Born the daughter of Dvora und Abraham Schneider (the name is German and means tailor), she studied piano before starting to perform as a singer in venues in New England and New York.
Between 1978 and 1984 she achieved some success as a rock singer in Germany; her song Rock'n' Roll Gypsy even reached the top 10 record charts. 1980 she toured as an opener with the German rock legend Udo Lindenberg. She played one of the leads and the love interest of Eddie Wilson in the 1983 film Eddie and the Cruisers, which has since gained a huge cult following, especially in unusual places for an American film such as Nepal, Russia and especially Germany, where Schneider had name recognition.[1]
In 1987 she began her acting career at the Theater des Westens in Berlin playing the Sally Bowles in the musical Cabaret. From 1995 to 1998 she performed as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Since 1998 she mainly performs chansons and songs with lyrics pieces by Kurt Weill. She worked with Eberhard Schoener on the recording of the Short Opera (1996) and on the goodbye-song for the TV series Derrick. From 1999 to 2001 she performed as Eva Perón in the musical Evita at the Bad Hersfelder Festspiele.
In 2007 Schneider released the CD Just Like A Woman [1]
Dream a Little Dream
Helen Schneider Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Night breezes seem to whisper, I love you
Birds singin' in the sycamore trees
Dream a little dream of me
Say nighty-night and kiss me
Just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me
While I'm alone and blue as can be
Stars fading but I linger on dear
Still craving your kiss
I'm longin' to linger till dawn dear
Just saying this
Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you
Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you
But in your dreams whatever they be
Dream a little dream of me
Dream
Dream of me
Night breezes seem to whisper, I love you
Stars fading but I linger on dear
Still craving your kiss
I'm longin' to linger till dawn dear
Just saying this
Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you
Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you
But in your dreams whatever they be
Dream a little dream of me
Dream a little dream of me
Helen Schneider's "Dream a Little Dream" is a romantic lullaby, urging the listener to dream of the singer throughout the night. The song begins with an image of stars and night breezes, offering a romantic setting for dreaming. The singer urges the listener to hold them tight, tell them they'll be missed, and to dream of them while they're away. As the night fades and dawn approaches, the singer still longs for their loved one and hopes they'll dream of them until the next night.
The song speaks to the power of dreams as a way of connecting with loved ones even when they are physically apart. The singer is asking the listener to continue a romantic connection through their dreams, sustaining the relationship even when distance separates them. The repeated refrain of "dream a little dream of me" reinforces the importance of this connection.
Line by Line Meaning
Stars shining bright above you
The stars are shining brightly above you, maybe a sign of the hope that you should have.
Night breezes seem to whisper, I love you
When the night is quiet, the breeze may seem to whisper that you are loved, even when you can’t see it.
Birds singin' in the sycamore trees
Birds sing cheerfully in the sycamore trees, maybe reminding you of the beauty in life.
Dream a little dream of me
The singer asks you to dream a little dream of her, perhaps as a way to be reassured that you’re not alone.
Say nighty-night and kiss me
Say goodnight and kiss me, as if to say goodbye for now and show your love.
Just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me
The singer wants to be held tightly and reassured that she’ll be missed, maybe indicating a fear of abandonment.
While I'm alone and blue as can be
The singer confesses that she’s alone and feeling sad, which may explain her request for comfort and love.
Stars fading but I linger on dear
The stars are starting to fade, but the singer lingers on, perhaps hoping for a little more time with her loved one.
Still craving your kiss
The singer is still craving her loved one’s kiss, which could suggest a strong emotional bond.
I'm longin' to linger till dawn dear
The singer wants to stay until dawn, as if time is running out and she’s desperate to hold onto her loved one.
Just saying this
The singer emphasizes that she wants her loved one to know how she feels, maybe to prevent any misunderstandings or regrets.
Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you
The singer wants her loved one to have sweet dreams until the sunbeams find them, perhaps implying a sense of safety.
Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you
The singer wants her loved one’s dreams to be sweet and to leave all of their worries behind, as if to wish them peace.
But in your dreams whatever they be
She also wants her loved one to know that no matter what they dream about, she’s there with them in spirit, maybe as a way to offer comfort.
Dream a little dream of me
Finally, the singer repeats her request for her loved one to dream a little dream of her, as if to hold onto their connection even when they’re apart.
Contributed by Alyssa L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.