Hopium first came to attention when his breakthrough track ‘Dreamers’ became an airplay hit in Australia. It also gained traction internationally as a flourish of blogs widened its growing acclaim. The lyrics speak for themselves: “The days became weeks / How did weeks become years?” he questions. “You said this would be your year / But you fucked around, now December’s here / You must be one of the dreamers.”
“I thought they reflected somebody else’s experiences,” says Hopium, known to his friends and family as Josh Hardy. “But then they became true. I realised a year later that maybe it was about me after all.”
That moment of blunt self-reflection took another surreal turn when Hopium unexpectedly heard the ‘Dreamers’ melody out of context on the Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth smash ‘See You Again’. “I was surprised but I wasn’t angry. I was just confused. Like, how am I hearing my melody on the radio? A fan Tweeted me and said you should call your lawyer. I thought I should be credited and remunerated for what they took.”
After subsequently being both credited and paid for his contribution, Hopium started to rethink his approach to creativity. “I did that song in my spare time in my home studio and they had a hit with it,” he states, still emboldened by the memory. “If they can do it, I can do it too!”
Although he’d been involved in various projects, Hopium had never given his music the push that it really deserved. His “back-up plans” – a bachelor’s degree in Psychological Studies and founding a successful tech business – were suddenly on hold. “I thought, screw this, I’ll give it a go. So I shut down the business, took the money I had and left Australia.”
His travels began early in 2016. China was the first stop, followed by an intense break-up in Amsterdam, various writing sessions in London, followed by New York and Los Angeles.
By the time he arrived in Berlin at the end of the summer, he was ready to head back to Melbourne. A meeting with an old friend changed both his immediate outlook and the trajectory of his future. “He said it’s only been nine months since you left, keep going because you’ve only just started and you’d be an idiot to stop now. To have that support from a friend was a really big thing.”
As the countdown to December arrived, Hopium’s resilience was beginning to pay off. He signed a publishing deal and relocated to London shortly after. It was easy to adapt. “I came to London with no expectations. After you’ve stayed in hostels on your own and done session after session, you lose any sense of entitlement. But I really wanted to make the best music I possibly could, and I wanted to write something true.”
It was a goal that was soon realised with his debut Warner Bros. Records track ‘Leave’. Its influences are broad – modern R&B, hip-hop, synth-pop and indietronica – as swathes of synths, filtered vocals and a slick falsetto combine to creative a mesmerising broken-hearted ambience. The skeleton of the song was written with Benji Miller and ex-Klaxon Jamie Reynolds in Soho, before Hopium and Miller headed to a remote farmhouse in Normandy to bring it to completion.
Its tale of control and manipulation in a relationship is full of one-sided, devastatingly cynical observations. “I know you know I know you won’t ever leave,” declares the song’s hook, further victim-blaming with the statement, “You’re complicit because you allow it / If there’s a limit I haven’t found it.”
It was inspired by that break-up in Amsterdam. “It’s from the perspective of an ex. The things I’m saying are how she felt – like she could treat me however she wanted and I’d never leave. Now I don’t feel as angry and I probably wouldn’t write a song that’s quite that bitter, but at that point in time I felt that exploited.”
There’s much more to come from the rest of Hopium’s songbook, with other lyrics that are inspired by everything from failing to find a soulmate in Berghain to how social media creates a longstanding connection to people from your past.
How does he feel about putting such naked emotions out there for the world to discover?
“I think that’s strength not vulnerability.” he declares confidently. “Maybe that’s because I studied psychology and spent so long talking frankly about emotions and reading cases studies and different approaches. Just understanding that human psychology is so fraught with disaster and suffering. So to me it feels natural.”
The studio industry in Australia isn’t as developed as it is in London, so Hopium “didn’t set foot in a proper studio for ages because I did everything in my bedroom.” Learning the tricks of production was therefore another organic progression. “I got involved in production because I have a lot of interests and I like to get involved in everything.”
That dedication to detail also extends to collaborating on all visual media that accompanies the Hopium project. Initially he wanted to let the music speak for itself but then realised that putting a face and a story to it makes it all the more powerful and relatable. From the concept to the deeply personal lyrics through to the music’s nuanced production and the design of the visuals and artwork, everything under the Hopium umbrella is innately interlinked – it’s a project that’s the result of his wide-ranging creativity and complete artistic vision.
