After working in the Milton Larkins and Cootie Williams orchestras, he established his own big band in 1945. In 1947 he had a major rhythm and blues hit with "Old Maid Boogie/Kidney Stew Blues".
Vinson recorded both jazz and rhythm and blues. He wrote "Tune Up" and "Four" for Miles Davis, as well as the classic blues numbers "Somebody Done Stole My Cherry Red," "Person to Person," and "They Call Me Mr. Cleanhead." In live performance he would alternate blues numbers with jazz numbers like Thelonious Monk's "Straight No Chaser." Even in his blues numbers, his saxophone style has a distinctly modern bebop sound.
He acquired his nickname after a hair-straightening mishap left him bald.
Just A Dream
Eddie Vinson Lyrics
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All our plans and our all schemes
How could I think you'd be mine?
The lies I'd tell myself each time
I know that we could never last
We just can't seem to in the past
Just a dream I dream in vain
Your picture is always with me
I can still hear that same mournful song
And now I sit here crying
Please, leave me alone
Why, why do I love you?
How can I live in misery?
I know that I won't forget you
But now I know it's too late for me
Eddie Vinson's song Just A Dream is a soulful ballad that speaks about lost love and the pain of holding onto a dream. Throughout the song, Vinson croons about the futile hope of wanting to reconcile with a former lover, knowing that it is impossible for them to be together. In the opening stanza, Vinson admits that all of their plans and schemes were merely a dream, and he couldn't believe that he thought she could be his. The lies he would tell himself repeatedly only amplified his disappointment when things didn't work out.
In the second verse, Vinson reflects on the fact that they could never last since they couldn't seem to stay together in the past. His dream of being with her was in vain, and the thought of having a future with her would only result in heartache. Nevertheless, her picture is always with him, and he can hear the mournful song that reminds him of their time together. The chorus features Vinson pleading with the former lover to leave him alone, as he cries alone and wonders why he still loves her.
The last verse is filled with sorrow and resignation as Vinson accepts that he will always have love for the woman but realizes it is too late for him. He questions why he loves her and how he can live in misery. It's a tragic realization that is infused with melancholic notes and languid pacing.
Line by Line Meaning
Just a dream, just a dream
The relationship imagined with the person is just a figment of imagination.
All our plans and our all schemes
All the plans made with the person was unrealistic, unattainable.
How could I think you'd be mine?
It was a mistake in believing that the person was attainable.
The lies I'd tell myself each time
The artist would deceive himself into thinking the relationship had a chance.
I know that we could never last
The artist acknowledges that the relationship was never meant to be.
We just can't seem to in the past
Their past history was not conducive to a future relationship.
Just a dream I dream in vain
Hoping for the relationship is a waste of time and won't come true.
With you I'd only live in pain
The artist realizes that the imagined relationship would only bring them pain.
Your picture is always with me
The image of the person they desire is always present in their mind.
I can still hear that same mournful song
The pain of the imagined relationship is a constant reminder to the artist.
And now I sit here crying
The singer is filled with sadness for the loss of the dream relationship.
Please, leave me alone
The artist wants the thoughts of the person and their imagined relationship to go away.
Why, why do I love you?
The singer questions their feelings and why they still love the person despite the knowledge that it won't work out.
How can I live in misery?
Wondering how they can continue to feel unhappy when they know it is time to move on from the false dream of a relationship.
I know that I won't forget you
Even though the singer knows the imagined relationship can never happen, they won't be able to forget the person.
But now I know it's too late for me
The artist comes to the realization that it is too late to have a true relationship with the person and move on.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRIS ROOT, JON SMITH, JEAN-MARIE BRICHARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind