Dream Brother
Jeff Buckley Lyrics


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There is a child sleeping near his twin
The pictures go wild in a rush of wind
That dark angel he is shuffling in
Watching over them with his black feather wings unfurled

The love you lost with her skin so fair
Is free with the wind in her butterscotch hair
Her green eyes bloom goodbyes
With her head in her hands and your kiss on the lips of another
Dream, brother, with your tears scattered 'round the world

Don't be like the one who made me so old
Don't be like the one who left behind his name
'Cause they're waiting for you like I waited for mine
And nobody ever came

Don't be like the one who made me so old
Don't be like the one who left behind his name
'Cause they're waiting for you like I waited for mine
And nobody ever came

Don't be like the one who made me so old
Don't be like the one who left behind his name
'Cause they're waiting for you like I waited for mine
And nobody ever came, nobody ever came

I feel afraid and I call your name
I love your voice and your dance insane
I hear your words and I know your pain
Your head in your hands and a kiss on the lips of another




Your eyes to the ground and the world spinning 'round forever
Asleep in the sand with the ocean washing over

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Jeff Buckley's "Dream Brother" are complex and multi-layered, touching on themes of loss, regret, and the cyclical nature of life. The song opens with a vivid image of a sleeping child and his twin, and the suggestion of an ominous presence in the form of a "dark angel". The second verse speaks of a lost love, represented by someone with fair skin and butterscotch hair, and the pain of seeing them with someone else. The chorus repeatedly urges the listener not to make the same mistakes as those who came before, and hints at some sort of burden that the singer is carrying from his own past. The final verse returns to the present moment, with the singer expressing his fear and longing for someone he loves, whether that be a literal person or a symbol for something else entirely. The song ends on an eerie note, with the image of someone asleep on the sand while the world continues to spin around them.


One possible interpretation of "Dream Brother" is that it is about the cyclical nature of familial relationships, and the ways in which past traumas and patterns of behavior can repeat themselves across generations. The "dark angel" could represent a sort of familial curse or burden that is passed down through the generations, weighing heavily on each new iteration of the family. The lost love in the second verse could signify a parent or other family member who was lost too soon, or who was unable to provide the love and support that the singer needed. The chorus, with its repeated refrain of "don't be like the one who made me so old", could be a warning to the next generation of the family to break the cycle and avoid repeating the same mistakes.


Another possible interpretation of the song is that it is about the fragility of human relationships, and the pain of losing someone you love. The image of the sleeping child and his twin could represent the idea that life is fleeting and transitory, and that we are all ultimately alone in the face of death. The lost love in the second verse could represent a romantic partner, and the pain of seeing them move on could be a universal human experience. The singer's fear and longing in the final verse could represent the desire for human connection and the fear of being alone, even amidst the chaos of the world.


Line by Line Meaning

There is a child sleeping near his twin
A child's sleeping near his sibling, possibly in a peaceful state.


The pictures go wild in a rush of wind
Possibly pertaining to the photos around that child and the effect of wind on it.


That dark angel he is shuffling in
The dark angel might indicate some evil or dread in the surroundings.


Watching over them with his black feather wings unfurled
The dark angel watching over them, similar to being protective or fearful.


The love you lost with her skin so fair
Describing the past love which was lost with someone with fair skin.


Is free with the wind in her butterscotch hair
The memories or aura of that past love is free and unbounded.


Her green eyes bloom goodbyes
Her eyes indicate her saying goodbye to her lover.


With her head in her hands and your kiss on the lips of another
The woman who's leaving has her head in her hands and is about to kiss another person, possibly indicating infidelity.


Dream brother with your tears scattered round the world
Addressing someone with whom the singer is empathizing, assuming someone is upset and crying.


Don't be like the one who made me so old
Asking someone not to let themselves be like someone else, who presumably aged before their time.


Don't be like the one who left behind his name
Asking someone to not be like someone else who left behind a name, possibly through betrayal or abandonment.


