Dream
Imagine Dragons/Musicfire.in Lyrics

In the dark
Starting from a place of uncertainty or confusion

And I’m right on the middle mark
Feeling lost and unsure, not at either extreme

I’m just in the tier of everything that rides below the surface
Being part of the hidden undercurrents of life

And I watch from a distance seventeen
Being just on the cusp of adulthood, not yet fully immersed in the world

And I’m short of the others dreams of being golden and on top
Feeling like others have higher aspirations or more potential for success than oneself

It’s not what you painted in my head
Realizing that the reality of life doesn't match up to previously held expectations or beliefs

There’s so much there instead of all the colors that I saw
Seeing the complexity and nuance in life that goes beyond simple black-and-white thinking

We all are living in a dream,
The idea that society collectively lives under illusions or delusions

But life ain’t what it seems
Despite what may appear, the reality of life may be vastly different or more complicated

Oh everything’s a mess
Expressing a sense of chaos or confusion in one's surroundings

And all these sorrows I have seen
The overwhelming sadness or heaviness one may experience in life

They lead me to believe
Suggesting that the pain and struggle in life can shape one's perspective

That everything’s a mess
Reiterating the sense of chaos or disorder

But I wanna dream
Expressing a desire to retreat to a different reality

I wanna dream
Repeating the desire to escape or imagine a different reality

Leave me to dream
Asking to be allowed to explore the world of one's imagination

In the eyes
Shifting from a sense of internal confusion to examining the outside world

Of a teenage crystallized
Observing the experience of adolescence, which can feel as though it is frozen or crystallized in amber

Oh the prettiest of lights that hang the hallways of the home
Reflecting on the beauty that can be found in mundane, everyday objects or experiences

And the cries from the strangers out at night
Noting the ambient sounds and noises that drift in from beyond the walls of the home

They don’t keep us up at night
Despite the potential for fear or discomfort from the outside world, we are able to feel safe and secure in our homes

We have the curtains drawn and closed
Taking control of one's environment to establish a sense of safety and security, even if that might be an illusion

Ooh
A transitional sound between verses with no specific meaning

Oh, I know all your reasons
Addressing someone who may try to discourage or dissuade the artist from pursuing their dreams

To keep me from seeing
To prevent the singer from seeing the harsh realities or complexities of life

Everything is actually a mess
In spite of attempts to hide the truth, the world is still chaotic and complicated

But now I am leaving
Breaking free from constraints or limitations that have held the singer back in the past

All of us were only dreaming
Acknowledging that we all have our own illusions or delusions that we use to make sense of the world around us

Everything is actually a mess
Reiterating the idea that the world is not as simple or straightforward as some might want it to be

I wanna dream
Returning to the central desire to escape the difficulties of reality and retreat to a different place

I wanna dream
The repetition of this line emphasizes the strength of the singer's desire to escape

Leave me to dream
An urgent plea to be left alone to explore the world of imagination