Just a Dream
Joe Williams / Count Basie Lyrics
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All our plans and our all schemes
How could I think you'd be mine?
The lies I'd tell myself each time
I know that we could never last
We just can't seem to in the past
Just a dream I dream in vain
Your picture is always with me
I can still hear that same mournful song
And now I sit here crying
Please, leave me alone
Why, why do I love you?
How can I live in misery?
I know that I won't forget you
But now I know it's too late for me
The song "Just a Dream" by Joe Williams and Count Basie is a poignant ballad about unrequited love and the pain of holding onto something that can never be. The lyrics allude to the fact that the singer knows the love he has for the subject of the song will never be reciprocated, and yet he still holds onto hope, telling himself lies and letting himself dream. The lyrics communicate the heartbreak and sadness that come with knowing the truth but still wanting something so badly.
Throughout the song, the singer addresses his feelings of love and grief head-on. He acknowledges the pain and misery that come with loving someone who cannot return that love, and how difficult it is to let go of something you have been holding onto for so long. He states that he knows he will never forget the person he loves, but he also understands that it is too late for him to do anything about it.
Overall, "Just a Dream" is a beautiful and moving song about the heartbreak and sadness that come with unrequited love. The lyrics are so powerful that anyone who has ever experienced unrequited love can relate to them on a deep and personal level.
Line by Line Meaning
Just a dream, just a dream
It was all a fantasy, nothing tangible or real.
All our plans and our all schemes
The hopes and aspirations we shared.
How could I think you'd be mine?
What made me believe that you could be mine?
The lies I'd tell myself each time
The deceptive fantasies I often indulged in.
I know that we could never last
I understand that we can't be together forever.
We just can't seem to in the past
We failed to maintain our relationship in the past.
Just a dream I dream in vain
I have wished for something that I can never have.
With you I'd only live in pain
If we were together, it would only bring me misery.
Your picture is always with me
I have a constant image of you in my mind.
I can still hear that same mournful song
The sound of that sad melody still echoes in my head.
And now I sit here crying
I find myself shedding tears at this moment.
Please, leave me alone
I ask for solitude and to be left by myself.
Why, why do I love you?
I question myself about the reason for my love for you.
How can I live in misery?
I wonder if I can endure the pain much longer.
I know that I won't forget you
I recognize that you'll always be in my memories.
But now I know it's too late for me
I'm aware that there's nothing that can be done now.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHRIS ROOT, JON SMITH, JEAN-MARIE BRICHARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind