As a founding member of the ground breaking Bauhaus, multi-instrumentalist Daniel Ash has distinguished himself in the world of contemporary music. He later went on to form Tones on Tail and Love and Rockets with members of Bauhaus.
After attending gigs in his teenage years, he made a promise to himself that no matter in what capacity; he would get up on that stage, even if he was only banging a tambourine. He started playing guitar at age 15, but later he confessed that he didn’t give it much effort, only learning three chords during his first three years. Driven by a love of Rock 'n Roll, Ash began playing in cover bands. The first gig he played was in the Glasgow Rangers Workman's Club. During this time, Ash started playing music with his Kindergarten mates David J and Kevin Haskins. With the addition of Peter Murphy, this lineup became Bauhaus.
Ash became friends with Peter Murphy during his teenage years. Ash went to art school and Murphy to work in a printing factory. They met up five years later and Daniel suggested forming a band. After rigging up a makeshift rehearsal space, Ash played an echo-laden 12-bar blues while Murphy sang a series of newspaper articles. Four weeks later they formed Bauhaus and recorded "Bela Lugosi's Dead".
That song, released in 1979, became the cornerstone of the gothic rock movement. From early on, Ash was intent on sounding original and often tried to “make the guitar not sound like a guitar.” His style is simplistic and visceral, frequently using an EBow or a guitar with a sustainer circuit.
Four years and as many albums later, Bauhaus broke up. Soon after, Ash put together Tones on Tail with Bauhaus drummer Kevin Haskins. In 1984, Tones on Tail was disbanded, and Ash founded the influential Love and Rockets in 1985 with Kevin Haskins and David J, also of Bauhaus.
Despite creating a unique guitar style seminal to several genres, he's often said that he's really not that interested in guitars. During the last ten years, he has been experimenting with electronic music, limiting the use of guitar as an extra element as opposed to the main focus. Since the last reformation of Bauhaus however, he's been returning to a more guitar based rock sound.
Dream Machine
Daniel Ash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That lives inside your head
I know the little boy
That lives inside your head
Just dreams of the bright blue stars
That shine up in the sky
Just dreams of your sorrows
When you live another lie
The dream is all around you
It comes and it will go
This dream is all around
It comes and it will go
This God is a good one
This God is the best
This God is the good one
Just forget all the rest
I know this little boy
He lives right inside your head
I know this little boy
I know he lives inside your head
Just dreams of the bright blue stars
That shine up in the sky
Just dreams of your sorrows
Then you live another lie
The dream is all around you
The dream it comes
This dream is all around you
The dream it comes and comes
This God is a good one
This God is the best
This God is the good one
Just you forget all the rest
All the best
The lyrics of Daniel Ash's "Dream Machine" talk about the little boy that lives inside the head and dreams of the bright blue stars in the sky. The first stanza suggests that the little boy is trying to escape from reality and shy away from the sorrows of life. The line "Just dreams of your sorrows when you live another lie" implies that the boy is using dreams as a way of coping with the pain of living a life filled with deception. The second stanza of the song talks about the dreams that surround us all, that come and go. It suggests that the dream is temporary and fleeting, something that we cannot hold on to for a very long time. The chorus of the song talks about the power of God and how the little boy believes in him. The lyrics remind us that there's always hope in life, and it's important to believe in something greater than ourselves.
Line by Line Meaning
I know this little boy
The singer is aware of a child-like aspect of the listener's psyche
That lives inside your head
This child-like aspect is purely internal and does not exist in reality
I know the little boy
The singer is intimately familiar with this aspect of the listener's psyche
That lives inside your head
This child-like aspect is purely internal and does not exist in reality
Just dreams of the bright blue stars
The child-like aspect of the listener's psyche imagines looking up at the night sky and seeing shining stars
That shine up in the sky
These stars are high above the listener, out of reach
Just dreams of your sorrows
The child-like aspect of the listener's psyche imagines experiencing distress or sadness
When you live another lie
The distress or sadness is a result of the listener's inability to live authentically
The dream is all around you
The idea of a more idealized reality or self is ever-present in the listener's thoughts
It comes and it will go
This idealized reality or self is fleeting and transitory
This God is a good one
There is a belief in a supreme being or force that is benevolent towards the listener
This God is the best
This supreme being or force is the most powerful and effective in guiding the listener towards a better existence
This God is the good one
This supreme being or force is morally upright and just
Just forget all the rest
There is no need to worship or seek guidance from any other deity or force
Contributed by Annabelle S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.