I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine
John Doe Lyrics


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I dreamed I saw St. Augustine
Alive as you or me
Raging through these quarters
In the utmost misery

With a blanket underneath his arms
And a coat of solid gold
Cryin' for the very ones
That already had been sold

"Arise, arise" he cried so loud
In a voice without restraint
"Come out, you gifted kings and queens
And hear my sad complaint"

"No martyrs are among you now
That you can call your own
So go your way accordingly
And know you're not alone"

I dreamed I saw St. Augustine
Alive with fiery breath
I dreamed I was among the ones
That took him out to death

Well, I awoke in anger
So alone and terrified
And I pressed my fingers against the glass
And bowed my head and cried




Yes, I pressed my fingers against the glass
And bowed my head and cried

Overall Meaning

In "I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine," John Doe imagines a scene of the legendary saint, an influential theologian and philosopher of the fourth and fifth centuries AD, wandering through the streets in distress, carrying his few belongings and calling out to the people. He is mournful that the martyrs, who once fought for and gave their lives for their causes and beliefs, are no longer among them. He urges the people, the "gifted kings and queens," to listen to his complaints and realize they are not alone in their struggles. In the end, Doe wakes up from the dream feeling angry and alone, pressing his fingers against the glass and crying.


Line by Line Meaning

I dreamed I saw St. Augustine
In a dream, the singer saw St. Augustine


Alive as you or me
St. Augustine appeared alive and human-like in the dream


Raging through these quarters
St. Augustine was moving through a particular space with great intensity


In the utmost misery
Despite being alive, St. Augustine was extremely unhappy and suffering


With a blanket underneath his arms
St. Augustine was carrying a blanket wrapped around himself


And a coat of solid gold
St. Augustine also wore a coat made of a valuable metal


Cryin' for the very ones
St. Augustine was weeping for specific people


That already had been sold
Those for whom St. Augustine cried had been previously betrayed and possibly enslaved


"Arise, arise" he cried so loud
St. Augustine spoke forcefully, calling for people to awaken


In a voice without restraint
St. Augustine spoke with great passion and emotions, in an unbridled way


"Come out, you gifted kings and queens
St. Augustine called upon people who were talented and powerful


And hear my sad complaint"
St. Augustine wanted these people to listen to his serious grievances


"No martyrs are among you now
St. Augustine pointed out that there were no defenders of justice or heroes left around


That you can call your own
People could not identify with or lay claim to any martyrs or moral exemplars


So go your way accordingly
St. Augustine suggested that people should continue on their path as they see fit


And know you're not alone"
But they should be aware that this course of action may be isolating


I dreamed I saw St. Augustine
The artist repeated the opening line


Alive with fiery breath
This time, St. Augustine was alive but exhaling flames as if breathing fire


I dreamed I was among the ones
The singer then imagined being with a group of people


That took him out to death
And they were responsible for killing or defeating St. Augustine, which was a tragic and sobering thought


Well, I awoke in anger
The artist became furious upon waking up


So alone and terrified
The dream left them feeling desolate and scared


And I pressed my fingers against the glass
The singer placed their hands on a nearby windowpane, possibly to ground themselves or find comfort


And bowed my head and cried
But ultimately, they remained overwhelmed with emotion and shed tears


Yes, I pressed my fingers against the glass
The singer repeated a line from earlier for emphasis


And bowed my head and cried
Repeating the final line, the singer conveyed their deep sorrow and sense of defeat




Contributed by William S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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