Tough to Be a Dreamer
Felix Hagan & The Family Lyrics

Well everyone's the hero in their own story
Everyone thinks of themselves as the singer of their own life story

Everyone's a sucker for a taste of glory
Everyone is drawn to the idea of achieving greatness

But stories are for children
The idea of a simple, straightforward narrative is childish

And glory's not a taste I can acquire
Achieving fame or notoriety is not something the singer believes they can realistically attain

And people say that wishes are the path to freedom
Some people believe that the key to achieving happiness is to follow one's desires

See the stars a-shining, honey
The singer is acknowledging the allure of the idea of following one's dreams

You could be one
The singer is suggesting that the listener has the potential to achieve their dreams

But pipe dreams flush away and in
But unrealistic dreams often fade and disappear

The cold grey light of day they expire
When exposed to the reality of life, unrealistic dreams lose their appeal

'Cause I've built my castle on broken dreams
The singer has staked their hopes and aspirations on unrealistic goals

And as time goes by, I must admit it seems like
As the singer grows older, they are coming to the realization that their goals may never be achieved

I was sold a lie
The singer feels that they were misled about the likelihood of their dreams coming true

Makes me want to cry so loud
The singer is full of regret and sadness about the prospect of never achieving their dreams

'Cause it's tough to be a dreamer when they don't come true
It's difficult to maintain a positive outlook on life when one's aspirations are unlikely to be fulfilled

Nothing seems to happen and you can't break through
No matter how hard the singer tries, they feel stuck in life and unable to progress

Feel like your blossoming is overdue
The singer feels as though they should have achieved more by now, but have not

And you realize no one's gonna give the world to you
The singer recognizes that they alone are responsible for their own success and happiness

Well ain't no use in crying, darling
It won't do any good to be upset about the situation, according to the accepted wisdom

So they say
This is a common piece of advice that the singer has heard before

Find a thing you love to do and make it pay
Find something you are passionate about and find a way to make a living doing it

Nothing you accomplish matters anyway
In the grand scheme of things, individual achievements are not particularly significant

So all that really counts is how you live today
The most important thing is to make the most of each day and find fulfillment in the present moment

Well I'm not one to get uptight for no good reason
The singer tries to maintain a positive mindset, even when things aren't going well

While some might see decay I see a change of season
The singer tries to find the positive in difficult situations and not dwell on the negative

And everyone's got problems
Everyone has struggles in life

No more or less pathetic than mine
The singer recognizes that their problems are not more or less significant than anyone else's

'Cause I'm trying to project a sunny disposition
The singer is trying to appear upbeat and positive, even if they don't necessarily feel that way

But it's hard to paint a smile on wasted young ambition
The singer finds it difficult to maintain a positive outlook when they feel as though they have wasted their youth chasing unrealistic dreams

And every day's another little grain of sand lost to the mists of time
With each passing day, the singer feels as though time is slipping away and they are no closer to achieving their dreams

'Cause if I can't make it, then what's the point?
The singer is questioning the purpose of life if they are unable to achieve their dreams

If my whole damn life is set to disappoint
The singer feels as though their entire life has been a letdown, with no meaningful accomplishments to their name

Well I guess there's nothing left to do but smile, so smile
The singer is resigned to their situation, and feels that the only thing left to do is put on a brave face and try to be happy

'Cause it's tough to be a dreamer when they don't come true
Once again, the singer reiterates the difficulty of maintaining optimism in the face of unfulfilled aspirations

Nothing seems to happen and you can't break through
The singer feels as though they are stuck in place and unable to progress, no matter how hard they try

Feel like your blossoming is overdue
Once again, the singer feels as though they should have achieved more by this point in their life

And you realize no one's gonna give the world to you
The singer understands that they are solely responsible for their own success and happiness

Well ain't no use in crying, darling
Once again, the singer recognizes that there is no point in getting upset about the situation

So they say
Repeating the common advice that one should find something they love to do and make it pay

Nothing you accomplish matters anyway
Reiterating the idea that individual achievements are not particularly significant

So all that really counts, all that really counts
The emphasis is once again on finding fulfillment in the present moment

Ooooh, Oooooh, Ooooh, Yeah!
The song ends on a musical note of ambiguous emotion, leaving the listener to interpret the singer's state of mind for themselves