Dreaming While You Sleep
Genesis Lyrics


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In and out of darkness, in and out of sleep
Trying to keep my hands upon the wheel
Never saw the corner in the driving rain
I never saw her step into the street

Dreaming while you sleep
Dreaming while you sleep
Memories to keep
Dreaming while you sleep

I can never understand just what went through my mind
I didn't stop to see what I had done
Had to keep on driving deep into the night
The miles between would somehow put it right

Dreaming while you sleep
Dreaming while you sleep
Memories to keep
Dreaming while you sleep

All my life you lie silently there
All my life in a world so unfair
All my life and only I'll know why
And it will live inside of me

I will never be free all my life
Trapped in her memory all my life
'Til the day that you open your eyes
Please, please, please open your eyes

Dreaming while you sleep
Dreaming while you sleep

Heard it on the radio, and I saw it on TV
But could I take my secret to the grave?
If I had another chance, would I do the same?
Would I still deny that it was me?

Dreaming while you sleep
Dreaming while you sleep
Dreaming while you sleep
Are you dreaming while you sleep?
Are you dreaming while you sleep?

All my life I'll be haunted by
All my life just one moment in time
All my life until the day I die

And it will live inside of me
I will never be free all my life
Trapped in her memory all my life
'Til the day that you open your eyes
Please, oh please, please, please open your eyes

And just one moment of time, all my life

Oh, and it will live inside of me
I will never be free all my life
'Til the day that you open your eyes, eyes
Please, please, please open your eyes

Dreaming while you sleep
Are you dreaming while you sleep?
Dreaming while you sleep




Are you dreaming while you sleep?
Dreaming while you sleep

Overall Meaning

The song "Dreaming While You Sleep" by Genesis is a haunting and mournful reflection on guilt, regret, and the weight of memory. The verses tell the story of a man who, while driving in the rain, accidentally hits a woman who steps into the street. He flees the scene, unable to face what he has done, and spends the rest of his life haunted by the memory of her. The chorus, "Dreaming while you sleep, memories to keep," suggests that the man is tormented by dreams of the woman he killed and memories that he can never escape.


The lyrics are full of powerful imagery, such as "trying to keep my hands upon the wheel," which suggests that the singer is struggling to keep control of his life, and "the miles between would somehow put it right," which implies a futile attempt to outrun his guilt. The use of repetition ("dreaming while you sleep") creates a sense of restless, obsessive thoughts.


The final lines, "and it will live inside of me, I will never be free all my life," are some of the most poignant in the song, as they convey the idea that the man's guilt is a kind of prison that he will never escape. The repeated pleas for the woman to open her eyes are a powerful reminder of the finality of death, and the fact that the singer will never be able to make amends for what he has done.


Overall, "Dreaming While You Sleep" is a deeply emotional and introspective song that explores universal themes of guilt, regret, and the human need for redemption and forgiveness.


Line by Line Meaning

In and out of darkness, in and out of sleep
I am awake and asleep, constantly going back and forth between the two.


Trying to keep my hands upon the wheel
I am trying to stay in control, to stay focused and keep moving forward.


Never saw the corner in the driving rain
I was not paying attention, and because of that, I missed something important.


I never saw her step into the street
I did not see the danger that was right in front of me, and as a result, I caused harm.


Dreaming while you sleep
I am lost in my thoughts, trying to escape from reality.


Memories to keep
Memories of what has happened, that I cannot escape from.


I can never understand what went through my mind
I cannot fathom the thoughts and emotions that led me to do what I did.


I didn't stop to see what I had done
I did not take responsibility for my actions, and instead kept moving forward.


I had to keep on driving deep into the night
I felt the need to distance myself from what had happened, to keep going even though I felt lost.


The miles between would somehow put it right
I believed that if I just kept moving, eventually everything would be okay.


All my life you lie silently there
The memory of what happened haunts me, and will continue to do so for the rest of my life.


All my life in a world so unfair
I feel like the world is against me, and that I am constantly being punished for what I have done.


All my life and only I'll know why
The reasons for my actions are known only to me, and I am the only one who truly understands them.


And it will live inside of me
This memory will always be a part of me, and it will never go away.


I will never be free all my life
I will always be trapped by the memory of what has happened.


Trapped in her memory all my life
The memory of the person I harmed will always be with me, and it is something I can never escape from.


Till the day that you open your eyes
I am waiting for the person I harmed to wake up, to regain consciousness and hopefully forgive me.


Heard it on the radio, saw it on TV
I have heard stories of others who have been in similar situations, and it has made me realize the gravity of what I have done.


