I Dreamed A Dream
Glee/Idina Menzel/Lea Michele Lyrics


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I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high and life worth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving

Then I was young and unafraid
And dreams were made and used and wasted
There was no ransom to be paid
No song unsung no wine untasted

But the tigers come at night
(But the tigers come at night)
With their voices soft as thunder
As they tear your hope apart
(As they tear your hope apart)
As they turn your dream to shame

And still I dreamed that she'll come to me
That we will live the years together
But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms we cannot weather

I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I'm living




So different now from what it seemed
Now life has killed the dream I dreamed

Overall Meaning

The song Dream A Little Dream by Idina Menzel and Lea Michele from Glee is a cover of a classic song that originally gained popularity in the 1930s. This version of the song is a heart-wrenching ballad that explores the themes of hope, love, and loss through vivid and evocative lyrics.


The first verse of the song sets the stage for what's to come, with the singer dreaming a dream "in time gone by." They describe a time when hope was high and love was eternal, and they believed that God would be forgiving. The singer reminisces on their youth when they were unafraid of dreaming big dreams, and there was no price to pay for their dreams. However, the second half of the verse suggests that there was a price to pay, as the "tigers come at night" to tear apart your hope, turn your dream to shame, and destroy everything you hold dear.


The second verse of the song reveals the singer's unfulfilled dreams of spending their life with the person they love. However, they acknowledge that some dreams cannot come true, and sometimes the storms of life are too difficult to weather. The final verse of the song is the most heartbreaking, as the singer reflects on the difference between the life they dreamed of and the hell they are living in. The final lines reveal that life has killed the dream they once held so dearly.


Overall, Dream A Little Dream is a poignant and emotional song that speaks to the power of hope and love, as well as the pain of loss and shattered dreams.


Line by Line Meaning

I dreamed a dream in time gone by
I had a hopeful dream in the past


When hope was high and life worth living
When I felt optimistic about the future and enjoyed life


I dreamed that love would never die
I hoped that love would never fade away


I dreamed that God would be forgiving
I hoped that God would be merciful


Then I was young and unafraid
At that time, I was fearless and inexperienced


And dreams were made and used and wasted
I made, pursued, and abandoned many dreams


There was no ransom to be paid
There was no cost or sacrifice required


No song unsung no wine untasted
I didn't miss any opportunity to enjoy life


But the tigers come at night
But fear and anxiety arise at night


(But the tigers come at night)
(Fear and anxiety arise at night)


With their voices soft as thunder
Their voices are both quiet and powerful


As they tear your hope apart
As they destroy your hope


(As they tear your hope apart)
(As they destroy your hope)


As they turn your dream to shame
As they make your dream useless and shameful


And still I dreamed that she'll come to me
Despite everything, I hoped that she would come to me


That we will live the years together
That we would spend our lives with each other


But there are dreams that cannot be
But some dreams are impossible to achieve


And there are storms we cannot weather
And there are problems that we can't overcome


I had a dream my life would be
I had a picture of what I wanted my life to be


So different from this hell I'm living
Very different from the miserable life I am currently living


So different now from what it seemed
So different from what I expected it to be


Now life has killed the dream I dreamed
Now, reality has destroyed the dream in which I had so much hope




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALAIN ALBERT BOUBLIL, CLAUDE MICHEL SCHONBERG, HERBERT KRETZMER, JEAN MARC NATEL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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