While Hopium’s far-reaching abilities mean that he can dictate every aspect of the recording process, he doesn’t desire having control for the sake of it. “I loved being in bands and I’m a natural collaborator, but it needs to be with the right people,” he counters. “If a song’s really personal to me, I’m not going to change it just because someone wants me to.”
Hopium signs off – for now – by considering what his artist moniker and alter ego means to him. “It represents the philosophy of songs and my general outlook in life,” he explains. “Hope is something you have if things aren’t that good. You have to have hope that even at the worst times, things can be better. It’s about understanding that things aren’t perfect and maybe never will be. But that’s OK.”
And that’s Hopium: music to soundtrack the anticipation of better times to come.
Dreamers
Hopium Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stumble past half drunk
As the day became weeks
How did weeks became years?
Back at excuses
But second chances don't come cheap
You made yourself a promise
You said this will be your year
You said this will be your year
You said this will be your year
But you fucked around you sent us here
You must be one of the dreamers (You must be one of the dreamers)
You said that you're tired of sleeping
I close the shutters when the sun stars creeping
(You must be one of the dreamers)
You must be one of the dreamers
You put up a smoke screen
Hiding from the midnight sun
Made friends into enemies
But you were your worst one
It couldn't be your fault
When conspiracy sounds so sweet
You fed yourself on lies
Now you're fat was bullshit
You said this will be your year
You said this will be your year
You said this will be your year
But you fucked around you sent us here
You must be one of the dreamers (You must be one of the dreamers)
You said that you're tired of sleeping
I close the shutters when the sun stars creeping
You must be one of the dreamers
You must be one of the dreamers
You must be one of the dreamers
You said this will be your year
You said this will be your year
You must be one of the dreamers
I woke up this morning
It was extremely cold outside
The clouds were really gray
And I looked at the clock
And it was twelve
And I thought the clock was tricking me
But I just slept for a really long time
The next thing I did was have a shower
And I felt safe because I wasn't in the wind
And while I was in the shower my phone was ringing
Which is why I didn't pick it up
I just thought I should tell you that
I called you back
You told me you got a job
I asked if you could get me one
And you said maybe
Then became very aware that I didn't do much
But I guess that's kinda of normal
When you wake up at twelve
The song Dreamers is about someone who had high hopes and aspirations, but failed to get their act together and therefore resorted to making excuses and blaming others for their failures rather than accepting responsibility for their actions. The opening lines of the song paint a picture of someone who has lost their way, coming home late half-drunk and unable to keep track of time. The lines "As the day became weeks, how did weeks become years?" highlight the sense of lost time and how fast it passes.
The song goes on to talk about the person's broken promises and their failure to keep up with their goals. The lines "You said this will be your year, but you fucked around, you sent us here." signify how the person's actions affect not only themselves but also others around them. The chorus repeats the phrase "you must be one of the dreamers," which can be interpreted in two ways. The first way is to mean that the person being referred to is just a dreamer and not someone who can take action and make things happen. The second way is to say that they are one of the people who has dreams but lacks the motivation or ability to make them come true.
Overall, the song Dreamers is a wake-up call to anyone who has lost their way and needs a push to take responsibility for their actions and make their dreams a reality.
Line by Line Meaning
You came home late last night
You arrived home in the late hours of the night
Stumble past half drunk
You were intoxicated, stumbling as you walked
As the day became weeks
Time passed by quickly, with days turning into weeks
How did weeks became years?