'Cause they're waiting for you like I waited for mine
Implying that someone is waiting for the addressee, similar to how the artist waited for their own outcome.


And nobody ever came
Despite waiting for something, nothing came through or happened in the end.


I feel afraid and I call your name
The singer is possibly in distress, and is calling out to someone for help.


I love your voice and your dance insane
Possibly referring to someone known to the singer who has an insane dance, along with a pleasing or appealing voice.


I hear your words and I know your pain
The artist can relate to the pain of the person they are addressing, due to hearing their words and understanding them.


Your head in your hands and a kiss on the lips of another
Addressing someone who is likely upset and possibly unfaithful to someone else by kissing someone else.


Your eyes to the ground and the world spinning round forever
The person being addressed might be feeling despair or extreme sadness, with the world around them being oppressive or difficult.


Asleep in the sand with the ocean washing over
Possibly referring to someone sleeping on a beach with the sound of the waves crashing on the shore.




Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Jeff Buckley, Matt Johnson, Mick Grondahl

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

MemoriesLP

Yep
Looks like Jeff had a friend.
This friend was going to have kids, but he wanted to run away, since they were only dating.

So Jeff wrote this.
"Hey friend, don't be like the one who made me so old (father)
Don't be like the one who left his name (father)
Cause they (friends kids) are waiting for you (friend)
Like I waited for mine (dad)
And nobody ever came"

Also, at live he says more things before the long guitar solo
"You are just like her
Why do you meet the one I love
And smell the one who loves you?"
Its like:
"You are just like her (friend girlfriend)
Why do you (friend) meet the one I love (looks like my father)
And smells the ones who loves you? (and smel/looks like your girlfriend)"



Magida Allam

Dream Brother
There is a child sleeping near his twin 
The pictures go wild in a rush of wind 
That dark angel he is shuffling in 
Watching over them with his black feather wings unfurled

The love you lost with her skin so fair 
Is free with the wind in her butterscotch hair 
Her green eyes blew goodbyes 
With her head in her hands 
and your kiss on the lips of another 
Dream Brother with your tears scattered round the world.

Don't be like the one who made me so old
Don't be like the one who left behind his name 
'Cause they're waiting for you like I waited for mine 
And nobody ever came... 

Don't be like the one who made me so old 
Don't be like the one who left behind his name 
'Cause they're waiting for you like I waited for mine 
And nobody ever came... 

Don't be like the one who made me so old 
Don't be like the one who left behind his name 
'Cause they're waiting for you like I waited for mine 
Nobody ever came 
Nobody ever... 

I feel afraid and I call your name 
I love your voice and your dance insane
I hear your words and I know your pain 
With your head in your hands and her kiss on the lips of another 
Your eyes to the ground and the world spinning round forever
Asleep in the sand with the ocean washing over 
Asleep in the sand with the ocean washing over 
Asleep in the sand with the ocean washing over 

Ah do you meet the one I love 
and smell the one who loves you 
Dream brother, dream brother, dream, dream
dream asleep in the sand with the ocean washing over



All comments from YouTube:

naya bello

Everybody is talking about what a legend Jeff is but can we also talk about his band? I mean, these guys played their souls out! Amazing musicians for an incredible genius 🖤

Daniel Laurent

FIne musicians, but stiff as boards. If they were in tune with Jeff they wouldn't have to keep looking at him.

Grey Area

Daniel Laurent he doesn’t want any ponsy posers bobbing around on stage , they’re perfect backing for him

Brian Williams

Yawn

Alphabetical Order

@Daniel Laurent good bands still have to listen to and watch their band mates to pick up cues and stay in time

Ricardo de Rada

@Daniel Laurent You don't really know what u are saying

52 More Replies...

CirE219

I discovered Jeff Buckley today, the world seems different now..

Olivia S. music

wow same... Me too, some months ago

RockeraMJ

Check Conor Mason :)

nihilist

Yawn

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