way?
It's kind of difficult and I'm falling by the wayside.
Once more I'm alone now
Gone is the light, and the face I thought I saw
Out there is a kingdom far in the distance
It's the place I'm looking for.
Oh Christian won't you help me find my way?
It's kind of difficult and I'm falling by the wayside
Christian won't you help me find my way?
It's kind of difficult and I'm falling by the wayside.
Now I saw in my dream
That Christian and Hopeful went in at the gate
And low as they entered they were transfigured
And they had raiment put on that shone like gold
I looked in after them and behold the city shone like the sun
The streets also were paved with gold
And in them walked many men with crowns on their heads
Palms in their hands and golden harps to sing praises with all
And after that they shut up the gates
Which when I had seen I wished myself among them.
Christian won't you help me find my way?
It's kind of difficult and I'm falling by the wayside
Christian won't you help me find my way?
It's kind of difficult and I'm falling by the wayside
Christian won't you help me find my way?
It's kind of difficult and I'm falling by the wayside
(Repeat and fade).
Clifford T. Ward's song A Dream is a hauntingly beautiful ballad that follows the journey of an individual who is feeling lost and searching for guidance. The lyrics vividly convey the heightened emotions of fear, hopelessness, and eventual redemption. The dream-like atmosphere of the song coupled with the poetic lyrics creates a deeply personal experience for both the performer and the listener.
The song's narrator starts by describing a strange dream in which they were alone and wandering aimlessly in the dark. They encounter a pilgrim who offers to guide them on their journey. However, the singer feels tired and unsure of their abilities to continue. They call out to Christian, hoping for help to find their way. The second verse starts similarly, with the singer back in the darkness and feeling lost again. This time, they see Christian and Hopeful entering a gate and becoming transfigured. The scene transitions into a vision of a beautiful heavenly city with golden streets where the saved are singing praises. The song ends with the singer calling out to Christian for help once more.
The song's usage of Christian and Hopeful, the gate, and the heavenly city is reminiscent of the allegory used in John Bunyan's novel The Pilgrim's Progress. The novel follows the singer Christian's journey through life as he tries to find salvation. Ward's song can be seen as a modern-day interpretation of the book's themes, with the singer struggling to find their way towards salvation.
Line by Line Meaning
Last night I had the strangest dream
I dreamt last night and it was quite odd.
In which I found myself alone
I was alone in my dream, wandering.
And stumbling through an endless night
It was night time and it felt like it will never end. I was also having difficulty walking or moving around.
I surely was afraid.
I was very scared in my dream.
Then out the blackness came a light
Suddenly, a light appeared in my dream, out of nowhere.
And then a voice that spoke to me
I heard a voice that spoke to me.
I am the pilgrim sent to you
The voice told me that they are a pilgrim sent to me.
It's time for your journey.
The voice told me that it is time for my journey.
Christian are you there still? I'm so tired
I am calling out to Christian, asking if they are still there because I am very tired.
And I don't no where I am
I am lost and I do not know where I am.
It seems such a long way I want to make it
The destination seems like a long way to go, but I still want to get there.
But I don't know if I can.
I am not confident if I can make it to the destination.
Christian won't you help me find my way?
I am once again calling out to Christian to help me find my way to the destination.
It's kind of difficult and I'm falling by the wayside
It is difficult for me to keep going and I am struggling to keep moving forward.
Once more I'm alone now
I am alone again, after calling out to Christian for help and not receiving a response.
Gone is the light, and the face I thought I saw
The light that I saw earlier is gone, and the face that I thought I saw is also no longer there.
Out there is a kingdom far in the distance
In the distance, there is a kingdom that I am trying to reach.
It's the place I'm looking for.
This kingdom is the destination that I am searching for.
Now I saw in my dream
In my dream, I saw something new.
That Christian and Hopeful went in at the gate
Christian and Hopeful went through a gate.
And low as they entered they were transfigured
As they entered, they transformed into something else.
And they had raiment put on that shone like gold
They were given clothes that shone like gold.
I looked in after them and behold the city shone like the sun
I saw that the city they entered was very bright, shining like the sun.
The streets also were paved with gold
The streets in the city were made of gold.
And in them walked many men with crowns on their heads
There were many men walking on the streets wearing crowns on their heads.
Palms in their hands and golden harps to sing praises with all
These men were holding palm branches and golden harps, singing praises.
And after that they shut up the gates
After Christian and Hopeful entered, the gates were shut.
Which when I had seen I wished myself among them.
Watching the gates close, I wished that I was there with Christian and Hopeful.
Christian won't you help me find my way?
Once again, I am calling out to Christian to help me find my way to the kingdom.
It's kind of difficult and I'm falling by the wayside
I am still having a hard time moving forward and I am struggling.
(Repeat and fade).
This last line indicates that the chorus will be repeated and the song will slowly fade out.
Contributed by Andrew D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@dreamerinalowprofile1952
Good work again, Mike. Great track from Clifford's fine first album.
@thenamesdicky
Paul Orsler thanks it was a pleasure.
@roysammons2445
This brings back memories