Time felt like it was passing by so quickly, it's hard to realize how much time had gone by
Back at excuses
You resorted back to your excuses instead of owning up to your actions
But second chances don't come cheap
Opportunities for redemption are hard to come by
You made yourself a promise
You made a commitment to yourself
Then you forget to keep it
You failed to follow through on your promise
You said this will be your year
You had high hopes for a better year
You said this will be your year
You had high hopes for a better year
But you fucked around you sent us here
Your actions caused negative consequences for those around you
You must be one of the dreamers
You must be one of those who hold onto false hope instead of taking action
You said that you're tired of sleeping
You claimed to be tired of wasting time and not being productive
I close the shutters when the sun stars creeping
You shield yourself from the light, either literal or metaphorical, that reminds you of your inaction
You put up a smoke screen
You hid yourself behind a facade, possibly to escape judgment
Hiding from the midnight sun
You are trying to hide from something that is always with you, like darkness in the night
Made friends into enemies
You caused people who were once close to you to turn against you
But you were your worst one
You are the one who caused yourself the most harm
It couldn't be your fault
You refuse to take responsibility for your own mistakes
When conspiracy sounds so sweet
You are easily swayed by conspiracies and excuses to justify your inaction
You fed yourself on lies
You constantly tell yourself false narratives to avoid taking action
Now you're fat was bullshit
You realize that the lies you've been telling yourself are not true and have led you nowhere
I woke up this morning
The singer is recounting their own morning
It was extremely cold outside
The weather was very cold
The clouds were really gray
The sky was overcast
And I looked at the clock
The singer checked the time
And it was twelve
It was noon
And I thought the clock was tricking me
The artist thought that the time was incorrect or playing a trick on them
But I just slept for a really long time
The artist slept for an extended period
The next thing I did was have a shower
After waking up, the singer took a shower
And I felt safe because I wasn't in the wind
The singer felt protected from the cold wind while taking a shower
And while I was in the shower my phone was ringing
The artist's phone rang while they were taking a shower
Which is why I didn't pick it up
The artist didn't answer the phone because they were taking a shower
I just thought I should tell you that
The artist wanted to share this detail with someone
I called you back
The singer returned the missed call
You told me you got a job
The person the artist talked to informed them about their new job
I asked if you could get me one
The singer asked if the person could help them get a job
And you said maybe
The person gave a vague response to the singer's inquiry
Then became very aware that I didn't do much
The singer reflects on their own lack of productivity or inaction
But I guess that's kinda of normal
The artist reconciles their own inaction as something common or ordinary
When you wake up at twelve
The artist connects their waking up late with their lack of productivity
You must be one of the dreamers
The singer is alluding to themselves as being one of those who dream and hope for success without taking action
Lyrics © MUSHROOM MUSIC PTY LTD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@adesch-3269
I woke up this morning
It was extremely cold outside
The clouds were really gray
And I looked at the clock, and it was 12,
And I thought the clock was tricking me,
But I just slept for a really long time
The next thing I did was have a shower
And I felt safe because I wasn't in the wind
And while I was in the shower my phone was ringing
Which is why I didn't pick it up
I just thought I should tell you that, I called you back,
You told me you got a job
I asked if you could get me one, and you said maybe
Then became very aware that I didn't do much
But I guess that's kinda normal
When you wake up at 12......
@tothebasementpeopletotheba7828
One of the best dreamwave songs ever!
If there is anyone who wanders of the lyrics from the last 2 minutes,
Oh i got this morning
It was extremely cold outside
The clouds were really gray
And i looked at the clock
And it was 12
And thought the clock was tricking me
But i`ve just slept through long time.
The next thing i did was have a shower
And i felt safe,
Because i wasn`t in the wind
And while i was in the shower my phone was ringing
Which is why i didn`t pick it up
I just thought i should tell you that.
I called you back
You told me you`ve got a job
I asked you if you could get me one
And you said, maybe?
Then i became very aware, i, didn`t do much
But i guess that`s, kind of normal
When you wake up at 12.
@loolou
This song always somehow comes back into my life at the end of each year. Every year hasn't been my year so far.
@blindspy
hang in there homie
@candylev7703
I never thought my life could be unexpectedly explained in a song.
@God-Emperor_Elizabeth_the_2nd
And that’s what makes me even more depressed lmao
@kaneshirojames
@@God-Emperor_Elizabeth_the_2nd I just got diagnosed with ADHD. I searched for a lot of songs I could relate to as part of coming to terms with it. This song is extremely relatable.
@alexlegaspy2641
You thought wrong brother life imitates art.
@alexbulten1305
wow already 7 years. still loving this masterpeace
@ongBakvue
I am one of the dreamers. Fuck
@PaulBlank85
My reaction to this as well.
@candylev7703
hahaahah me too