The band met and formed in Greenville, North Carolina, USA while studying art at East Carolina University. Their first band was Art Lord & The Self-Portraits, which was also composed of Adam Beeby and Kymia Nawabi and lasted from 2003 to 2005. In 2006, Cashion, Herring, and Welmers formed Future Islands, along with Erick Murillo, the bassist for The Kickass. Other former members include Samuel N. Ortiz-Payero (drums, 2008) and Denny Bowen (drums, 2009–2013 in studio; 2013–2014 touring)
Future Islands released Little Advances in April 2006, and a self-released split CD with Welmers' solo project Moss of Aura in January 2007. In July 2007, they recorded their debut album, Wave Like Home, with Chester Endersby Gwazda at Backdoor Skateshop in Greenville, North Carolina. After a Halloween party in 2007, Murillo quit the band. In late 2007 and early 2008, the band relocated to Baltimore, Maryland, USA. The "Feathers and Hallways" 7" was recorded in Oakland, California during their first US tour and was their first release as a focused three-piece. Upset! the Rhythm released Wave Like Home on 25 August 2008. The cover art was designed by Kymia Nawabi, a former member of Art Lord & The Self-Portraits. In 2009 the band signed to independent Chicago record company Thrill Jockey.
Their second album, In Evening Air, was recorded in the band's living room in the historic Marble Hill neighborhood in Baltimore and released on 4 May 2010.Their third full-length album, On the Water, was recorded in Elizabeth City, NC's historic, waterfront Andrew S. Sanders House. It was released on 11 October 2011.
These early albums from Future Islands are often associated with other bands affiliated with Wham City, such as Videohippos, Santa Dads, Blood Baby, OCDJ, Adventure, Dan Deacon, Weekends and Double Dagger.
In 2014, they released Singles with hit-track Seasons (Waiting on You). The band and song gained critical acclamation from Pitchfork and NME and performed the song on the Late Show with David Letterman, a performance that went viral. In 2017, they released The Far Field and most recently in 2020 they released As Long As You Are.
Little Dreamer
Future Islands Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I caught you sleeping here, almost broke my heart
I found you dreaming
I'm dreaming of you always
When I was just a child, a lonely boy
I held onto my dreams, like they could run from me
The hopes I harbored fled, as they often do
And now my dreams come true
And as we say goodnight, I hold you close and tight
No more raging suns, only waning ones
Like the waxing scar where my lonely heart
Once bloomed before I met you
My little dreamer, I'll always
Always dream of you
The lyrics to the Future Islands song "Little Dreamer" are a tender and heartfelt expression of devotion and love. The song tells the story of a man who has finally found the happiness and love he has been searching for, perhaps since he was a lonely and longing child. The opening lines of the song reveal the singer catching his partner sleeping, wrapped in wool, and being overwhelmed by how much he loves them. The line "I found you dreaming, I'm dreaming of you always" suggests that the singer knows their partner is the person of his dreams, the one he has been waiting for.
The second verse of the song goes on to reveal that the singer has been searching for happiness and love for most of his life. As a child he held onto his dreams, but as he grew older, the hopes he harbored fled, leaving him feeling lonely and longing. However, despite the setbacks he faced along the way, the singer continued to dream of finding the person he could love and cherish. Finally, he has found that person in his partner, and his dreams have come true.
The final verse of the song is perhaps the most poignant. The singer holds his partner close and tight, and reflects on the ups and downs of his life until he met them. He describes his heart as a "waxing scar", suggesting that the pain of his past has been partially healed by the love of his partner. Finally, he calls his partner "my little dreamer", and reassures them that he will always dream of them.
In summary, "Little Dreamer" is a beautiful and touching tribute to love, hope, and the power of dreams. The song's lyrics are full of imagery and emotion, and they capture the essence of what it means to find the person you have been searching for all your life.
Line by Line Meaning
I caught you sleeping here, all wrapped in wool
I found you sleeping in a peaceful state
I caught you sleeping here, almost broke my heart
I was touched seeing you in a vulnerable state
I found you dreaming
I realized you were dreaming about something
I'm dreaming of you always
I am constantly thinking about you and what I want for us
When I was just a child, a lonely boy
In the past, as a child, I was distant and lonely
I held onto my dreams, like they could run from me
I maintained my hopes and aspirations with great zeal
The hopes I harbored fled, as they often do
My hopes failed to come to fruition, as often the case
But I still dreamed of you
However, I persevered by living in the possibility of meeting someone special
And now my dreams come true
Now, everything has fallen into place, and my ultimate dream of meeting someone wonderful has actualized
And as we say goodnight, I hold you close and tight
As we bid farewell for the night, I hug you tightly
No more raging suns, only waning ones
I am past the turmoil of past relationships, and now only experience the gradual ending of them
Like the waxing scar where my lonely heart
A scar has formed where my heart was once in solitude
Once bloomed before I met you
Before I met you, my heart was in darkness and disarray
My little dreamer, I'll always
I fondly refer to you as my dreamer
Always dream of you
I will forever cherish you in my dreams
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: John Gerrit Welmers, Samuel Thompson Herring, William Hugh Cashion
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind