Gleason could not read or write music in a conventional sense; he was said to have conceived melodies in his head and described them vocally to staff help. He did likewise with the well-remembered themes of both The Jackie Gleason Show ("Melancholy Serenade") and The Honeymooners ("You're My Greatest Love"). There has been some controversy over the years as to how much credit Gleason should have received for the finished products; it has been written that beyond the possible conceptualizing of many of the songs, Gleason had no direct involvement such as conducting in the making of these recordings. However, his main musical companion, cornetist and trumpeter Bobby Hackett once said: "Jackie knows a lot more about music than people give him credit for. I have seen him conduct a sixty-piece orchestra and detect one discordant note in the brass section. He would immediately stop the music and locate the wrong note. It always amazed the professional musicians how a guy who technically did not know one note from another could do that. And he was never wrong."
Born February 26, 1916 in Brooklyn, New York, United States. He died on June 24, 1987
Darn That Dream
Jackie Gleason Lyrics
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I dream each night
You say you love me and hold me tight
But when I awake and you're out of sight
Oh, darn that dream
Darn your lips and darn your eyes
They lift me high above the moonlit sky
Oh, darn that dream
Darn that one track mind of mine
It 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 have you
But it haunts me and it won't come true
Oh, darn that dream
In "Darn That Dream," Jackie Gleason laments the power of his subconscious mind. The singer endures unrequited love in his waking life, but his dreams bring him close to his beloved. This dichotomy between the singer's reality and his imagination heightens his longing for intimacy. The phrase "Darn that dream" denotes the singer's frustration with his lack of control over his mind and heart. He wants to forget his feelings, but his dreams betray him.
The lines "Darn your lips and darn your eyes / They lift me high above the moonlit sky / Then I tumble out of paradise" evoke a sensual and romantic experience that the singer craves. The combination of physical and emotional intimacy represented by the lips and eyes of the object of the singer's affection embody the love he desires. However, the singer feels let down by his return to reality, as he feels himself "tumbling" out of the paradise his dreams offer. His attempt at escaping his emotions by dreaming them away has backfired, making him more aware of his unfulfilled yearnings.
"Darn That Dream" also references the power of a person's mindset. The singer's "one-track mind" fixates on the object of his desire, thus preventing him from understanding that his love is not reciprocated. The line "Just to change the mood I'm in, I'd welcome a nice old nightmare" reveals that the singer would rather experience negative emotions than to be constantly dreaming of his love. Despite the difficulties, the singer cannot bring himself to wish away his dreams fully, as he acknowledges that it is through them that he has hope of experiencing love with the object of his affection.
Line by Line Meaning
Darn that dream
Curses upon that dream
I dream each night
I have this dream every night
You say you love me and hold me tight
In my dream, you confess love and embrace me
But when I awake and you're out of sight
Sadly, I wake up to see you gone
Oh, darn that dream
Once again, curses upon that dream
Darn your lips and darn your eyes
I am annoyed with how attractive you are
They lift me high above the moonlit sky
Your presence in my dream takes me to an unreal high
Then I tumble out of paradise
Upon waking up, I realize that I lost that bliss
Oh, darn that dream
Once again, I express my frustration with that dream
Darn that one track mind of mine
I am disappointed with my inability to let go of that dream
It can't understand that you don't care
My mind refuses to believe that you do not love me
Just to change the mood I'm in
To overcome my sadness, I would welcome a nightmare over that dream
I'd welcome a nice old nightmare
I would prefer a bad dream over a good one
Darn that dream
Once again, I express my frustration with that dream
And bless it too
Despite being annoyed, I acknowledge that I need that dream
Without that dream I never have you
My dream is the only way I can be with you
But it haunts me and it won't come true
Unfortunately, my dream is unattainable and it only torments me
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Edgar Eddie Delange, Jimmy Van Heusen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind