Dreamer
Europe (1984) Lyrics

He is down by the riverside
He is currently located by the side of a river

Late one night
It is night time and quite late when this is happening

He's tryin' to count the stars
He is attempting to count the number of stars present in the night sky

In each of the signs
He is counting the stars present in each of the zodiac signs

All alone by the riverside
He is by himself with no one else around, in the vicinity of the river

And time passes by
Time continues to advance without stopping

Gathering thoughts of the past
He is reminiscing about memories from his past

And maybe he'll cry
It is possible that he will shed tears during this time of reflection

So they say he's a madman
Other people describe him as a crazy person

And he don't understand
He is having difficulty comprehending certain things

But I know that he's tryin' hard
Despite the challenges he faces, he is making a sincere effort to accomplish something

To act like a man
He wants to exhibit qualities that are typically associated with men, such as courage and strength

All those years he has suffered,
He has endured pain and hardship for a significant period of time

My friends
This phrase serves as an address to the listener(s)

All those years of pain
He has experienced a great deal of emotional or physical agony throughout the years

But I don't think he knows for sure
It is uncertain if he is truly aware of the significance of his struggles

If those years were in vain
It is unclear if those years were spent in a way that is ultimately meaningful

He's a dreamer
He is someone with a vivid imagination

And he's fightin' for his life
He is trying to survive

He's tryin' to understand
He is attempting to make sense of something

But he wants to carry on
He desires to persist and carry forward with his dreams or goals

Yet I know he's a lonely man
Regardless of his aspirations, he is still plagued by feelings of isolation and loneliness