Darn That Dream
Goodman Benny Orchestra Lyrics
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You say you love me and you hold me tight
But when I awake, you're out of sight
Oh, darn that dream
Darn your lips and darn your eyes
They lift me high above the moonlit skies
Then I tumble out of paradise
Darn that one-track mind of mine
I can't understand that you don't care
Just to change the mood I'm in
I'd welcome a nice old nightmare
Darn that dream and bless it too
Without that dream, I never would have you
But it haunts me and it won't come true
Oh, darn that dream
The song "Darn That Dream" by the Benny Goodman Orchestra is about a person who dreams every night about a love that they cannot have in reality. They long for this love, but when they wake up, it disappears. The lyrics express frustration and disappointment at the unattainability of the dream, hence the repeated line "Oh, darn that dream."
The lyrics describe the effects of the dream on the dreamer, with the metaphorical language of lifting them high above the moonlit skies, only to tumble back down to reality. The dreamer acknowledges their own one-track mind, recognizing that they cannot understand why the love they desire cannot be reciprocated. The final verse takes a bittersweet turn, as the dreamer acknowledges that without the dream, they would not have the object of their desires in their life, but the dream still remains unfulfilled.
Overall, "Darn That Dream" is a poignant exploration of the pain and hopelessness of longing for something that cannot be realized.
Line by Line Meaning
Darn that dream I dream each night
I hate having that recurring dream every time I go to sleep
You say you love me and you hold me tight
In the dream, you express your love and affection by holding me close
But when I awake, you're out of sight
I wake up and feel lonely because you're not there beside me
Oh, darn that dream
The dream is so frustrating because it leaves me longing for something that doesn't exist
Darn your lips and darn your eyes
I curse the way your lips and eyes make me feel in the dream, enticing me with their beauty
They lift me high above the moonlit skies
The dream gives me a feeling of euphoria, transporting me to a magical place
Then I tumble out of paradise
But when the dream ends, I'm suddenly brought back to reality, which feels like a letdown
Oh, darn that dream
I can't stand how it makes me feel so foolish and helpless
Darn that one-track mind of mine
I'm annoyed with myself for obsessing over something that can never be real
I can't understand that you don't care
I can't accept that you're not actually in love with me like I am with you
Just to change the mood I'm in
If only I could shake off this melancholy, I'd welcome any sort of distraction
I'd welcome a nice old nightmare
Even a scary dream would be preferable to the hopelessness of my current fantasies
Darn that dream and bless it too
Although I hate how it torments me, I'm grateful for the feeling of love and longing that it gives me
Without that dream, I never would have you
I know that the dream is all in my head, but at least it lets me imagine being with the person I love
But it haunts me and it won't come true
Despite everything, the dream is a constant reminder that I can't have what I want
Oh, darn that dream
I'm frustrated by how powerless I am to control my thoughts and feelings in this situation
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: EDDIE DELANGE, JAMES VAN HEUSEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dave Micklon
Wow! The whole band got label credit!
SheridanJazz
Yep, even the arranger Eddie Sauter, who had just joined the band. It was pretty much the custom of the day to list all of the musicians in the band on the label. Dorsey, Shaw, Miller, Ellington, and more. The all did it to a degree,
Gregory Kayne
@SheridanJazz By the postwar '40's Sauter had formed a remarkable band with former Glenn Miller arranger Bill Finnegan!
K. M.H
I love to hear ole Bail sing . People fail to realize she was enormously popular in her day .
John Sientz
Great musicianship but for me, Mildred Bailey makes this recording extra special. She had such a natural, unaffected style along with beautiful diction and phrasing. We lost this marvelously talented lady way too soon.
Gregory Kayne
Absolutely!
Brett Smith
Everyone has heard of Benny Goodman and his orchestra but not Mildred Bailey, last night November 21,2022 I posted the lyrics to this song on my Facebook page so my friends could read them and today November 22,2022 I posted this song on my Facebook page so my friends could hear it - I like this song
K. M.H
She was very very popular in her day
Trombonology Erstwhile
There are many lovely treatments of this beautiful standard, one of my favorite Van Heusen tunes, but this one, from when the tune was brand new, is my favorite. The great Mildred Bailey, who had previously recorded with BG on an all-star (and early interracial) date in '34 was back in the studios with her old friend through an interesting and somewhat unfortunate set of circumstances: Ms Bailey -- as the distaff half of "Mr and Mrs Swing," as she and her xylophonist-vibraharpist-pianist hubby, Red Norvo, were known -- was the primary vocalist for the Norvo orchestra. When ill-health demanded that she abandon the rigors of the road, she kept to her NYC base and was invited to join Benny, who was then between regular vocalists, on his Camel Caravan radio shows as well as record dates. Eddie Sauter, who had recently come aboard the Goodman arranging staff, had previously been chief arranger for Norvo's band and was, of course, well acquainted with Mildred. Though generally I find Sauter's rather intellectual style better suited to the very subtle Norvo orch. than to the hot Goodman outfit, there are a few instances in which I feel he knocked it out of the park for the clarinet's band; the two that come immediately to mind are "Not Mine," recorded by BG in '41, with a Peggy Lee vocal, and this one. His intro suggests the murkiness and confusion that we sometimes encounter in a dreaming state and then the stark awakening, with its stinging realizations, is depicted by the crescendo. Mildred, always a masterful storyteller and portrayer of emotions, delivers Eddie DeLange's disarmingly forthright lyrics with a mixture of matter-of-factness and endearing vulnerability, in sharp contrast to many later over-acted interpretations. Her uniquely expressive tone adds to the effect. Benny, whose ballad work had taken on depth in this period, solos sympathetically, and Nick Fatool's drumming is utterly sublime.
jlassie
I would add two to that list, both from Helen Forrest - 'The Moon Won't Talk' and 'Dreaming Out Loud'. Both come from that period in mid-1940 when Benny was too overwhelmed with back pain to spend any time chopping up/watering down Sauter's eccentric charts. 'Moon' has that eerie part before the vocal where it feels like you're walking down a foggy street by a haunted house. 'Dreaming' is just all over the place, but I love the sax section behind the vocal, where it sounds like a cascade of notes descending off into an abyss. Plus, 1939-40 Columbia had much better acoustics than what Norvo had to contend with just a year or two earlier.