But could I take my secret to the grave
I am wondering if it is possible for me to keep this secret forever, or if I will eventually be caught.


If I had another chance, would I do the same
I am reflecting on my actions, wondering if I would make the same choices, or if I would choose differently.


Are you dreaming while you sleep ?
I am wondering if the person I harmed is dreaming, or if they are aware of what has happened to them.




Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Anthony George Banks, Michael Rutherford, Phillip David Charles Collins

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@o.portista

Lyrics to this great Genesis Track; 💙⚡

In and out of darkness, in and out of sleep
Trying to keep my hands upon the wheel
Never saw the corner in the driving rain
I never saw her step into the street
Dreaming while you sleep
Dreaming while you sleep
Memories to keep
Dreaming while you sleep
I can never understand what went through my mind
I didn't stop to see what I had done
I had to keep on driving deep into the night
The miles between would somehow put it right
Dreaming while you sleep
Dreaming while you sleep
Memories to keep
Dreaming while you sleep
All my life you lie silently there
All my life in a world so unfair
All my life and only I'll know why
And it will live inside of me
I will never be free all my life
Trapped in her memory all my life
Till the day that you open your eyes
Please open your eyes
Dreaming while you sleep
Dreaming while you sleep
Heard it on the radio, saw it on TV
But could I take my secret to the grave
If I had another chance, would I do the same
Dreaming while you sleep
Dreaming while you sleep
Dreaming while you sleep
Are you dreaming while you sleep ?
All my life I'll be haunted by
All my life just one moment in time
All my life until the day I die
And it will live inside of me
I will never be free all my life
Trapped in her memory all my life
Till the day that you open your eyes
All of my life, you lie silently there
All my life, in a world so unfair
All my life, and only I know why
And it will live inside of me
I will never be free all my live
Trapped in her memory, all my life
Till the day that you open your eyes



@peterphiles

Dreaming while you sleep
dreaming while you sleep
memories to keep
dreaming while you sleep

All my life you lie silently there
All my life in a world so unfair
All my life and only I'll know why
and it will live inside of me,
I will never be free all my life,
trapped in her memory all my life
Till the day that you open your eyes,
please open your eyes



All comments from YouTube:

@o.portista

Legendary! This has to be one of my most favorite tracks that Genesis had made. Literally extremely underrated and a song that was written with so much emotion, and such great lyrics too it. An extremely underrated album as well. Genesis literally a one-of-a-kind legend of a band, hard to see anything come close. Honestly love this track in this album, and what a great end to Phil's era. Happy Holidays to all, and a Merry Christmas while I'm at it! Feliz Natal!💙🙌

@randomfordmustang2877

Merry Christmas to you too.




That's all

@theram4320

Wonderful track.

@VincentLeinert-pc1js

The best Song of Genesis

@BordelAmbiant

I don't know why 25 years ago I used to listen to this song over and over again. Smooth intriguing epicness. Very satisfying.

@d.shannon261

I saw this concert at sold out Dodger Stadium. It was EPIC🎉 The first time i saw massive jumbotron video screens in a concert. They were 3 that would spread out, then come together to make one massive screen. That might sound tame today in 2024, but it was 1992! My parents took me to rock concerts since 1970, so i knew the drill. But, this concert BLEW MY MIND.

@williammalone9630

Criminally underrated song by one of the best bands on the planet

@pennypen1819

Anything, any given topic, any moment in time and these folks could write play and sing an absolute masterpiece on said topic… railway building, car driving, family relationship, closure time, fun time, and then where do you put statements like Jesus He Knows Me and so on and that is just this album without the Way of the World or various ballads and so forth… Phil’s voice is one of a kind too for this kind of song… his way of performing with Tony Mike and also on stage with Daryl and Chester too…absolutely iconic and different from even himself as a solo artist… absolutely incredible

(I can’t remember how many copies of We Can’t Dance I wore out in my tape player… I’ve worn the cd out a couple times since those times in the 90s too… 😮lol😂)

@jenniferbeyer6412

Great song. One of my favorites.
I will always remember seeing Genesis live in Chicago Illinois. Invisible Touch your. I was given 2 front row center seats. It was such a magical time. I wanted to see them when they were in Chicago Illinois last tour ever. But I could not afford the tickets. They were so expensive about 5 times the price for Invisible Touch tour. I have see posts from the shows it was awesome. Missed Phil playing the drums. Glad he was able to perform.
Happy Holidays everyone. Hope the Holidays are great for everyone.

@cliff.allister

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsOoSoiouUk

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