Dreams So Real were a significant band in the Athens, Georgia music scene, … Read Full Bio ↴Dreams So Real were a significant band in the Athens, Georgia music scene, gaining some national exposure in the late 1980s and early 1990s, including releases on Arista Records.

The trio consisted of chief songwriter Barry Marler on lead vocals and guitar, Trent Allen on backing vocals and bass, and Drew Worsham on drums. Forming in 1983 when its members met in an Athens record store, their debut single, "Everywhere Girl", came out in 1985 and was produced by Peter Buck of R.E.M.. Buck also produced their first full-length album, 1986's Father's House. The band gained a bit more exposure by performing their song "Golden" (called "Steps" in the movie's end notes) in Athens, GA. Inside/Out , a rock documentary on their hometown music scene.

With the success of R.E.M., the Athens scene, and other college radio-friendly bands, Dreams So Real was signed to Arista Records and released Rough Night in Jericho in 1988. The title track earned some success, reaching #28 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart and receiving some MTV airplay. A follow-up single, "Bearing Witness" also cracked Billboard's Rock Chart. The album would reach the Billboard Hot 200, peaking at #150.[1]

The 1990 follow-up album, Gloryline, met with less success both critically and commercially. Soon after, Arista dropped the band and Dreams So Real soon drifted apart. As a kind of parting gift, the band released a collection of outtakes, rarities and B-sides titled Nocturnal Omissions, made available through their fan-club mailing list.

Marler and Allen briefly reformed with the band Ether in the late 1990s, but have since appeared to have mostly left music behind. Marler is an analyst at the University of Georgia's Center for Applied Genetic Technologies, while Allen became a graphic artist.

The band also received mention in a number of R.E.M. biographies detailing their success and importance to the scene, including Marcus Gray's It Crawled From the South and David Buckley's R.E.M.: Fiction.

In 2003, Worsham was shot in the head by a man who was reported to be his girlfriend's ex-boyfriend. Reports said the man, Joel Chris Blankenship, subsequently kidnapped and fatally shot the girlfriend, Dara Jo Wasdin, before putting a bullet through his own head. Worsham survived, as the bullet lodged in his eye socket and never reached his brain, and reportedly recovered to return to his post-Dreams So Real music projects as well as his work as a computer technician.

Open Your Eyes
Dreams So Real Lyrics

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It's in the way that she smiles
It's in the way that she stops and waits a while
Even though she's involved
She'll never cry about why the world revolves

Today and every day
She knows she's got a piece of my heart
She sees reality

In this world you learn
You can't be cool if you want to burn

Na na na yeah
Na na na yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Na na na yeah
Open your eyes

I see the truth in a tear
Live a life in a fraction of a year
Then it all falls apart
Spoken words for a slightly broken heart

She comes like beating drums
To quote the words of the poetry god
"Unchanged, the song remains the same."
Even now there is a lesson to be learned somehow

Na na na yeah
Na na na yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Na na na yeah
Open your eyes

Na na na yeah
Open your eyes

It's in the way that she smiles
It's in the way that she stops and waits a while
Even though she's involved
She'll never cry about why the world revolves

Today and every day
She knows she's got a piece of my heart
She sees reality
In this world you learn
You can't be cool if you want to burn

Na na na yeah
Na na na yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Na na na yeah
Open your eyes

Na na na yeah
Na na na yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Na na na yeah
Open your eyes

Na na na yeah
Na na na yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

Na na na yeah
Open your eyes

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the song "Open Your Eyes" by Dreams So Real describes the admiration of the persona to a girl who possesses some unique qualities that make her stand out. The persona describes her lovely smile and her calm demeanor as she waits patiently. Despite the struggles of the world, the girl never breaks down in tears. The persona acknowledges and appreciates how the girl has captured his heart with her realistic approach to life, and he sees the value in learning from her experiences.

The second verse of the song highlights the ups and downs of life. The persona observes that it's possible to live a full life, even if it's only for a short time, before it all falls apart. The girl is the inspiration that helps him cope with the emotional turmoil of a broken heart. She lifts his spirits with her words of wisdom, as her straightforward message remains reassuringly clear: change is inevitable. Finally, the chorus suggests the importance of open-mindedness in life. One must be receptive to new ideas and perspectives, even when unexpected events happen.

Overall, "Open Your Eyes" encourages us to remain steadfast in the face of adversity, appreciate the good times, and gain knowledge through our experiences.

Line by Line Meaning

It's in the way that she smiles
Her smile is a telltale sign of something deeper

It's in the way that she stops and waits a while
She takes time to consider her actions and words

Even though she's involved
Although she is committed to her cause,

She'll never cry about why the world revolves
She will never complain about the world's chaos

Today and every day
She lives her life in the present

She knows she's got a piece of my heart
She has earned my love and admiration

She sees reality
She recognizes the truth in her situation

In this world you learn
The world can be a harsh teacher

You can't be cool if you want to burn
You can't risk disaster if you want to appear composed

Na na na yeah

Na na na yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah