Foster & Allen began back in the seventies when Mick and Tony were playing in Country Music bands around Ireland. In 1975 they formed a small group and went over to the UK to work the Irish music venues on a short tour.
Mick & Tony had at this stage the idea of working together as a duo, playing ‘easy listening’ music with a touch of traditional Irish instrumentals. When their UK tour finished they decided to let the band return to Ireland whilst they stayed behind to try and break into the public eye. They played several venues in the London area and the reaction was very favourable; so much so, they decided to remain as a duo and Foster and Allen was formed.
It was difficult at the beginning and after a time working around the circuit in the UK and Ireland, they released their first single record The Rambles of Spring. This made a good impact on the Irish market and Foster and Allen were soon in demand for cabaret venues all over Ireland and to a lesser extent the UK At the end of 1978 Foster and Allen released the single A Bunch Of Thyme in Ireland, which entered the Irish charts and became their first top-selling No. 1 single.
It was not until 1982 that this single was released in the UK. It was played by all the radio stations in Britain and was soon in the pop charts. It climbed rapidly to number 18 in the UK Singles Chart. At the time, Mick & Tony were in the U.S. on a tour. They were contacted and told to fly back to Britain immediately as they were required to appear on television’s Top of the Pops.
Demand for Foster and Allen's services at venues all over Ireland and the UK increased at this point. They released another single "Old Flames" which also made its way into the UK Charts. They did their first concert tour of the UK in 1983 and this tour was boosted even more by the release of another single Maggie. This reached number 27 in the UK singles chart and, along with A Bunch Of Thyme, these became the signature tunes for the duo. Since then they have toured the UK twice each year.
In addition to the UK tours, Foster and Allen have toured the U.S.A, Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. They had five No. 1 Hits in Australia/New Zealand. They have also appeared on numerous TV shows in Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales as well as Australia, USA and Canada, and they have had their own TV series on RTE Television in Ireland.
In the early days Mick & Tony performed on stage as a duo, but in 1982 (when the concert tours started) they added a band to their show thus giving a much fuller sound to their program. On the recording front, Foster and Allen have to date released a total of 27 albums, all of which have gone into the British charts. This is a great achievement for a middle-of-the-road ‘easy listening’ act.
As well as the albums, they have released thirteen videos, again all of which have entered the British charts. The video "Souvenirs and Memories" reached No. 3 in the British charts around Christmas 1991, the "By Request" video went straight into the No. 1 spot in 1993 and their latest DVD/Video release "After All These Years" was a Top 10 Chart Release in the UK. To date Foster and Allen have achieved album and video sales in excess of 19 million worldwide.
Foster and Allen celebrated their 30th Anniversary together in the music industry with the release of their new album "Foster & Allen Sing The No. 1’s" which was a Top 30 Chart hit in the UK during Christmas 2005 bringing the sales of their last three albums in the UK and Ireland to over 500,000 units.
The duo recently completed their “World Concert Tour – 2005/2006” which took them on tour to the United Kingdom, Canada, South Africa, Ireland, U.S.A., Australia and Ireland.
I Have A Dream
Foster & Allen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't see anyone but you
Sha bop sha bop
Are the stars out tonight
I don't know if it's cloudy or bright
I only have eyes for you dear
But I can't see a thing in the sky
I only have eyes for you
I don't know if we're in a garden
Or on a crowded avenue
You are here and so am I
Maybe millions of people go by
But they all disappear from view
And I only have eyes for you
The song I Have A Dream by Foster & Allen speaks of a love that is blind and all-consuming. The singer claims that their love is so all-encompassing that they cannot see anyone else but their beloved. They use the words "blind love" to describe how they feel towards their love. The refrain of "Sha bop sha bop" interspersed throughout the lyrics gives the song a dream-like quality, lending a sense of whimsy and magic to the romantic declaration.
The second verse of the song describes a similar sentiment, with the singer claiming to only have eyes for their beloved. They mention how the stars and the moon hold no significance as they are blinded by their love. The lyrics describe a situation where the couple could be anywhere, be it a garden or a crowded avenue, but their focus on each other removes all distractions. Millions of people may walk by, but they fade into the background. The only thing that matters is their love for each other.
In summary, the song is a love song that speaks of an all-consuming, blind love. The singer's focus is entirely on their beloved, and all other distractions fade away as they are lost in their love for each other.
Line by Line Meaning
My love must be a kind of blind love
I love you so much that it makes me overlook your flaws and see only your perfections.
I can't see anyone but you
My entire focus is on you and you alone, and I am not interested in anyone else.
Are the stars out tonight
I am so captivated by you that I am unable to even notice the beauty of the sky above.
I don't know if it's cloudy or bright
I am so fixated on you that I do not pay attention to the world around me, including the weather.
I only have eyes for you dear
You are the only one I am interested in and I am blind to everyone else in my life.
The moon may be high
Even though the moon is shining bright in the sky, I am blinded to its beauty because of my love for you.
But I can't see a thing in the sky
My love for you is so strong that I am unable to see anything else, even the beautiful sky and everything in it.
I don't know if we're in a garden
I am so focused on you that I don't realize or care about our surroundings, whether we're in a beautiful garden or a busy street.
Or on a crowded avenue
Even if we are in a busy and noisy area, my focus is solely on you and our connection.
You are here and so am I
All that matters to me is that we are together in this moment and experiencing a deep love for each other.
Maybe millions of people go by
Even if there are countless people passing us by, I only have eyes for you and none of them matter to me.
But they all disappear from view
My focus is entirely on you, and everyone else around us fades away into the background.
And I only have eyes for you
You are the center of my universe, and nothing and no one else matters to me in comparison to the love that we share.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Al Dubin, Harry Warren
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind